Araujia sericifera Rosea

Araujia sericifera Rosea is identical in all respects to this beautiful South American climbing plant known as the cruel plant. It is distinguished solely by its beautiful pink flowers. These are pretty tubular bell-shaped flowers, pleasantly fragrant, which bloom in small clusters here and there along the stems from August until late in the season. This exuberant but frost-sensitive climber is grown in a large pot, which allows the plant to be overwintered in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory which prevents it from spreading in nature.

Araujia sericifera Rosea is a climbing perennial with voluble stems of the Apocynaceae family, related to periwinkle, oleander, and mandevilla. It is native to Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. Plants in this botanical family have the common characteristic of secreting a white latex, which is clearly visible when the stems are broken. This species gets its name 'the cruel plant' from the presence of small hooks at the bottom of its flowers, capable of trapping certain insects such as bees and moths.  Araujia is currently considered potentially invasive.

Araujia sericifera Rosea exhibits very rapid growth, and its long hairy stems can exceed 6m (20ft) in length. It has evergreen leaves in winter, but they will be scorched by cold temperatures as soon as they drop below -1°C (30.2°F). The root, on the other hand, can withstand short freezes of around -10°C (14°F) if the soil is dry, for a mature and well-rooted plant. The entire oval-shaped leaves, 10cm (4in) long, are glaucous green, slightly hairy on the underside. Flowering occurs from August to November. It takes the form of clusters composed of 2 to 10 small pink and fragrant flowers. The corolla of flowers consists of a tube that widens into five lobes with undulate margins. After pollination by insects, green fruits about 10cm (4in) long appear which, when ripe, release hundreds of small black seeds with long white bristles that are carried away by the wind. 

Disclaimer:

To avoid harming pollinating insects that cannot free themselves from its trap, the cultivation of this subtropical plant should be done indoors in a closed environment, such as a greenhouse or conservatory. It is also strongly recommended to remove the fruits before they ripen to prevent the dispersion of seeds in nature.