Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Gardens and Plants 108, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Passi's blooming - that is a cool looking yellow one, Mj. Yeah, it seems like it's a puzzle! My 'Lady Margaret' has bloomed off and on since it was planted on Memorial Day. Very polite and obliging just as a lady should be (my mother would say). It's been getting morning sun and regular water, that's all except the time-release Osmocote I gave it when it was planted.

BUT my 'Purple Possum' was planted a year ago on Memorial Day on the back fence. It proceeded to do what yours are doing, Deb. Scrambled along the fence for 30ft. in both directions but never put on one flower until this spring, when it exploded into bloom all at once, after the first big spring rain storm. It then produced a huge crop of delicious fruits (that are all gone now, the squirrels discovered them . . ) So, frankly since about the end of May I haven't seen another flower on it. It might bloom again in the fall, someone told me. It might need to be stressed to bloom. Maybe it likes cool nights - that ain't happening for another 6 weeks here! It gets no help from me whatsoever, except a little water when it's been really dry.

The red one P. coccinea out in the back 40 crawls around unchecked, and blooms at random even in the deep shade. It has climbed the oak tree where every once in a while I see a lovely red flower 'way up 50ft. in the air.