Calystegia hederacea Flore Pleno - Japanese false bindweed

The Calystegia hederacea 'Flore Pleno' is a variety of climbing Japanese bindweed with stunning double candy pink flowers that resemble small roses! It is a herbaceous climber with rambling stems that attach themselves to supports, adorned with spear-shaped leaves, long and narrow, of a tender green colour. With rapid growth, it can cover a support or form a verdant carpet in just a few months. From June to August, it is covered in a profusion of sumptuous large pompons that last only one day, opening with the morning light but constantly repeating. It is a reasonably hardy climber that efficiently produces rhizomes, making it an exciting ground cover for dressing a slope or hanging over balcony railings. It grows in well-drained and fresh soils, well-exposed to light. Indeed, light and water are essential factors for maintaining and prolonging its spectacular flowering.

The climbing Japanese bindweed belongs to the family of Convolvulaceae, which are cousins of bindweed and morning glories. Bindweed is often considered a weed, while morning glories are cultivated as annual ornamental climbers. Calystegia hederacea 'Flore Pleno' comes from Calystegia hederaceae, a species widespread in meadows and thickets in the plains and hills of central and southern Japan. 'Flore Pleno' is a climbing Japanese bindweed that forms a relatively low carpet of 10 cm (4in) in height, spreading up to 5 m (16ft) or that can climb up to 4-5 m (13-16ft) on a support and spread in width up to about 1m (3ft). Hardy down to -15 °C, its stems freeze during winter but are quickly replaced by even more vigorous stems in spring. The new shoots are reddish and reveal small deciduous leaves, long and narrow, with a hastate shape, cut like ivy leaves, hence the name 'hederacea'. Their colour is a tender green to bright green. From June to August, it is abundantly adorned with large double flowers, crumpled petals, pale candy pink on the outside and carmine pink at the centre.

The Calystegia hederacea 'Flore Pleno', very hardy, thrives in well-drained, fresh to moist soil and in sunny or semi-shaded locations. A moist soil and a bright exposure are essential to enjoy its summer flowering fully. In the garden, it forms an excellent flowering ground cover of 10 cm (4in) in height, capable of discouraging weeds in the sun or semi-shade in the long run. Associate it with dense perennials to keep their base cool. One can create beautiful, almost maintenance-free scenes of understory by planting them with dead-nettles, wood anemones, perennial geraniums, macrorrhizum or phaeum. Plant it in pots or containers with flowering plants by mixing annuals, bulbs and perennials with more cut or entire foliage. Use it to dress a trellis or the balcony railing covered with leaves and then romantic flowers in just a few months!