Telosma Cordata, also known as Chinese violet, cowslip creeper, Pakalana vine, Tonkin jasmine and Tonkinese creeper, is a unique and sought-after plant due to its edible flowers which are believed to aid in improving eyesight. Locally called Bunga Tongkeng, it can be fried with eggs or used to make soup. Although this plant was cultivated long ago and is considered rare, it is now making a comeback in the gardening community as one of the identified edible plants. It has a pleasant fragrance at night and would be a beautiful addition to any tropical garden. However, it is not easy to cultivate and maintain as it tends to behave wildly. To produce many blooms for consumption, you must allow it to grow freely and not attempt to shape it into a neat plant. After cooking, the flowers shrink in size, leaving nothing much to consume anyway.
Propagation:
Growing this plant through cuttings is as easy as with other vine plants. However, due to its thin diameter, it may be a bit tricky as the tip cutting could rot easily because of the sensitive stem. In such cases, it is advisable to have extra cuttings planted to increase the chances of plant survival.
Select a slightly mature vine and cut off the bottom part of it. Plant it from the bottom node, and strip off the leaves, leaving 2-3 nodes with leaves intact. Plant it in a potting mix and keep it in the shade until new growth appears. Once the plant establishes, place it where it can trail around a fencing area and grow in an open, sunny area as it is not a shade-loving plant. It won’t bloom in the shade.
This plant does bear fruit, but it will slowly die away after setting seeds similar to the blue-ear pea. The seeds of this plant are air-borne.
POTENTIAL PEST PROBLEMS:
The PEST plant can attract mealybugs and white flies, making it vulnerable to infestation. Additionally, ants are often drawn to the plant’s nectar-rich flowers. It’s uncertain whether these ants provide any benefit by protecting the plant from other pests.
NOTE ON EDIBLE PLANTS:
Once, I tried frying flowers with eggs and discovered that the taste is an acquired one. It reminded me of eating something green, like a raw vegetable. Removing the ants from the flowers proved to be quite a challenge. Even after putting the flowers in water, the ants remained deeply embedded within them. I had to cut each bloom in half to get rid of all of them.
There’s another recipe that involves using these flowers in a soup. You can mix them with carrots, winter melon, and a few other herbs. I haven’t tried it yet, so it might be worth experimenting with. As I mentioned earlier, these flowers are typically consumed for their traditional medicinal purposes, especially when it comes to improving eyesight.
These beautiful flowers are delicate, and while capturing their beauty in photographs, a few of the petals fell off. But rest assured, I have no plans to cook them up just yet!
The soil medium used for planting is a standard potting mix that contains a balanced combination of all the necessary elements for healthy plant growth. It is important to ensure that the soil has good drainage and not too much like a succulent mix which can retain too much moisture and hinder root growth. A well-balanced soil medium will provide adequate moisture and nutrients to support steady and robust plant growth.
Hydration is essential for the growth of tropical plants, and this strain is no exception. Although it can withstand periods of drought, it still requires daily watering to thrive. However, one should be careful not to overwater as excessive moisture can cause root rot. Nevertheless, this plant is remarkably resilient and can tolerate more stress than other varieties of plants.
As a tropical plant, adequate sunlight is crucial for its growth and survival. While it can tolerate some shade, it requires at least six hours of indirect bright sunshine daily. In heavily shaded areas, the plant may not bloom and its leaves could turn yellow and become leggy. Furthermore, insufficient sunlight can cause stress on the plant and attract pests. If you don’t have an open garden area, consider carefully before keeping this plant indoors or on your balcony as it may not survive with inadequate light.
Shrub pruning can be a challenging task, especially with this particular plant. Although it has a moderate growth rate, it can easily become unruly if proper care is not given. One of the downsides of this ever-blooming plant is that it tends to focus on branching more stem and overgrowth rather than blooms. However, with the right pruning techniques and keeping it trimmed to a manageable size, it can be transformed into a beautiful shrub. It is important to note that this plant can turn into a hard wooden shrub, which is why pruning and focusing on its growth to one main stem is essential to enable it to bloom gracefully instead of becoming a wild-like shrub with branches scattered all over. The best part about this plant is that it blooms continuously on a daily basis.
