Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Thunbergia erecta
King's Mantle
The Thunbergia erecta, or King's Mantle, is a compact West African shrub carrying deep violet-blue trumpet flowers with a clear yellow throat, held singly against small dark green leaves. It flowers almost without pause in warm conditions, and the colour is a genuine blue-violet rather than the mauve most shrubs offer.
It is a standard of Gulf and tropical shrub beds because it stays compact, takes clipping, and keeps producing flowers at eye level along medians and boundary planting.
Specifications
- Height1 to 2 metres, scrambling to 2.5 metres where unpruned
- Width1 to 1.5 metres
- Native toTropical West Africa
- FoliageOpposite, small, dark green ovate leaves held densely; evergreen
- Growth rateModerate
Conditions
- SoilPrefers fertile, free-draining soils
- LightFull sun to partial shade
- WaterModerate; regular through the warm months
- ClimateThrives in tropical and warm subtropical regions
Additional Features
- FlowersDeep violet-blue trumpet flowers with a yellow throat, produced near continuously in warm conditions
- UsesIdeal for low informal hedging, median and boundary shrub beds, courtyard planting and containers
- SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.2 metres apart for a hedge or continuous mass
- Low MaintenanceShear after each flush to keep the plant compact and the flowering close to the eye
- Pest ResistanceGenerally sound with basic care
- Wildlife AttractionThe flowers are worked steadily by bees and butterflies
- Seasonal AppealFlowers across most of the warm year rather than in a defined season
King's Mantle is one of very few shrubs that will hold a true violet-blue at hedge height for most of the year.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026