Ajo sacha (Mansoa alliacea) - live plant

• A live, rooted plant
• Sold as an ornamental and botanical collector's plant
• Packaging suited to live plants

Mansoa alliacea is a member of the Bignoniaceae, the trumpet vine and jacaranda family, native to the tropical forests of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. It is a perennial vine that climbs by means of tendrils.

Its flowering is the plant's second selling point: large trumpets grouped in clusters, which open a deep violet and then fade day after day to lilac and then white. The same cluster therefore carries all the shades at once, which is spectacular.

The garlic smell of the foliage comes from sulphur compounds similar to those of the Alliaceae, developed independently by a completely unrelated botanical family. It is a fine example of chemical convergence.

Tropical plant, frost-sensitive. In our climate it is grown in a pot, put outside in the warm season and brought in before the first cold spells, or in a heated greenhouse.

Plenty of light, rich free-draining substrate, regular watering during growth and much reduced in winter. Give it a support to climb: it is a vine, and it needs to climb to develop well and flower.

Why does it smell of garlic without being garlic?
Because it produces sulphur compounds comparable to those of garlic, even though it belongs to a completely different family, the Bignoniaceae. Two unrelated lineages that end up with the same smell.

Why do the flowers change colour?
They open violet and gradually fade as they age. This is the normal behaviour of the species, not a sign of stress.

Is it hardy?
No. It must be overwintered frost-free, in a conservatory, a greenhouse or a bright indoor space.

Does it need a support?
Yes, it is a vine. Without support it sprawls limply and flowers poorly. A trellis or a few taut wires are enough.

This plant is sold as an ornamental and botanical collector's plant. Also worth exploring: our rare plants and our plants with traditional uses.