Sweet Clockvine (White Lady) care

Light

Sweet Clockvine needs sun on the leaves, not just bright ambient room light. Flowers best in full sun but tolerates partial shade better than most Thunbergia species. A minimum of 4–5 hours of direct sun produces good bloom. In very hot climates, afternoon shade keeps the white flowers from fading. A south or west-facing windowsill in the northern hemisphere is the default; anywhere else, expect the plant to stretch and pale out within a season.

Watering

Water sweet clockvine every 5–7 days; allow the top soil to partially dry between waterings. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Moderately drought-tolerant once established, but regular watering sustains continuous flowering. In containers, check moisture every 3–4 days and water when the top 3 cm feels dry. Avoid overwatering in winter to prevent root rot.

Soil and pot

Sweet Clockvine grows best in well-draining loamy or sandy soil with organic matter. Thrives in a free-draining mix of loam, compost, and coarse sand (2:1:1). Tolerates moderately poor soils. In containers, use a quality peat-free multi-purpose compost. pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Sweet Clockvine sits happiest at around 40–70% humidity and 15–35 °C (59–95 °F). Adapted to a wide humidity range; more tolerant of drier conditions than tropical Thunbergia species. Does not require misting outdoors. Provide good ventilation indoors to prevent fungal leaf spots in humid environments. If you keep the room above 15–35 °C year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed sweet clockvine sparingly. Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser (10-10-10) throughout the growing season. A slightly phosphorus-rich fertiliser from midsummer encourages continued bloom. Grown as an annual, feeding can be more generous — fortnightly in peak growing season. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on sweet clockvine in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Spider mites in dry weather — Hot, dry conditions favour spider mite outbreaks; look for pale stippled leaves and fine webbing on undersides. Increase irrigation frequency, mist the undersides of leaves, and apply neem oil or insecticidal soap.
• Sluggish or no flowering in shade — Insufficient sun is the most common reason for poor flowering. Move to a sunnier position with a minimum of 4–5 hours of direct light. Shade-grown plants revert to foliage growth at the expense of blooms.
• Aphids on new growth — Soft shoot tips are a prime target for aphid colonies, especially in spring. Knock off with a strong water jet and follow up with insecticidal soap spray. Avoid excessive nitrogen feeding which produces the soft growth aphids prefer.

Propagation

Propagate from stem cuttings 10–15 cm long taken in spring or summer. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and place in moist perlite or cuttings compost; roots develop in 2–4 weeks at 20–25 °C. Can also be raised from seed sown indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost date. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Sweet Clockvine is mildly toxic to pets. Thunbergia fragrans is not individually listed by the ASPCA. The genus (Acanthaceae) has no confirmed high-toxicity principle, but there is insufficient ASPCA data to classify it as definitively pet-safe. Treat with caution and prevent pets from chewing the foliage. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Sweet Clockvine deep-dive guides

Every aspect of sweet clockvine care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common sweet clockvine problems & fixes
• Sweet Clockvine watering schedule
• Sweet Clockvine light requirements
• Best soil mix for sweet clockvine
• Sweet Clockvine fertilizing guide
• When to repot sweet clockvine
• How to propagate sweet clockvine
• How to prune sweet clockvine
• What's eating my sweet clockvine?
• Sweet Clockvine growth rate & size
• Sweet Clockvine cold hardiness
• Sweet Clockvine temperature & humidity
• Is sweet clockvine toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is sweet clockvine toxic to cats?
• Is sweet clockvine toxic to dogs?
• All 8 Thunbergia varieties
• Getting sweet clockvine to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Sweet Clockvine qualifies for 5 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Sweet Clockvine is also known as Sweet Clockvine, White Lady, White Clock Vine, and Fragrant Thunbergia.

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• Prostrate Speedwell care — light, water and common problems
• All 8452 plant care guides in the Growli library