The Flame Vine Pyrostegia venusta is blooming on the pedestrian overpass over US 41. This orange flowered vine is one of the first ornamentals that marks Spring in Sarasota. Of course, we have many flowers that can be blooming almost any time of year -- plants like oleander, ixora, bougainvilleas can sport flowers throughout the year. The plants that better mark the passage of time bloom only once. It starts with Florida Privet, but that has inconspicuous flowers (that nectar-starved bees seem to love). Privet is followed by plants like Black Haw, Flame Vine, and Golden Trumpet Tree.
The original concept was to have the walkway covered in dense, shade-producing vines, but a lack of irrigation made it challenging for plants to grow up there. Now that Grounds Coordinator Michael Williams upgraded the soil, the flame vine is doing better. It looks pretty good from 41. We still need a way to get some water up there.
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