A vigorous climber, Golden Shower Vine is an excellent creeper for covering the front portico or bower of the house with beautifully coloured bunches of flowers. Its eye-catching blooms work wonders for both, mind and ecology. This climber spreads vertically over smooth walls also with the help of small hooked tendrils. It can be grown in any type of soil.

Popularly called Golden Shower, Flaming Trumpet, Fiery Blossom or Crossy Vine, this evergreen climber is a native of Brazil. However, it has spread to many parts of our country and is widely grown in houses and gardens in many places of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is very popular in many houses of Bangalore, mainly for its attractive and eye-catching fiery blossoms.

Belonging to the family of Bignoniaceae, its botanical name is Pyrostegia grandiflora. The plant has a woody stem with ovate, olive green and glossy leaves. The terminals are modified to form a hooked tendril, with the help of which it climbs over the support. It puts forth magnificent, drooping bunches of flowers, which mask the entire green foliage completely. The flowering period is January to April and when it is at its peak, blooms appear like a flame amidst lush greenery from a distance, deserving its name of Flaming Vine or Flaming Trumpet.

The plant requires plenty of sunshine and a spacious open area for its luxuriant growth and copious flowering.

New plants can be raised by layering using healthy cuttings. The young plant should be provided with strong supports in the early stages for climbing over a portico, fencing or bower. The plant begins to flower within two years of planting. The creeper looks at its best when trained over tiled roofs or balconies.

Among the other popular varieties of Golden Shower, Pyrostegia venusta produces dense clusters of orange red tubular flowers which look gorgeous in bloom. Pyrostegia gracilus produces yellow bright flowers. Periodical dosage of any good artificial fertiliser during the flowering period is beneficial in the production of thousands of flaming flowers, adding beauty to the location as well as to the entire garden.