Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries sent us these photos of a Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) in bloom at one of Terra Nova’s greenhouses. The blooms sport a highly unusual shade of green. “It is amongst the rarest of vines,” he said. “I saw it once in the Caribbean and literally was having to back hummingbirds away from it to get a look at it. It is one of the rarest colors in nature. Only three or four plants have it.”

The unusual color caused Heims to covet the plant but it was quite some time before he was able to actually acquire one. He located it at Paul Hammock Orchid Estate in Miami, on a back table marked “not for sale.” The owner nonetheless agreed to sell him a small plant. “I put it every year in different pots and prayed every year it would bloom, and after five years, it finally bloomed,” Heims said. “It will bloom every year from now on.”

Heims is willing to share the plant with those willing to support one of his favorite causes, the OSU Master Gardeners. Just $25 will get you your very own Jade Vine in a four-inch pot, with all proceeds going to the cause. If interested, contact Dan at dan(at)terranovanurseries.com. “It’s one of the plants that keeps me in horitculture,” he said. “I love being blown away.” If you purchase one, keep in mind it is a tropical plant and hardy only to 15 C — you either need a greenhouse or to live in the tropics.