Woohoo congrats Robert :))

Thank you! I'm excited!
Have you ever smelled one?
Of course I have to give Kemistry a scent description.
Oi Vey! The pressure. Laugh.

-Robert

Nope. I got one several years ago but it died as it set into Fall/Winter. Poor thing just withered away and didn't have a chance to bloom. lol

Can't wait to hear what you think of it. :))

Dar

I know Clare loves the fragrance from reading her opinions on Dave's. She calls the fragrance wonderful and exquisite. :)

-Robert

Ohh... I can't wait to hear the scent report Robert! How exciting! Your plant looks soo healthy and happy! You truly have a green thumb.

Do I have this?? LOL. Ok let me know if I need to get this too. And don't forget to tell me where! I totally forgot what I bought online last week. ;)

Thank you but I could kill it or over water and kill the buds at any time. Laugh.

You are too funny! You can order them from Logee's.
I got mine off eBay. ;)
You might know the scent and just didn't know the source since it's from southeast Asia. :)

-Robert

That looks amazing. I'm so excited for you. : ) My dream is to sniff this flower *someday* ahh... I may have to buy one from dhan if my plant doesn't want to bloom this year.

Forgot to add, it's supposed to have a heavy lemony scent. I have no idea what that means but I'm pretty sure it's a good scent. Lol. I've 'heard' songs about it (this and michelia alba..)

MMh lemony sounds good.

So are you going to batter and fry the flowers Robert? XD

Dar

Kem,

I hope I start singing the praises of this plant if mine does indeed bloom! :)

Ha, Dar!

While searching for info on the plant I did see a pic of some soup that looks quite lovely but I'd much rather sniff flowers than cook. Laugh.

-Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: Soup's on!

Found a site that gives the chemical analysis of the Telosma cordata perfume.
I love info like this! Wish there was some machine I could buy that would tell me what chemicals my favorite plant smells are made of. Laugh.

"Pakalana is most fragrant at night. Analysis of the fragrance revealed that its main compounds are geraniol (found in roses), and ò -ionone (found in violets). The highly diffusive property of ò-ionone is responsible for spreading the aroma of pakalana and makes it an ideal flowering vine to plant near a bedroom window or on a lanai."

-Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: Perfume analysis

I remember these flowers. We had this vine in our house when I was young. Very fragrant. I used to string them (my mom does it) and wear them to school. All my friends beg me to bring a string of these flowers for them.
It attracts lots of ants and snakes too. It is called "Champanki" in our place.
Robert, I noticed your zone is 7. how did you take care of them in the winter?

rajiram,

Thank you for the story.
Yay! I can't wait to sniff them for myself! :)
I got mine in the fall I think and grew it in the sunny kitchen window over the winter/spring until it was warm enough to bring outside.
When it gets cold again I'll bring it down to the basement with all my other tropicals (like there will be room! Laugh).

-Robert

Well done robert!! Mine is 1,5 years old and no flowers yet, I suppose it got the back seat in the winter due to the michelias&co and it needed more sun.. Can't wait for your "unscientific" description!

Laugh. Thanks, fenius!
I've been a bit paranoid that I'll over water and kill the buds so I've been religiously tilting the pot after watering to drain the excess water off.
You know how some plants abort their first buds. Really hoping Telosma cordata is not in that camp!
If it does bloom I'll just say it has a heavy lemon scent or say it smells like roses and violets. ;)

-Robert

nooo you have to do better than that!! otherwise I won't say how michelia alba smells (yep, thought the thing was just more leaves but it's definitely turned into a bud today!!)

Yay for you!
Yea I sent Kemistry pics of what I was hoping were buds on my M. alba but they were just new leaves. Laugh.
Very excited for you! Hope it lives up to the hype! ;)

-Robert

Robert, Is it blooming yet? I remember it to be spicy (gingery) and sweet. But it's been 50 years since I smelled one. The flowers are edible - in scramble egg or sweet dessert soup. I've been looking for some seeds or some cutting. Maybe we can trade in the future.

No blooms yet! You know I'll be letting everyone know when it happens. ;)

Mmm...spicy ginger scent sounds nice!

I plan on sniffing all my blooms instead of eating them though some are developing inside the trellis cage which will make it hard to get to. Laugh.

I got my plant off eBay. I looked and they are still available as are seeds but you can also get plants from Zone 9 Tropicals and Logee's.
Looks like this plant is becoming more and more popular! :)

-Robert

Ah those buds look great. My telosma is doing a bit of growing **finally**. There's still hope for me to sniff its fragrance in the future.

Can you post a shot of your whole plant? : )

Ha! Yes. Have to go home soon to walk the pooch and will snap a pic of the whole plant just for you, Kem! ;)

Glad yours is finally growing!

-Robert

Here's a pic of the whole plant...granted it's not the greatest being washed out by the midnoon sun and all. ;)

Why Frida was lounging in the grass in the sun when it was 93 is a mystery. Laugh.

-Robert

Wow that plant is taking off. So much growth in just a few months! : )

LOL @ Frida.

Yup. She's nuts! :)

I think I noticed flower buds forming on the vines falling off the top of the trellis when I moved the plant to snap the pic. Woo hoo!
Looks like I'm gonna get lots of blooms.
Don't know when I should repot into a larger pot with a larger trellis.

-Robert

Almost there! :)

-Robert

Got about 3 open blooms today! First sniff and sweet violets (Viola odorata) comes to mind.
Love it!
Looking forward to sniffing tonight and when more blooms are open! :)

-Robert

I am in LOVE. Is the scent strong? Do you detect any lemony note?

Ha! Scent is strong. Can detect it without having to stick my nose into it. No lemon yet but the sun hasn't set and I only have a few open blooms. :)

-Robert

Here is my pot of Telosma. It's in a 6" pot at the moment. The new leaves are green and big (yay!) and that's making me super happy because I think I finally learn to make this plant happy. hehe.. : )

Hey Robert! How are ya?;-)

Thanks for yet enabling me again..Ha...Just when I thought I had all the plants I needed, I see this one...

Please, fill me in about the ease of care or difficulty of it...
Was it prone to mites during the cooler months?
Is this one a plant that hates cool temps?
Does it need warm to hot temps to thrive like the Duke Jasmine in hwich I always fail with?
Do they go dormant during our cold months just to come back in the spring?

I guess that if this is an easy one to care for, my wallet will be a bit thinner by the time I am done reading your comments..lol

Thank and what a beauty! I can only imagine the fragrance you describe and the fact that you can be standing a way from it and still smell it. Now that is my kind of plant!

Congrats and good job!

Dang, Mike! So many questions! Laugh.

This is my first year but I'll do my best to answer them.
I didn't have any real spider mite issues over the winter when it was small and growing in the kitchen window. I have noticed some yellow aphids on it outside which is not surprising since it's in the milkweed family. :)
It does like hot weather (just do a search and you'll get tons of info) and come winter I plan on shoving it down in the basement with the other tropicals. I believe it does go dormant (loses its leaves and is not an evergreen).
Will let ya know come winter about that!
It's a vine so you will need something for it to grow on but it does smell awesome.
I say get one! Laugh.

-Robert

Kemistry,

So glad yours is growing!
I took mine in tonight to see if I could still smell it and yes I can!
The scent is harsher up close inside but still has the sweet violet scent from afar so I don't think it's going to be one of those plants that disappoint inside like plumies can. :)

-Robert

I love how this plant creates its own festoons! It's pretty amazing and gorgeous to view.
I've got it right outside the steps to the house in the back so you smell it every time you're outside.
The bees like it as well so I have to watch out before I go shoving my nose in the blooms. ;)

-Robert

Wow! Look at all these blooms. Can imagine how good they smell. I'm envious. Congrats.

I would love to buy the cuttings from you when you need to pruin it in the winter. Thanks.

It's been three years since you posted those pictures. How is your vine doing? Did you get any seed pods?

I believe Robert is no longer growing this plant :)

My plant died, but I did get to smell this plant while on vacation last Summer. I smelled a nice, strong lemony scent, but I wasn't too impressed :)

Kemistry has such a good memory! I no longer grow this plant since it's a vining plant that is not cold hardy where I live and took up too much space in my basement over the winter and I thought the scent wasn't worth the trouble but I must admit after seeing this old thread I want to try one again. Laugh.

-Robert

I have a Telosma... this will be the second summer I've had it. Seems to have taken off this year with all our heat and humidity. I am seeing growth developing in the leaf axils... very similar to the way Stephanotis would develop flower buds. Dare I get excited that I might actually get some blooms this year??! Any thoughts from someone who has successfully had one bloom?