Caroline Tongavine: A Mysterious Pacific Native Worth Knowing
If you’ve stumbled across the name Caroline tongavine (Epipremnum carolinense) in your plant research, you’ve discovered one of the more elusive members of the pothos family. This perennial climbing vine hails from some of the most remote corners of the Pacific, making it a fascinating but challenging plant for gardeners to understand and grow.
What Makes Caroline Tongavine Special
Caroline tongavine is a twining and climbing perennial that can develop woody or herbaceous stems over time. Like its more famous cousins in the Epipremnum family, this vine has the potential to add vertical interest to tropical landscapes, though much less is known about its specific characteristics and growing requirements.
Where Caroline Tongavine Calls Home
This native vine has a very limited natural range, found only in Guam and Palau in the Pacific Basin. Its restricted distribution makes it quite different from the widely distributed golden pothos that many gardeners know and love.
The Challenge of Growing Caroline Tongavine
Here’s where things get tricky for gardeners interested in this Pacific native. Caroline tongavine presents several challenges:
- Extremely limited availability in the nursery trade
- Very little documented information about specific growing requirements
- Restricted to tropical and subtropical climates (likely USDA zones 10-12)
- Unknown propagation methods and care requirements
What We Don’t Know (But Wish We Did)
Unfortunately, Caroline tongavine falls into that category of plants where scientific documentation is sparse. We don’t have reliable information about:
- Specific soil and light preferences
- Water requirements
- Growth rate and mature size
- Flower and fruit characteristics
- Wildlife and pollinator benefits
- Propagation techniques
Should You Try Growing Caroline Tongavine?
The honest answer is: it’s complicated. If you’re gardening in Guam, Palau, or similar tropical conditions, and you happen to find this rare vine available from a reputable source, it could be an interesting addition to support native biodiversity. However, the lack of cultivation information makes it a risky choice for most gardeners.
For those in appropriate climates looking for similar climbing vines, consider these alternatives:
- Native climbing plants from your specific region
- Well-documented tropical vines with known growing requirements
- Other Epipremnum species with established cultivation practices
The Bottom Line
Caroline tongavine represents one of those fascinating plant mysteries that remind us how much we still don’t know about our planet’s flora. While it’s not a practical choice for most gardeners due to availability and information constraints, it’s worth knowing about as part of the incredible diversity of Pacific island plants.
If you’re lucky enough to encounter this vine in its native habitat, take a moment to appreciate this unique piece of Pacific biodiversity. And if you’re a researcher or botanist reading this, perhaps Caroline tongavine deserves a bit more attention in future studies!
