Rangoon Creeper (Combretum indicum) is a vigorous, woody vine native to tropical Southeast Asia. It is famous for its heavily fragrant, star-like flowers that dramatically shift from white, to pink, and finally red as they age, making it a highly sought-after ornamental climber.
Key facts about the Rangoon Creeper include:
Color-Changing Blooms: Flowers open white at dusk (attracting hawkmoths), turn pink on day two, and deepen to red by day three (attracting bees and birds).
Growth Habit: It can scale up to 70 feet (20 meters) in tropical climates. In youth, it grows as an upright shrub, but quickly develops into a rambling, woody vine, climbing using the stiff, hook-like bases of fallen leaves.
Fragrance: The blooms release a strong, sweet, honey-like and fruity scent that becomes particularly potent at night.
Fruit & Seeds: The plant produces 1-to-1.5 inch dark brown, five-winged seed pods. The mature seeds have an almond or coconut-like flavor, though overconsumption can cause nausea or hiccups.
Medicinal Uses: In traditional medicine (especially in Asia), different parts of the plant are used to expel parasitic worms, relieve headaches, and treat rheumatism or diarrhea.
Cultivation Tips: It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11 and requires a full-to-partial sun environment. Because of its extremely fast growth rate, regular pruning is necessary to keep it from overtaking garden structures.
