Mature size & growth rate

How big does Mysore trumpetvine (Thunbergia mysorensis) get?

Also called Mysore trumpetvine, Mysore clock vine, Indian clock vine, Brick and butter vine.

More about mysore trumpetvine

About Mysore trumpetvine

Thunbergia mysorensis · also called Mysore trumpetvine, Mysore clock vine · tropical

Mysore trumpetvine is a spectacular evergreen woody climber from the Western Ghats of southern India, producing dramatic pendulous racemes of large chocolate-red and yellow tubular flowers year-round in warm climates. Best grown in a heated glasshouse or tropical garden. Thunbergia is not listed as toxic by the ASPCA and is considered safe around pets.

Mature size: 4–6 m (13–20 ft), potentially to 20 m (65 ft) in ideal tropical conditions

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Mysore trumpetvine grows on a tree's timeline and scale — indoors it becomes a tall, trunked statement plant rather than a tabletop one. Indoors and in a pot, expect 4–6 m (13–20 ft), potentially to 20 m (65 ft) in ideal tropical conditions. A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Growth rate and years to mature

Mysore trumpetvine is a fast grower. Realistically, expect two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Its feeding profile backs this up: apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly during active growth. switch to a potassium-high feed in late summer to encourage continued flower production. reduce feeding to nil during the winter rest period.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the mysore trumpetvine repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast mysore trumpetvine grows.

How to keep mysore trumpetvine smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For mysore trumpetvine specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

The decisive tool is the secateurs: mysore trumpetvine can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape.
Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size.
Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height.
Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Pick the new height. Decide how tall you want mysore trumpetvine and find a leaf node or branch point just below that.
Top the main stem. Cut the main growing tip cleanly just above that node in spring; this permanently caps the height and forces side branches.
Keep the pot snug. Avoid jumping to a much bigger pot — a slightly restricted rootball keeps the whole plant smaller.
Maintain the shape. Prune back the tallest new leaders each spring to hold it at the height you chose.

How to grow mysore trumpetvine bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for mysore trumpetvine the accelerators are:

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators.
Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back.
Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The mysore trumpetvine light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When mysore trumpetvine outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for mysore trumpetvine:

The top leaves pressing against or bent by the ceiling — the classic "this is now too tall indoors" sign.
It has to be moved away from a light source it has literally outgrown.
Roots filling the largest pot you can reasonably keep indoors — at that point it is top-or-prune or move it outside (if hardy).

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the mysore trumpetvine repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the mysore trumpetvine propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Mysore trumpetvine size — frequently asked questions

How big does mysore trumpetvine get?

Mysore trumpetvine reaches 4–6 m (13–20 ft), potentially to 20 m (65 ft) in ideal tropical conditions when grown indoors. It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Is mysore trumpetvine slow or fast growing?

Mysore trumpetvine is a fast grower. Expect two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Mysore trumpetvine grows on a tree's timeline and scale — indoors it becomes a tall, trunked statement plant rather than a tabletop one.

How long does mysore trumpetvine take to reach full size?

Roughly two to four years from a young plant to a room-filling specimen in good light. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep mysore trumpetvine smaller?

The decisive tool is the secateurs: mysore trumpetvine can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape. Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size. Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height. Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

How can I make mysore trumpetvine grow bigger or faster?

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators. Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back. Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.