Snail Vine Seeds — Vigna caracalla

One of the Most Extraordinary Climbers You Can Grow — Bizarre, Beautiful, Fragrant Corkscrew Blooms

Vigna caracalla, the Snail Vine, is one of the most extraordinary and conversation-stopping plants in the garden world — a vigorous, twining climber that produces clusters of the most bizarre and beautiful flowers imaginable. The blooms are unlike anything else: tightly coiled cream-yellow spiral buds that unfurl like snail shells, opening into large, ruffled, pea-like flowers with broad creamy-white outer petals and a vivid magenta-purple centre — exotic, sculptural, and utterly captivating. To top it all off, the flowers are sweetly and intensely fragrant, filling the air around them with a rich, warm scent. A fast-growing climber that will cover a fence, trellis, or pergola with lush green foliage and an abundance of these remarkable blooms from summer through to autumn. A tender perennial that is most commonly grown as an annual — and so easily and quickly grown from seed that this is the most practical and rewarding approach. Once seen, never forgotten.

Why Gardeners Love It

• 🐌 The most extraordinary flowers in the garden — tightly coiled spiral buds unfurling into large ruffled blooms with creamy-white petals and a vivid magenta-purple centre; unlike anything else you can grow
• 🌸 Intensely fragrant — the flowers carry a rich, sweet, warm fragrance that fills the air around the plant; a sensory delight as well as a visual one
• 🌿 Vigorous and fast-growing — a strong twining climber that will quickly cover a fence, trellis, arch, or pergola with lush tropical-looking foliage
• 🌞 Long flowering season — produces its remarkable blooms in abundance from summer through to autumn, with clusters of flowers at various stages of opening simultaneously
• 🌱 Easy to grow from seed — a tender perennial most commonly grown as an annual; germinates readily and grows quickly to flowering size in a single season
• 💬 The ultimate conversation starter — guaranteed to stop every visitor in their tracks; one of the most talked-about plants you can have in your garden
• 🐝 Attractive to pollinators — bees and other beneficial insects are drawn to the flowers throughout the season

Growing Tips for New Zealand

Sow Vigna caracalla seeds in spring after soaking overnight in warm water to speed germination. Sow 2cm deep in small pots of well-drained seed-raising mix and keep warm at 20–25°C — a warm windowsill works well. Seedlings grow quickly and can be transplanted out once frosts have passed into a warm, sunny, sheltered position with a sturdy trellis, fence, or pergola to climb. Snail Vine thrives in warmth and performs best in the warmer regions of NZ; in cooler areas grow in a sheltered, north-facing position. Water regularly during the growing season and feed with a balanced fertiliser to encourage vigorous growth and abundant flowering. So easy and fast from seed that it is best treated as an annual — simply sow fresh each spring for a spectacular display.

What's in the Packet

Each packet contains 5 seeds of Snail Vine (Vigna caracalla), with growing instructions included.