Garlic Vine Creeper

• Scientific Name: Mansoa alliacea

• Common Names: Garlic Vine, Garlic Creeper, Ajos Sacha

• Type: Perennial, evergreen woody climber

• Height / Spread: 2–5 m (requires support like a trellis, wall, or pergola)

• Leaves: Opposite, compound leaves with 2–3 leaflets; when crushed, smell like garlic

• Flowers: Trumpet-shaped, purple to lavender with a white throat; fade to lighter shades as they age

• Blooming Season: Mainly spring and fall, though sporadic flowering may happen year-round

 Care Instructions

1. Sunlight

• Requires full sun to partial shade.

• Best flowering happens in 6+ hours of direct sunlight.

2. Watering

• Keep soil moderately moist during active growth and flowering.

• Water 2–3 times a week in hot seasons; reduce in cooler months.

• Avoid soggy soil → causes root rot.

3. Soil

• Well-draining sandy loam or garden soil enriched with compost.

• Slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5–7).

Fertilizer

Type

• Balanced NPK fertilizer (10:10:10 or 12:12:12) for growth and flowering.

• High phosphorus fertilizer (e.g., 10:20:10) during blooming season to promote more flowers.

• Organic options: Vermicompost, bone meal, banana peel compost, seaweed extract.

Other Care Tips

• Support: Needs trellis, arbor, or wall for climbing.

• Pruning: Light pruning after flowering encourages bushier growth and more blooms. Remove dead or tangled stems.

Uses

1. Ornamental:

   • Grown on fences, trellises, pergolas, and walls for its showy, colorful blooms.

   • Attracts butterflies and bees.

2. Medicinal (traditional uses):

   • In folk medicine, leaves are used as herbal remedies for cough, cold, and inflammation.

   • Crushed leaves used externally for pain relief (folk practice).

3. Aromatic:

   • Crushed leaves smell strongly of garlic, sometimes used as a natural pest repellent.