Vigna caracalla syn. Cochliasanthus caracalla

This perennial vine (grown as a houseplant in the UK) has fragrant flowers said to be reminiscent of hyacinths - with a distinctive curled shape, giving rise to the common names corkscrew vine, snail vine. It is the only member of the genus Cochliasanthus and was formerly considered to belong to the genus Vigna. It likes full sun and consistently damp soil. It prefers high heat and humidity. In colder zones, it does well in a pot if it is overwintered inside. Snail-Flower is a rather strange blooming plant, with flowers of a purple to greenish yellow, all spirally twisted, in great profusion when the plant is well grown.During summer it produces masses of large purple shaded to yellow flowers which are curled to give a snail-like appearance, followed by bean pods in autumn.

Contributed by @ellenmarygardening

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  Full sun

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  Frequent watering

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  Not Frost hardy

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  Moist and rich