Thimna MatikaThere are many creative ornamental garden decor projects that one can achieve with flowering, fragrant climbing plants, like making fragrant hedges, covering walls and fences with beautiful flowering plants.
If you’re considering adding climbing plants to your garden, here are a few favourite, fragrant varieties to consider:
Gloriosa superba
Gloriosa superba is a deciduous, summer-blooming climber with tuberous roots. The genus name Gloriosa comes from the Latin word gloriosus, meaning ‘glorious’, ‘famous’, or ‘ostentatious’, and the species name superba means ‘superb’ or ‘splendid’. Gloriosa is the national flower of Zimbabwe.
This plant contains colchicine, which is poisonous, especially its tubers. It’s a widely used medicinal plant; however, incorrect dosage has caused deaths. Use with caution, under qualified guidance, and avoid contact with pets or children. It’s also poisonous to grazing stock.
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Clematis brachiata
Clematis brachiata, also known as traveller’s joy, is a hardy deciduous Southern African liana in the Ranunculaceae family. It sprawls over trees and shrubs, with compound leaves and fragrant flowers.
Traveller’s joy is a term referring to the medicinal properties of leaves, which were used in ancient times for various purposes. They were packed into shoes, saddles, and hats to ease blisters, aches, and pains. Tea made from leaves is used to ease headaches, chest ailments, and colds.
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Thunbergia alata
The plant is named after Carl Peter Thunberg, a Swedish botanist, doctor, explorer, and author. Thunbergia alata is one of 90 old-world species, with 12 in South Africa. It is primarily used as an ornamental plant, making a good screen when covering unsightly dead trees or walls. It can also be used as a vegetable or stock feed in East Africa, and medicinally for skin problems, cellulitis, back and joint pains, eye inflammation, piles, and rectal cancer. It can also be used to treat gall sickness and some ear problems in cattle.
Image credit: Pixabay
Placing indigenous flowering climbers in your garden provides not only beauty and fragrance, it also supports local heritage and biodiversity.
Whether for their beauty, medicinal value, or functionality, these South African treasures offer limitless beauty and imagination; just ensure to plant appropriately.
ALSO SEE: TRANSFORM YOUR GARDEN WITH THESE CLIMBING PLANTS
Image credit: Pixabay
