Plant in partial to full sun and water regularly through summer. Though it has been grown in southern California since it was introduced by Evans and Reeves nursery in 1941, this vine's frost tolerance in cultivation is not well documented. It would seem that it is at least hardy to 25° to 30° F as an older plant was found in the lower foothills of Santa Barbara. Though this area is frost free most winters this plant would have survived the historic 1990 freeze when temperatures dropped into the lower 20's °F. in downtown Santa Barbara.

Thenardia floribunda is native to the Mexican states of Michoacán south into the capital state of México, Guerrero and Oaxaca. The German botanist Karl Sigismund Kunth named the genus in 1819 after his contemporary, the French chemist and physiologist Louis Jacques Thénard (1777-1857). Its specific epithet is the combination of the Latin word 'flora' meaning "flower" with the with suffix meaning "producing" or "abounding" in reference to the floriferousness of the plant.

Its planting in Santa Barbara was advocated in an article by Lockwood and Elizabeth de Forest titled "Climbers" in the May 1942 issue of "Santa Barbara Gardener" (Vol 17,#6). This article noted that Thenardia floribunda is a "vine with fragrant maroon flowers with white centers comes from Mexico. It is evergreen, has neat lance shaped leaves about an inch across and 4 to 5 inches long, is not particular as to soil but must have summer water." Roland Hoyt in his "Ornamental Plants for Subtropical Regions" lists this plant as a veiling vine, one that covers loosely by softening rather than concealing and brings about privacy gracefully in "a lax, mellowing manner." He also noted that its fragrance is of "ripe apples nostalgic of an old time cellar" though we find the aroma richer with a hint of jasmine.

Our thanks to Raven Whitehawk for bringing this vine to our attention. We grew this plant from 2009 until we closed the nursery in 2025. 

The information displayed on this page about Thenardia floribunda is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.