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Photo: Prenn / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
ClimberExotic

Rangoon creeper

Combretum indicum

A vigorous, fragrant climber whose flowers open white at dusk, turn pink the next day and red by the third. It wants steady water, a strong support and regular pruning.

Mature size2.5–8 m tall, 1.5–3 m spreadGrowthFastSunSun/part shadeWaterModerate
Heat: 4 of 5
Salt: 2 of 5
Drought: 3 of 5
Shade: 3 of 5
Ease of care: 4 of 5
Use in a designGet it looked after

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Rangoon creeper behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
24°
26°
29°
34°
38°
40°
42°
42°
40°
36°
31°
27°

Best planting window

Spring growth flush

Flowering season

Apr – Nov

Hard prune to control vigour

Light feed

  • Best planting window: Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov

    Moderate temperatures help the roots establish before summer.

  • Spring growth flush: Mar–Apr

  • Flowering season: Apr–Nov

    Wikipedia records flowering all year if it is warm enough and watered; the coolest weeks slow it.

  • Hard prune to control vigour: Jan–Feb

    Plants for a Future advises pruning to keep vigorous growth under control.

  • Light feed: Mar–Apr

    A light feed is enough; rich soil favours leaf over flower.

Rangoon creeper flowers whenever it is warm and has water, according to Wikipedia, so in Dubai expect colour through the long warm months, easing in the coolest weeks of winter. New growth flushes from March, and the plant needs pruning to control its vigour: a hard cut in late winter before the flush, and tip-pruning through the growing season. In peak summer give it deep, regular watering and some afternoon shade if the wall reflects heat. Plant in March and April or October and November, so it establishes before the extremes.

Meet the plant

Meet the Rangoon creeper

Meet rangoon creeper, the vine that changes its mind. A single cluster of flowers opens white at dusk, turns pink by the next morning and is red by the third day, so a pergola can carry all three colours at once and look like it has been planted with a mix of different climbers.

The technicality is pollination. The pale flowers that open at dusk draw hawkmoths with their scent and their long tubes, while the pink and red flowers that follow draw bees and birds in daylight. The colour change is a signal, handing the flower over from one set of visitors to the next.

The mood is tropical, scented and slightly romantic, best enjoyed in the evening. Plant it where you sit, give it water and a firm hand with the secateurs, and it repays you with colour and perfume through the warm months.

Rangoon creeper, also known as Burma creeper and formerly sold as Quisqualis indica, is a vigorously climbing woody vine native to tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Malaysia and the Philippines. Wikipedia gives it a reach of 2.5 to 8 metres, with simple, elliptical leaves 7 to 15 cm long. It carries pendant clusters of tubular, fragrant flowers, and the gardener's reward is a three-tone display from a single vine: the flowers open white at dusk, turn pink on the second day and red on the third.

The colour change has a function. Wikipedia, citing a pollination study, reports that the white flowers opening at dusk attract hawkmoths, while the pink and red flowers draw day-flying bees and birds. In a Dubai garden the practical points are these. The plant grows in full sun or part shade and flowers year-round where it is warm and watered. It prefers well-drained soil but not rich soil, because Plants for a Future warns that over-fertile ground promotes foliage at the expense of flowers, and it needs pruning to keep its vigour in check. It is frost-tender, which does not trouble Dubai.

It earns its place over a pergola, arch or wall near seating, where the evening fragrance can be enjoyed, and it mixes well with Arabian Jasmine, Hibiscus and Frangipani in a lush, scented tropical border. Choose a strong support, because a vigorous plant will outgrow a light trellis, and keep it away from children and pets: the seeds and fruit are toxic in large doses. If you want a more drought-hardy climber in the same sun, Bougainvillea is the alternative.

Design

Where to use it

Pergola or arch coverScented wall climberEvening seating screen

Plant it where you sit in the evening, over a pergola, arch or wall beside a seating area, so you can enjoy the fragrance and watch the colours change. Give it full sun to part shade, a strong support such as a steel frame or heavy-gauge wire, and a dependable irrigation line. Keep it out of reach of children and pets that might eat fallen fruit and seeds, and plan to prune it regularly so it does not smother its support.

Arabian jasmin, Tunisia 2010

Arabian Jasmine

Arabian jasmine's evening fragrance layers with the creeper's scent, building a richly perfumed corner in a tropical border.

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Brilliant', a clean red flower

Hibiscus

Hibiscus supplies large single blooms against the creeper's clustered flowers, and both enjoy regular water and warmth.

This Plumeria rubra tree was photographed at Pune.

Frangipani

Frangipani's scented blossoms and sculptural branches share the creeper's tropical mood and warm-season flowering.

Bougainvillea in full bloom, magenta and orange bracts against a blue sky

Bougainvillea

Where a hardier, lower-water climber is wanted alongside, bougainvillea shares the same sun and heat on a nearby wall.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering

Summer: Water deeply two or three times a week in the hottest weeks; regular water keeps it flowering and leafy.

Winter: Reduce to about weekly as growth slows in the cooler weeks.

Establishment: Water regularly for the first few months while the roots establish.

Soil
Well-drained soil of various types; it tolerates poor ground, but over-fertile soil promotes foliage at the expense of flowers.
Feeding
It does not demand heavy fertiliser (Plants for a Future); a light, balanced feed in spring is enough.
Pruning
Prune hard in late winter, before the spring flush, and tip-prune through the growing season to control its vigour. Tie in new stems to a strong support.
Planting
Plant March, April, October or November in full sun to part shade, with a strong support such as a steel frame or heavy wire.
Pests
Generally trouble-free

Avoid these

Common mistakes

  • Feeding it heavily and planting it in rich soil. Over-fertile ground promotes foliage at the expense of flowers.
  • Skipping pruning. A vigorous woody climber that is never cut back will smother its support and flower less.
  • Putting it where children or pets can reach fallen fruit and seeds, which are toxic in large doses.
  • Giving it a light trellis. A mature plant reaches several metres and needs a heavy frame or wire.
  • Starving it of water in summer. It is less drought tolerant than bougainvillea, and regular water keeps the flowers coming.

Extra notes

Good to know

  • The accepted name is Combretum indicum; it was long sold as Quisqualis indica.
  • Wikipedia reports that the flowers open white at dusk for hawkmoths, turn pink on day two, and red on day three for bees and birds.
  • The mature seed is said to taste of almond or coconut, but the seeds contain quisqualic acid and are toxic in large doses, so do not treat them as a snack.
  • Wikipedia records that it has been cultivated and naturalised in tropical areas such as Burma, Vietnam and Thailand.

Toxicity: Seeds and fruit contain quisqualic acid and are toxic in large doses, causing nausea, vomiting, hiccups and even unconsciousness. Keep children and pets away from fallen fruit.

Pros

  • Fragrant flowers that shift from white to pink to red over three days
  • Vigorous, fast cover for pergolas, arches and walls
  • Flowers year-round wherever it is warm and watered, per Wikipedia
  • Tolerates poor soil and does not demand heavy feeding
  • Draws hawkmoths at dusk and bees and birds by day

Cons

  • Needs regular water and is less drought tolerant than bougainvillea
  • Vigorous growth needs a strong support and regular pruning
  • Seeds and fruit are toxic in large doses
  • Rich soil or heavy feeding gives leaves instead of flowers

FAQ

Common questions

Why does Rangoon creeper change colour?
The flowers open white at dusk, turn pink on the second day and red on the third. Wikipedia, citing a pollination study, reports that the white flowers attract hawkmoths at dusk, and the pink and red flowers draw day-flying bees and birds, so the colour change signals the handover between pollinators.
Is Rangoon creeper safe for children and pets?
Treat it with caution. The seeds and fruit contain quisqualic acid and are toxic in large doses, causing nausea, vomiting, hiccups and even unconsciousness. Keep fallen fruit away from children and pets.
How much water does it need in Dubai?
More than bougainvillea. Water deeply two or three times a week in the hottest weeks, and about weekly in winter. It flowers year-round where it is warm and watered, and it dislikes drying out in summer.
When should I prune it?
In late winter, before the spring flush, and then tip-prune through the growing season. It is a vigorous woody climber, and Plants for a Future advises pruning to keep it under control.
Does it flower in a Dubai summer?
Wikipedia records flowering all year if the temperature stays high and water is available, so in Dubai expect flowers through the warm months if it is irrigated; the coolest weeks of winter slow it down.

Not sure how it suits your garden?

Ask about Rangoon creeper on WhatsApp

Sources

  1. 1. Wikipedia: Combretum indicum (description, colour change, pollination, toxicity)
  2. 2. Plants for a Future (Useful Tropical Plants): Combretum indicum cultivation and hazards

Last reviewed 2026-10-05 by Ghaf Gardens horticulture desk.

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