Variegated bower vine

Pandorea jasminoides ‘Variegata’

Summary

Originating from Eastern Australia, the Pandorea jasminoides variegata, also commonly known as the Bower vine, is a vigorous climber that provides dense canopy and is hardy in USDA zones 9-11.  The leaves are elliptical in shape and have a semi-glossy green color with beige variegation that varies in pattern from leaf to leaf, adding a sense of movement to a landscape. This variegation of this vine can be unstable leading to some shoots with full on variegated growth that eventually browns. Because it is evergreen, the vine provides a vibrant shade cover all year-round. The flowers have a trumpet-like shape, similar to a hibiscus with a light pink hue on the petals that quickly fade into a burgundy color on the inner parts of the flower. Lacking tendrils, the Bower Vine climbs or latches on through twining or spiraling its stem through the support structure.

South Coast REC Results & Discussion

        The Bower vine was a stable vine that performed well and consistently across all treatments and seasons. Its foliage was a combination of green and cream white variegation with some bright yellow leaves and stems. When blooming, it had pinkish-purple trumpet flowers that were spread across the vine. Most of the plants grew to take up large parts of the trellis due to their vigorous nature. While the plants remained green all year, many of them developed minor chlorosis in 2025. Additionally, many of the replicates had sections where the variegation was unstable, resulting in fully variegated branches and foliage that were prone to browning.

        All of the replicates of this plant established well with multiple individuals quickly climbing the trellis and providing good coverage. The vine maintained an average appearance rating that was good or above acceptable throughout the entirety of the trial. Only two mortalities occurred after the establishment period in 2025. Between the first and second years, the average overall appearance improved slightly under most treatments except the 80%, which saw a minor decline while still performing well. This consistent performance is reflected in the 2025 Open House results, where the plant received high ratings and was praised for its interesting foliage. Ultimately, this taxon was determined to be the second most popular choice among the participants, who indicated that they would likely use this vine in their own landscapes.

University of California Davis Results & Discussion

At UC Davis 24 #1-sized Pandora jasminoides ‘Alba’ - the white flowered selection of bower vine, were planted in late spring 2023. The 2023-24 winter was challenging for this cultivar with 6 of 24 plants perishing with several more severely impacted. The mortality was not evenly distributed with half of the 20% perishing. Since this would impact the ability to collect meaningful data when irrigation treatments were imposed, the decision was made to replant in June 2024. 

When replanting researchers were able to source Pandorea jasminoides ‘Variegata’ - allowing parity with the South Coast REC trial. To accommodate this replanting a secondary irrigation system was erected to support their establishment. This system had some challenges with rodents being a problem. Some plants died during establishment and a majority of the survivors did not survive the subsequent winter. While the team continued to irrigate in the summer of 2024, by 2025 no bower vines remained alive in the field to support data collection. Potentially the trial site could be more exposed than desired as researchers have observed bower vine growing successfully in the area - there is one growing at the UC Environmental Horticultural complex. However, it might be worthwhile to note that some versions of the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species note that bower vine is incompatible with our region.