Araujia sericifera

Araujia sericifera or the cruel plant is a climbing perennial plant. From August to November, fragrant flowers appears, with clusters of 2 to 10 small pale pink bell-shaped flowers. The corolla of the flowers is composed of 5 lobes with undulate margins.

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

The evergreen foliage is glaucous green, slightly fuzzy on the underside. It grows on fuzzy stems. At maturity, Araujia sericifera 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 in our regions 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.