Name: Red jade-vine; mucuna vine

Botanical name:Mucuna bennetti (syn: Mucuna novoguineensis )

Description: There aren't many vines that can compare with this scarlet beauty for sheer voluptuous shape and searing color. A vine in the bean family, this New Guinea native can be just as aggressive as the jade vine, Strongylodon macrobotrys, whose flower shapes these resemble. The hanging bunches of flowers, called racemes, are not as long as those on the jade, but that hardly matters. They will hang beneath the arbor to your great delight. Growing together, as I've seen them in Hawaii, they are awesome. Glasshouse Works sells the vine online (glasshouseworks.com) when available for $75, and there are other sources. It is a relative of the cow-itch vine, Mucuna pruriens

Light: Shade with shifting sun to full sun

Culture: High humidity and moisture are loved by this climber. Grow it on a hefty arbor, just as you would the jade vine. The vine likes a rich planting hole, but take care not to enrich it so much that it does not drain well. Compost or aged cow manure will give this vine its go power. Mulch and stand back.

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