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Snail Vine (Vigna Caracalla)
Fri May 14 2004

OK, for those who have asked, here is more info on the Snail Vine

[album 23857 VignaCaracalla.JPG]
Vigna Caracalla, a.k.a. Snail Vine or Corkscrew Vine.

This comes directly from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants brochure:

Clusters of highly fragrant, white and purple flowers flushed with creamy yellow. The buds resemble a corkscrew or snail.

Vines grow to 20 feet in summer or year round in the green house. Prefers full sun to very light shade and rich, well drained soil with some organic matter. Can be grown in a container.

In 1792, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Benjamin Hawkins, “The most beautiful bean in the world is the Caracalla bean which, though in England a greenhouse plant, will grow in the open air in Virginia and Carolina. It was being grown in American gardens by the 1830s, when Robert Buist wrote in The American Flower Garden Directory “Snail-Flower is a very curious blooming plant with flowers … all spirally twisted, in great profusion when the plant is grown well.” This spectacular flower was popular in florists’ corsages by the late 19th century.


I don’t know if they still have any available, but I ordered mine from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants website www.twinleaf.org. Anyone living in the South (USA) can see the flower grown in the Monticello gardens outside of Charlottesville Virginia, or go to www.monticello.com for more information on the gardens.

6 Comments
  • From:
    Yarngirl (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat May 15 2004
    It really is very pretty. I may have to get one. ;o)

    Julie
  • From:
    Sugardancer1007 (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat May 15 2004
    I have been hit with emails recently from people that I have no idea who they are - usually have hotmail addresses and its reference "your documents". I don't recognize the names so I don't open them. Its a pain itsn't it? Have a safe weekend!

    Sugar
  • From:
    Labyrinth (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat May 15 2004
    That orchid-looking flower looks so gorgeous!
    The spyware? I downloaded it before and i felt it was doing more damage to my installed programs than good, so i uninstalled it. It didnt uninstall right away. I dunno.....somehow I feel its just around here inside my pc, lurking in the dark. :(

    Hi...:)

    L.
  • From:
    AussieDeafMan (Legacy)
    On:
    Sat May 15 2004
    Anti-spyware programs - the best of them is ad-aware 6 - go to :
    http://www.lavasoftusa.com and download the free version.
    Run it every time you use your computer.
    Run it every time you even suspect you've been hijacked.
    Beware especially of sites that automatically start Outlook Express.
    Cheers
    _|m/ ADM
  • From:
    Salamander (Legacy)
    On:
    Sun May 16 2004
    Silent Running! That was one of my first movie dates when I was in high school. It was probably also the first movie I remember seeing Bruce Dern in. I even have the soundtrack LP with Joan Baez ... I should burn that to CD one of these days.
  • From:
    Sweetsummerbreeze (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon May 17 2004
    Wow, that is really pretty.