06Corallita commonly called Mexican creeper originated from Mexico, Central America and belongs to the Polygonaceae family – ie, the Buckwheat family.
Corallita is a vigorous, fast-growing, perennial vine that grows on fences and trellises throughout the Caribbean in full sun. The leaves are heart shaped with wavy edges. The small flowers are delicate, lantern shaped and bright pink in colour, with a deeper pink centre that grows in great profusion on long trailing sprays.
Think about where you want to plant this vine and train it accordingly, as it can quickly take over an area. If you have a trellis, this is ideal for it to run on, or you can let it run on a chain-link fence as it would quickly cover up the fence with its pretty bright pink flowers. If it gets out of hand, prune it to bring it under control.
Ideally it prefers slightly acid, moist, well-drained soil, but it is fairly tolerant, and will even put up with a certain amount of drought. Corallita is widely distributed in the tropical and sub- tropical countries around the world.
Coralitta is presently blooming profusely throughout the country. It can be grown from seeds, cuttings and small plants.
Until next week, happy gardening!
