Thunbergia is a genus of about 100 mainly twining species and evergreen shrubs from Africa, Asia and Madagascar. The genus belongs to Acanthaceae (Black Eyed Susan) family. ‘Thunbergia’ was named for Carl Peter Thunberg, Swedish naturalist and explorer. ‘Erecta’ is from the Latin erectus, meaning erect.

Thunbergia erecta is an evergreen, flowering shrub that is native to tropical West Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Rwanda). The plant now widely cultivated in tropical, subtropical and tempered gardens worldwide.

King’s Mantle is a vigorous, woody shrub growing up to 3 m tall and 2 m wide. Branching starting near the ground and the branches long, slender and drooping, creating a compact, weeping, densely leafy canopy.  Dark green leaves are 2–6 cm long, soft, oval with a pointed tip, and arranged along the branches in pairs. They remain on the plant in all seasons, though some leaf fall occurs in areas with a pronounced winter or dry season. Slightly fragrant, trumpet-shaped, large, deep purple or blue flowers of this plant occur all year long, especially in the summer. Flowers are, with yellow tubes and orange throats. There is also a white-flowering form, called ‘Alba’ which seems to have smaller leaves and is somewhat less robust. The lesser-known ‘Blue Moon’ variety has violet-blue blossoms.

Thunbergia erecta, grows best in warm, moist, frost-free conditions. It will tolerate light frost if planted in a warm protected position; in cold regions it might die down completely, only to spring back to life again in summer. Plant supposed to withstand -4˚C. It needs protection from strong winds and can be planted in sun or semi-shade. King’s Mantle is not particular about soil but prefers well drained medium. It is moderately drought hardy and has tolerance to salt spray. However, responds well to regular watering. If left un-pruned plant will grow very quickly to about 2.5 m tall and 2 m wide but is usually clipped to keep it about 1.5 m tall and 1 m wide. It should be pruned lightly throughout the year after flowering to maintain its bushy look. Propagation can be done by softwood cuttings or seeds.

Use in Landscape: Thunbergia erecta is a vigorous, freestanding, twining shrub that can be trained up a support as a climber, or allowed to spill over a wall. It has tolerance of pruning, so is suitable as a hedge, border, privacy screen or container plant. It can also be trained to cascade over and cover garden retaining walls. If cultivated as a hedge, frequent trimmings will result in fewer flowers. Can be used as a filling material surrounding tall palms or trees. The flowers attract butterflies.