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Telosma cordata
Also called Fragrant Telosma, Tonkin Jasmine
Telosma cordata is a fragrant climbing vine from China and Indo-China, grown for its clusters of golden yellow flowers that scent the air day and night in summer. Give it bright sun and well-drained, airy soil, and it will climb 2 to 5 metres.
Telosma cordata is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae (tribe Marsdenieae), native to China and Indo-China. It is cultivated elsewhere and may occur wild as an introduced species. Common names include Chinese violet, cowslip creeper, Pakalana vine, Tonkin jasmine and Tonkinese creeper. The plant bears clusters of golden yellow blooms along the vining stems during summer months. Individual blooms emerge successively over a period of weeks emitting a rich, heavy fragrance during the day and night.
The top, fruit and flowers can all be consumed as vegetables in Southeast Asian cuisines. The top is believed to be the most nutritious part. The flower is used in desserts and for ornamental purposes in bouquets and wreaths. The plant's vines are tough and can be used as ropes. The wood can be used for construction in some cases. The plant has also been used for traditional medicinal purposes, as an antipyretic, an antidote for poison, a tranquilizer, and for the relief of backbone pain. Telosma cordata flower contains antioxidants, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins; using citric acid during blanching preserved more phenolics and antioxidant activity than water alone. The fower extracts have significant potential to promote neuronal survival and possess notable anti-acetylcholinesterase, neurotrophic, and antioxidant properties.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Telosma cordata 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.
