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| Category: Vine |
| Family: Bignoniaceae (Bignonias) |
| Origin: Central America (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Creamy White |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Synonyms: [Amphilophium crucigerum, P.echinatum] |
| Height: Climbing (Vine) |
| Width: Spreading |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F |
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Pithecoctenium crucigerum (Monkey-comb) - An evergreen to semi-evergreen vine with 3 soft leaflets with the middle one often becoming a tendril that helps support the plant. In late spring, there is a short but beautiful bloom of creamy white flowers with yellow throats that arise vertically and arch over to face out from the plant, making for a very showy display. As the flowers mature they darken so that each flower is entirely yellow. Plant in full sun or part shade, with moderate watering. Remains evergreen to 30-32° F and stems are hardy to mid 20's ° F. This plant is native from southern Mexico south to Brazil. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'pithekos' (or Latin 'pitheco') meaning an "ape" or a "monkey" and 'ctenion' meaning a comb in reference to the spiny fruit that can develop which could be used as a comb. The common name Monkey-comb makes this same reference but we have never seen our plants produce this fruit here in Santa Barbara. This vine graces the corner of our sales office and is often in full bloom in June. There is some confusion over this vine and an Argentine species. P. cynchoides which is also white with yellow streaks in the throat but does not have P. crucigerum's characteristic bent floral tube and it is notably similar to the more tropical Brazilian Yellow Trumpet Vine, Anemopaegma chamberlaynii, which has a darker yellow flowers and darker green leaves will ciliate margins. This plant was originally described as Bignonia crucigera but according to The Plant list the current name for this taxa is Amphilophium crucigerum. Since we have long grown it under the name Pithecoctenium and so not to confuse customers (or our own employees), we continue to list it under this older name. We grew this plant from 1997 until 2017.
This information about Pithecoctenium crucigerum displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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