If you are fond of gardening, you love greenery and the colorful view around you. You probably struggle to gather the best flowers and plant species that can help you decorate your home or your plants’ yard. And what better plant to add a dash of blue to your landscape than the blue sky vine?

This article will cover every aspect of this eye-catching plant species. You will also learn some amazing facts about the blue sky vine that you probably didn’t know.

What are Blue Sky Vines?

Distinctive in appearance, the blue sky vine has a structure resembling a bell. The plant may reach a height of 20 to 30 centimeters, and the hue is vibrant and appealing. The blue sky vine grows profusely and for an extended length of time. It’s also capable of flowering from spring to fall and even in winter.

The blue sky vine is commonly seen as a wealthy plant because of its attractive look and height. Therefore, many individuals like cultivating it in containers at home. It is typically planted in the spring since the temperature is optimal at this time, around 20 degrees.

Classification

The Blue sky vine is known botanically as Thunbergia Grandiflora. Sky vine is the common name, while Thunbergia Grandiflora is the genus. It is also known as the Bengal clock vine. The family is Acanthaceae, order Scrophulariales, and the kingdom is Plantae (vascular plants).

Appearance and Characteristics

The blue sky vine is among the most striking vines in existence. It produces an abundance of large, lavender-blue blooms during the summer. The hue complements nearly all colors, and the leaves provide a beautiful backdrop for the flowers. In tropical regions, the sky vine is a perennial. However, in most areas, it is planted as an annual and only grows to a height of 12 feet.

Quick Summary

• The blue sky vine is also called the Bengal clock vine and Thunbergia Grandiflora.
• Blooms bright, lavender-blue flowers for the whole summer
• Perennial in tropical and annual in most places
• Can reach up to 20 to 30 cm

How to Care for Blue Sky Vines

Certain elements contribute significantly to the growth and propagation of the blue sky vine plant.

Sunlight

The blue sky vine may blossom from summertime to late fall for more than 100 days if you can keep the temperature above ten degrees Celsius at night and provide it with more than 12 hours of daily light.

Watering

The blue sky vine has to be well watered. Too little moisture causes the leaves to be yellow and die, but too much water damages the roots and causes them to rot.

When the soil is practically dry, you need to deeply water the blue sky vine to satisfy its growing requirements. This should be done once every few weeks to nourish the plant without generating ponding.

Humidity & Temperature

Blue sky vines are long-sunny plants. Sunshine, thick foliage, and colorful blooms are all it needs for it to thrive. Poor light causes the branches and leaves to develop poorly, leading to a lack of vegetative roots and low-quality flowering and fruit production.

Temperatures of 13 to 18 °C are ideal for blue sky vine development in the spring and fall, while 4 to 10 °C are ideal in the winter. In the summer, it can resist temperatures of up to 35 °C.

Cleaning

This plant prefers whole light but likes afternoon shade. When the soil is dry to the touch, use a watering can to keep it equally moist. Make sure that the earth is adequately drained and doesn’t become saturated with water.

This plant can withstand periods of drought. It does, however, do well with a consistent supply of water.

Fertilizer & Soil

Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are the elements that make the efficient and best fertilizers for the blue sky vines. The amount of fertilization should be moderate as well. You should apply fertilizer around every six weeks.

To cultivate blue sky vine organically, you can combine half of the typical culture soil with half bare sandy soil. Fusing the entire plants in one container is the objective. Covering the roots with a fair bit of dirt will also help protect them from injury.

Repotting

You can replant the blue sky vine during March and April. Initially, move the blue sky vine from a large basin to a smaller bay. As excess water can quickly oversaturate the blue sky vine, the diameter of the little watershed must be up to 8 to 10 centimeters.

Growing in Garden

You should plant seedlings in your garden with full to partial light and nutrient-rich organic soil as soon as they emerge and develop large enough to handle it. Support the vines using a trellis. Temperatures over 10 °C at night are ideal for germination.

How and When To Prune

If you fail to prune it correctly, it will be difficult for the blue sky vine to flower properly. It’s best to wait until the blue sky vine is established in the basin soil before inserting a 1-meter-long thin bamboo pole in the basin’s center. Then, construct a tower-shaped spiral frame with a wide bottom and a tiny top using a 3-meter lead wire wrapped around a bamboo pole. It is necessary to fasten the iron wire’s upper end on the bamboo pole’s top.

Vegetation of the blue sky kind is a left-handed species. The circular orientation of the lead wire must match the blue sky vine’s tendency to wind to the left. During the vine’s ascent, remove the top when the vine reaches the top of the pole. Pinch the tip of the blue sky vine when it has six to seven leaves to encourage huge, continuous blooms.

Problems With Blue Sky Vine Plants

After the plant has finished flowering for the year in tropical areas, winter is the time to trim the sky vine. Removing crossed or broken branches is an essential part of pruning. Rejuvenation of the sky vine is as simple as trimming it down to 12 inches above the ground.

Sky vine has the potential to become invasive in locations that do not experience severe winters. Other places and buildings may be affected by this invasive species. If you live in tropical climes, use caution while planting it.

Make sure you have enough space to accommodate the vine if you reside in a climate where its ever-expanding roots are difficult to remove. In regions of Australia, the blue-sky vine has been declared a weed and spread to Hawaii and Florida. However, winter dieback halts its rapid development in locations with frost.

How to Propagate Blue Sky Vine Plants

The sky vines are evergreen and woody in tropical areas and bloom from springtime until the end of winter. You may expect sky vine to blossom in cold areas from summertime through early October.

Seed Propagation

The best period to propagate blue sky vine is from October to November, when temperatures hover around 20 °C, making germination easier. It takes about ten days to see seedlings emerge.

During winter, the best approach is to store it indoors to allow its smooth survival. In spring, you have the option of repotting blue sky vine in March, April, or early May. However, early seeding must be done indoors to avoid root rot induced by rainy weather.

It’s possible to water more seeds at once using extra seedling trays. You can apply a slight coating of fine sand to protect the surface and use glass or white paper to provide moisture if desired. About 60 days are required to grow seedlings.

Stem Cuttings Propagation

Stem cuttings survive better between May to June and August to September when temperatures are around 20-25 °C. Cuttings from a blue sky vine should be healthy and free of disease.

Using a 10 cm-long blade, we may sever them from the node’s base. Don’t forget to flatten the cutting mouth. Depending on the size of the leaves, you may want to remove half of the upper leaves if they’re too big.

Sanitize the basin soil during the multiplication of blue sky vine cuttings to avoid infection and degradation of cuttings. The cutting depth is approximately 1.5cm, making it suitable for use in areas with poor lighting.

Why Should You Grow A Blue Sky Vine

Whether planted in the courtyard or along the fence, the blue sky vine beautifies the yard. Its vines also have vibrant green leaves and colorful hues.

In addition to its beautification function, it also has powerful laxative properties and can increase intestinal peristalsis and induce diarrhea quickly. Because of this, people with sensitive intestines should avoid consuming it. However, it can help people with kidney stones and constipation.

Blue sky vine also has significant side effects such as diuresis and detumescence. It has the potential to enhance human renal function and speed up the body’s process of eliminating excess water. Blue sky vine can instantly alleviate some ailments in the human body. It is the best remedy for edema, ascites due to liver cirrhosis, etc.

Facts About Blue Sky Vines

How Big Does A Blue Sky Vine Get?

Each year, the blue sky vine may reach heights of 30-50 feet and bear hundreds of blossoms. During one summer, it may completely cover a chain link or timber fence.

What Is Blue Sky Vine Good For?

Blue sky vine is a heat and sun-loving twining vine well-suited for metal fences, tiny arbors, moderate trellises, and other solid supports.

Are Blue Sky Vines Poisonous?

Blue sky vines are harmless to all animals, including humans. Because it does not pose a threat to any kind of life, you can cultivate it without any restrictions in your yard.

Is Blue Sky Vine Poisonous To Pets?

As per the regulations of ASPCA under pet care, the blue sky vine is not counted as a toxic or poisonous plant to pets. Feeding your pet with the blue sky vine will cause no harm to them.

How Fast Does Blue Sky Vine Grow?

Blue sky vine thrives in containers, and you can grow it on the ground in zones nine and above. It may reach a height between 30 and 50 feet annually and generate dozens of flowers.

Common FAQs

How Much Light Does Blue Sky Vine Need?

Blue sky vine requires at least eight hours in direct sunlight. However, giving it up to 12 hours of light daily is best. With consistent watering, this plant won’t dry out. If you can keep up with its need for sunlight, you can guarantee a long blooming period.

What Is Special About Blue Sky Vine?

The Blue sky vine is easy to care for, dependable and possesses outstanding flowering strength. If you are in zones 8 or 9, you can cultivate it as a dieback perennial if introduced earlier in the growing season.

Are Blue Sky Vine Plants Good Indoor Plants?

You can sow sky vine seeds six weeks before the final spring frost date and transplant them outside in the spring. Simply sow two or three seeds in a tiny pot of fine-textured potting soil, then set the container in a sunny, warm spot and water often.

Can Blue Sky Vine Plants Survive In Low Light?

Cultivating blue sky vines under weak light conditions, such as partial shadows, is difficult. To thrive, it requires ample sunshine and well-drained soil. The plant will either die or have low-quality blooms if any element is missing.

Why Don’t Blue Sky Vine Plants Grow?

Blue sky vine plants can stop growing if the conditions are not suitable. They need proper sunlight, soil, pruning, and care to grow well. If you live in an area that’s cold year-round or use alkaline soil, the sky vine may not grow well.

Summary

The blue sky vine best suits people who love colorful gardens and admire nature. It is blooming the best under easy conditions, and you won’t feel difficulty cultivating this plant species.