Araujia sericifera Alba

Araujia sericifera 'Alba' or the cruel plant is a climbing perennial plant. From August to November, fragrant flowering occurs, offering clusters of 2 to 10 small white bell-shaped flowers. The corolla of the flowers is composed of five lobes with undulate margins.

Inside the flowers, there is pollen which temporarily traps pollinators such as moths in its subtropical environment, hence its name 'the cruel plant'.  Following the flowering, green fruits about 10 cm (4in) long appear, which, when ripe, release hundreds of small black seeds with bristles.

The evergreen foliage is glaucous green, slightly hairy on the underside. It grows on hairy stems. When mature, Araujia sericifera 'Alba' can reach a height of 5 m (16ft). It grows rapidly. This tender plant is native to South America. It twines around any support.

Warning:

To avoid harming pollinating insects that cannot escape its trap, the cultivation of this subtropical plant should be done indoors in a closed environment, such as a greenhouse or conservatory.