Callerya speciosa seed

LATIN NAME: CALLERYA SPECIOSA

COMMON NAME: Beautiful Millettia

The beautiful millettia ropes the strong, twining stems with the large, pinnate leaves and the dense, hanging clusters of the rosy-purple flowers, the whole climber carrying the bold, tropical look of the pea family. The flowers open through the early summer, each bloom shaped like the small sweet pea, and the flat, woody pods follow through the autumn. The plant climbs high into the supporting trees, the roots grow large and woody, and the bark stays smooth and brown. It likes the sun, the shelter, and the deep, rich, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Within the pea family, the beautiful millettia carries a double interest: the nitrogen-fixing habit that enriches the soil, and the medicinal roots that the traditional use has prized for the ages. The chemists have studied the extracts from the large, woody roots, and the botanists note the climbing habit and the way the plant grows through the forest canopy. The gardeners who grow the bold, flowering climbers keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Over the warm pergola, the beautiful millettia turns the support into the cascade of the colour. The dense clusters of the rosy flowers draw the bees and the butterflies through the early summer, the large roots have served the traditional remedies for the ages, and the nitrogen-fixing habit enriches the soil around the base. Vigorous, leafy and generous, it is one of the most rewarding of the warm-climate climbers.

The beautiful millettia seeds need the quick treatment with the warm water before the sowing, poured over and left to cool, which wakes the hard, glossy seeds. Sow them into the deep pot of sandy, loamy compost, cover them lightly, and keep the pot in the warm, bright spot. The seedlings appear within a few weeks, and they grow on fast with the twining stems. Grow the young climbers on in the sunny, sheltered spot with the strong support, and the rosy flowers will come within the few years.

To grow the beautiful millettia from seed, sow the flat, glossy seeds directly into the deep pot of sandy, loamy compost, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the warm, bright spot and water gently. The seedlings shoot up within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Grow the young climbers on in the sunny, sheltered spot, and the twining stems will rope the pergola over the years.