Coral Vine

Does anyone grow coral vines and if so what colors?
Mickey

Mickey. I will be attempting to grow coral vine (antigonon leptopus) this year. My mother had it growing on an arbor when I was a kid growing up near Houston. Loved the little pink bell shaped flowers that attracted lots of bees and lizards. Came back year after year.

I do have a small one http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2050/ that was given to me years ago by an elderly lady in town. I've nursed it along but need to move it as it has never grown and rarely delivers blooms. Hers would cover the front of her house every summer and bloom fully late in the season. She passed on, the house sold and they chopped it all down. I didn't know they came in colors... what is on your mind Mickey?

Yes, I have some coral vines. My largest one is pink and my daughter has a deeper pink which I am trying to start also. This vine has a wonderful childhood memory for me so I grow it in honor of my parents, I love it's beauty and the bees swarm on it.
Mine freezes to the ground and comes back after the ground warms in spring. It reaches about 15 feet in one season and blooms nicely, altho not profusely. If anyone wants to try growing it from seed I have many, altho I have not grown any from seed myself, because volunteer plants come up in the bed surrounding the coral vine.
This is a plant that is usually not available in box stores but can be found in some specialty garden shops.

I saw them growing while on vacation in Asia. I was thrilled to hear that they will grow well here in Arizona were I live. I have a very hard time growing almost anything here. Living in a desert has it's many challenges!
I just wanted to know of peoples experience with them and what colors they have had or seen. I have seeds started in pink and I just got a few seeds that are white.
To start the seeds the instructions say to keep them at 80 degrees.?.
Has anyone grown the coral vine in a pot and brought them in for the winter? Do they get buggy?
I met a man in Cambodia who gave me some seeds. He said his stopped flowering so he hacked it down and it came back and was flowering it's head off. I don't think there it ever gets cold for it to die back.
I just love the look of them. I think I am going to work on a humming birs and butterfly garden on the side of the house and would like to have a few in pots at the front of the house.
Mickey

Hope you have good luck with the propagation from seeds. I have not seen anyone grow them in pots but I think that will be interesting and should work if the pot is large enough for the developing root system.

Also have not seen white coral vine, that seems like a misnomer. I know that they can take a lot of sun and are not fussy about soil etc. I don't ever remember even thinking of bugs when I think of coral vine.

My mom called her vine a "queens crown".

Some of the old names I've heard for this are Queens wreath, chain of love, rose of Montana and of course, coral vine. I suspect it will do fine in a pot. Once established your seedlings will develop into small tubers. I believe that is more how they spread than the seeds.

Please keep us posted on your seed germination and your container growth. I need to relocate mine. I believe a sunnier location will help the blooms and growth.

I have some pink seeds that just came up that I got in Asia on vacation. They are on a heat mat and under a grow light. They have their first true leaves now. It look a few weeks to get them. I just started them in cactus soil.
I just got 10 white seeds from evil bay. I hope that they work out. They gave me very expletive directions on how to do it and warned to keep them warm. had a friend from the other side of town send me some of his seeds too.
I love the thought that they can take dry soil and love the sun. I also saw them growing in very very wet soil and got some of those seeds.
I will put some in the ground in the spring and I would like to try a large pot mixed with pink and white.
I have found out that there is a grower that grows a dark pink one right here n Phoenix, I'm very excited about them.
I will start the white seeds next week when we come back from being out of town for 2 days. They suggest you use the damp paper towel and plastic bag method to start the seeds.
Mickey

Has anyone started a coral vine from just cuttings or you all buying the plant?
Mickey

Mine was from tubers which we dug up. The elderly lady that gave them to me came out with a butcher knife. I thought whoa ~ maybe she was coming after me! LOL She was going to dig in that hard red clay with the knife to get me a start. I keep a turning fork in the truck and used that instead.

I grow them and it reseeds. It will grow just about anywhere. They do tend to take over, with some of the shoots reaching over 30 feet into the treetops. Mine grows along a fence and every year, it winds up in the top of the oak trees near there. When it's done blooming, I cut it back to the top of the fence and pull all the bits out of the trees. I do have some problems keeping all the seedlings pulled out of the flower beds. I don't know if it will root from cutting, but it is easy to start from seed.

Crow

I got some seeds from a friend here in Phoenix. He lives in a much warmer part than I do. He wasn't sure about the seeds he sent me but so far at least 3 have come up. I'm about to start the white seeds in a day or two. Christmas is giving me too much other stuff to do and interfering with my gardening projects!
I'm not too sure how many seeds I should put in each pot. I don't want to be moving them around much but I want to give them a good head start.
Mickey

Hi Mickey. MarieOrtiz sent me over here - I just got some seeds for the white variety and I'm looking for tips. I don't have a problem germinating seeds as much as keeping seedlings alive. We want the vine to grow over our veranda. Nice to see everyone that's growing them and hear the differences.

Kathleen

Kathleen,
Hi, were did you get the white seeds. I did nothing special and just put them in a small container of cactus mix. I think they have come up in about 10 days. I do have them on a plant heat mat and under a grow light so they are staying a little warm. The first bunch are pink that some how came back with me from vacation in Asia and the second batch from a local friend. I have more to start soon.Christmas chores just keep getting in my way! All that I have are pink. I did buy 10 off evil bay. They had instructions but they are intense. If you are interested I can tell you what they said.
I also found out from a friend that they grow a dark pink, I think that was the color at a grower here and I can order it here. They will grow great in my area and very few things will.
This is one of the pink vines I saw on vacation. I just found another one and I'll post it too.
MIckey

Second coral vine photo...

I got the white seeds from Onalee's - http://www.onalee.com/catalog.php/onaleeisrael/dt/pd1796426/Coral_Vine_WHITE_Seeds_Antigonon_leptopus__ALBA___Pollinator_attractor_

She sent instructions also - basically she told me to keep them warm, so I guess I will put them under a grow light on the heat mat, too.

Those sure look good.

Yea,
I got my white seeds from the same vendor on e bay.
Mickey

I just checked out Onalee's web site. I wonder were she get the seeds from? The photos are great. It's so hard to get photos of butterflies, they just don't hold still and if they do most of the times their wings are closed.
I've never seen white ones. But I remember someone sending me white from Australia but the cat got into them.
I can't wait till summer to see them flower!!!
Mickey

Mickey do not be surprised if they do not get very big this year. Mine have all been sleep, creep & leap growers.

Marie,
Hi, funny seeing you here. Were did you get yours? What colors do you have? Are they in the ground? Have you ever tried them in a pot. What colors have you seen?
Mickey

Hi Mickey :o) I have the light pink , dark pink almost red and the white. Mine are all ing the ground. They die back in the winter and return when it heats up. I have never tried them i a pot but that is mostly because I kill everything I put in a pot.

Merry Christmas, Marie!

Merry Christmas Kathleen!

Marie,
Wow!!! I bet you get as cold as we do here in Cave Creek, don't you ? How long with seeds do you think it will take for me to get flowers?
Have you lost your flowers for this year yet?
A friend from Mesa sent mesome pink seeds. So far theleaf is different frommy asia seedlings. It will be very interesting to see the differences as they grow.
Merry Christmas everyone,
Mickey

Kathleen,
How or why do you loose your seedlings? I would think San Diego would be perfect!
Mickey

Mickey,I am currently growing out a couple of the Pale Pink Antigonon..Coral Vine...and they both have foliage which appears to be less crinkly(veined) than the other 2 colours ..Is that what you noticed too with your Asia seeds?

You will find that the coral Vines will do well in pots...the bigger the pot the better.I have a couple here in large tubs which are thriving..

I hi Judy!!
Mickey yes I would bet we get as cold as you and yes all of my flowers are gone. Mine froze with the first freeze of November. When you asian seedlings grow up and produce seeds I would love to ahvea couple to try. So far my white ahs only produced seeds once but we could not get them to germinate. We just planted the reddish pink one this fall after finding it at Baker's. My light pink one should finally put on a show this year if it is still alive like my Dh claims.

Mickey, San Diego is perfect! LOL

I usually lose my seedlings when I bring them outside - just don't get the hardening off stage right. If we get a day with dry winds, they can be wiped out when small - even if the soil is moist, the air will sometimes just suck the life out of the leaves. More often than not, I will miss watering one day and poof! they go downhill fast. Any number of reasons, I suppose, mostly ME! I even have a small greenhouse so I can move them from the garage/heat mats/lights there, but I can't seem to get the watering right there either. Tried chamomile, etc., lots of folks have given good advice on DG.

I keep trying, though, and hope one day to manage to learn.

Hi Marie,great to talk to you again! Is this dark pink/hot pink coral vine the one they call Baja red.?..I have never been able to find a pic of it...I am assuming it is...

I think so Judy.

Kasper,
That doesn't sound very good. My friend in Mesa here has them and sent me seeds. He may have bought a plant there is a nursery that sells Baha Red. The are raising the Baha Red ones here in the Phoenix area. So far my seedlings are doing ok, they may have one set only of true leaves. I have some more pink Asia seeds to start but I just haven't had the time.
Marie,
How old are yours? Did you buy a plant at Bakers or just get seeds? Kasper now has me worried that they may be hard to grow here.
Mickey

Brical,
The Asian ones I think are a pink to light pink. So far I have only one seed that has come up. I know I planted more...The first leaves are more round that the AZ seeds also on the veining the AZ leaf looks more like oval scallops. At the top of the Asian seed on the true leaf it looks more pointed. I'll have to try and get some photos. I don't know if I can get that close.
I have more Asian seeds. I have to try and get them planted but I just don't have the proper containers to start then in.
I'm so glad to hear they will do ok in pots but Kasper's comments about him killing the seedlings scare me.( made on the southwestern forum)
Do you have any tips on growing them and getting them to survive in a dry climate? How long from seed did it take for you to get flowers?
Mickey

I have some in pots which were germinated in July,they are only coming into bloom now but would have bloomed sooner had I moved them into more sun months ago..

I have found that they can take all the sun you can give them...the hotter the better ...they spurt growth in leaps and bounds when the days are humid...which are few and far between for me(am inland from Bris).. start with smaller size4-6" pots and pot on up to the next size when roots appear at the drainage holes...finally pot on to a 12" or larger tub. Use only good well drained potting mix and if you can get hold of some sand, mix that in too,then apply plenty of slow release pellets such as osmocote and keep pot moist..

Forgot to add this pic http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/brical1_1248576722_525.jpg

Thanks for the tips, brical1!

I guess I can use my regular cactus mix. Thanks for the tips. It worries me if I forget to water the pots. It don't think we ever get humidity around here! I have my papaya tree in the house because I'm afraid to loose it in the cold. It's about 6 foot tall. I got a infestation of mites but their gone now. I keep a humidifier running to kick up the humidity. It is residing near a large window in the living room. I could have decorated it for Christmas!
Brical, are you always letting the seeds germinate before you plant them? I think that may be a good idea for me. That way I know for sure which ones have germinated. I have only one that came up on my first batch of Asian seeds. My Arizona seeds many took longer that the first ones to come up. I was surprised that I had many slow stranglers.
I have mine inside the house in small cups, they haven't got many leaves yet but they are still alive. They're on a heating mat and I have a small grow light on them. I guess I should be turning on the SH light part time too.
Mickey

Mickey I bought mine as plants. The white is about 2-3 years planted now, Light pink is a little slow growing but i think it is too tangled up with some other plants it is maybe 1-2 years planted. I just planted the baja red this past fall.

Marie.
You don't have any problems with our dryness like Kasper has do you? Were did you ever get a white plant?
Mickey

Here are sopme more photos I took of the Asian Coral vines...

coral vine #2

Mickey