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Congea tomentosa
Also called Shower Orchid, Wooly Congea, Woolly Congea
Congea tomentosa is a large tropical evergreen climbing vine (sometimes pruned as a shrub) grown for its long, showy bracts that look like a shower of pale flowers. It is not closely related to orchids, despite its common name, and it needs warmth, bright light and regular water.
Congea tomentosa is a large tropical evergreen vine, commonly referred to as wooly congea, shower orchid, or shower of orchid. (Despite the name, it is not closely related to orchids). It is called lluvia de orquideas or terciopelo in Spanish, krua on in Thai, and rong bao teng in Chinese. Native to Myanmar and Thailand, it can be found elsewhere in South Asia, including Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia (Kedah), China (Yunnan), Bangladesh, and India (Assam, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal). Its native habitat is mixed forests 600–1200 meters above sea level.
This tropical vine has been naturalized elsewhere, including the islands of the Caribbean, southern Florida, and southern California. In the United States, wooly congea can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 10 and 11. It does not tolerate frost.
It can be grown as a trailing or climbing vine, or pruned as a shrub. In frost-prone climates, it is grown in a warm greenhouse or conservatory. One should use a soil-based potting compost, provide maximum light but shade from direct sun, provide supports for the stems, and prune after flowering to contain the plant. Outdoors, it should be grown in moisture-retentive, fertile soil in full sun. It can be propagated from seed or semi-ripe cuttings and provided with bottom heat for both. The plant is easy to grow in almost any soil type. It should be watered regularly.
Whole branches with their flowering clusters are useful in cut flower arrangements.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Congea tomentosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
