About Calystegia soldanella (L.) R.Br.
Calystegia soldanella (L.) R.Br. is a perennial vine that grows in beach sand and other coastal habitats in temperate regions across the world. It is also called 'The Prince's Flower', named for Prince Charles Edward Stuart, who sowed it on the Island of Eriskay, Scotland when he landed there in 1745 to lead the Jacobite rising. This plant produces trailing, fleshy stems, kidney-shaped leaves, creamy-white flower buds, and attractive morning glory-like flowers. The corollas of these flowers range in color from delicate pink to vivid lavender, and the plants are insect-pollinated. In North America, Calystegia soldanella occurs along the west coast and in selected areas of the east coast. In the United Kingdom, it is widespread on the sandy coasts of England and Wales, and less common in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is also widespread across the coast of Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Mediterranean coast. In the southern hemisphere, Calystegia soldanella grows in coastal areas of Australia, New Zealand, southern South America, and South Africa. In 1973, botanical illustrator Nancy Adams collected this species on the south coast of Wellington, New Zealand, and the species remained abundant at this site 51 years later.
