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Writer's pictureajay devmurari
Dec 27, 20224 min read

Rangoon Creeper which fill atmosphere with fragrance

Updated: May 1

Combretum indicum, also known as the Rangoon creeper, is a vine with red flower clusters which is native to tropical Asia.

Description

“A flower is the way nature smiles”, and this quote is so true for so many plants! If you are wondering what flowering plant you want, especially if you have less experience with gardening, you definitely need a Madhu malti, aka Rangoon Creeper.

A view worth watching, watching the strong creeper with its lush green leaves contrast with the flower’s colours. The perennial Madhu Malti, climbs (with support) makes beautiful arches so you could see a Rangoon creeper arched over your gates or peeping out of some balcony only to refresh you.

The peculiar flower, has elongated petals, and a striking colour combination that keeps changing. The flower buds bloom to a pearly white, only to change overnight into a silky light pink, finally maturing into a royal maroon. So, looking at the bunch of the beautiful flowers, we can’t help but be awed at the tiny details that nature has tended this plant with!

It does not require a lot of tending to, making it easier for most of the non-gardeners to have this creeper. The only thing you need, is the desire.

“Madhu Malti”, a name with so much sweetness, it literally means a small fragrant flower. And Madhu malti’s fragrance is only as sweet as it’s appearance. For it is a small, tender bloom which grows in a bunch.

The Rangoon creeper is a ligneous vine that can reach from 2.5 meters to up to 8 meters. The leaves are elliptical with an acuminate tip and a rounded base. They grow from 7 to 15 centimeters and their arrangement is opposite. The flowers are fragrant and tubular and their color varies from white to pink to red. The 30 to 35 mm long fruit is ellipsoidal and has five prominent wings. The fruit tastes like almonds when mature.

Rangoon creeper is found in thickets or secondary forests of the Philippines, India, Pakistan and Malaysia. It has since been cultivated and naturalized in tropical areas such as Bangladesh, Burma, Vietnam, and Thailand.

The flowers change in colour with age and it is thought that this is a strategy to gather more pollinators. The flower is initially white and opens at dusk. This attracts hawkmoths with long tongues for pollination. On the second day it turns pink and on the third it turns red attracting day flying bees and birds. The flower also changes from a horizontal orientation to a drooping pose

  • Rangoon Creeper Plant Size & Growth

  • Quisqualis plants are fast growers and spread rapidly from root suckers and seeds. In excellent growing conditions, it can reach up to 30’ feet.

  • The leaves of rangoon creeper plant grow about 5” inches long and are oval or elongated with bright green color to help create lush foliage.

  • Flowering and Fragrance

  • The white, pink, and red flower clusters of the Drunken Sailor plant are its glory.

  • The flowers are tubular and have a sweet floral fragrance. The blooms grow in bright white pendent racemes.

  • Each flower is about 3” inches long and changes colors. The blooms start out white and change to pink before turning to bright red flowers.

  • Light & Temperature

  • Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 10 and 11, the flowering Rangoon Creeper plant can thrive in both full sun and part shade.

  • While it is tolerant of humidity and very poor growing conditions, it defoliates with the slightest frost.

  • It succeeds in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climes where it’s usually warm and humid.

  • Water and Feeding

  • The Rangoon creeper plant is native to tropical and sub-tropical climes and needs sun and water on a regular basis.

  • Allow enough time to let the soil dry before watering it again.

  • As for fertilizers, they don’t require heavy feeding. If your soil lacks nutrients, add composted cow manure or granular Fertilizer.

  • Fertilize twice a year, once in the fall and once in spring. Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen as they will encourage healthy foliage growth at the expense of flowering.

  • Rangoon Creeper Plant Soil & Transplanting

  • This non-fussy grower can tolerate and thrive in most soils.

  • If the soil is well-drained and pH-adaptable, the vine will keep spreading and flowering abundantly.



  • The vine will transplant but doesn’t need to be as plants usually grow upwards from suckers coming up from the root system.

  • Divide the roots of rangoon creeper plant and relocate to new locations easily.

  • Grooming and Maintenance

  • Cut plants back to shape the shrub in early spring before flowering from June to September.

  • When you’ve given the vine the best growing conditions, you must prune plants regularly to keep it in bounds.


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