Cardinal Climber Question

Would one or more of you kind vine enthusiasts offer me some advice on working with Cardinal Climbers?

I came up with the "brilliant" idea of planting six or eight Cardinal Climbers around a lamp post in my front yard, with the hope that would cover it with feathery foliage and red flowers. I started the Cardinal Climbers indoors a couple months back. The look great and are ready to be planted outdoors. Lately, because of my lack of experience growing these, I've begun to be concerned that Cardinal Climbers don't really fill out that much and will look "scraggly" around the lamp post. Are my concerns justified, or do they normally fill out and cover posts/trellises nicely? Thank you!

Good question Erick....I've planted my first ones this year too, and will be most interested as to the answers you get here.

RikerBear

I'm delighted that my question will assist you as well, RikerBear. I see your posts all over these forums and have a great deal of respect for your knowledge and experience.

Erick

They are very nice and grow quickly. They are twiners though and without tendrils they don't climb so well. If I want them to cover something larger, I either snake some twine around the post or tie something at the top with twine or wires hanging down. I have had them take off up something then just slide right down. LOL That is where the wire or string comes in handy. ;)

Oh dear....seems I have you fooled :-) LOL

RB

Thank you, Badseed, for the excellent advice. I'll take it!

Erick

Thanks badseed....I'll keep that in mind.

RB

Hi Erick - Last year I tried these and they didn't do nearly as well as my (other?) morning glories. They may have needed more sun? Notwithstanding they didn't grow well for me I wanted to say they were quite thin and delicate - not filling up much until they went up as far as they could go (on the jute twine) and began to form a mini-arbor. I agree with Badseed. Definitely give them something to climb where you want them to be and once they get growing you may need to manipulate them a little before they get where they're going. I'm trying them again this year because they were really pretty, but I mixed them with another thin climber rather than the bulkier ones I planted them with last time. Good luck.

I grew mine last year and was not satisfied with the results at all, they didn't grow very tall for me (like under 4 feet) and were scraggly, HOWEVER, a friend of mine in OH also grew these, and hers grew up and over a 15 foot high wire she had for them AND were lush and full, perhaps she has the touch, or had the right location, but hers were beautiful whereas mine were not and I didn't plant them around house this year but out back near the swamp so they could climb an old tree, we will see what happens this year :)

Thank you very much, earthtosylvia and OhioBreezy, for the most helpful feedback. I sincerely appreciate the time you took to provide it. I'm more curious now than ever to see how my Cardinal Climbers do this year!

I had two last year growing at the side of the garage they didn't have sun untill around 9:00 then untill about 2 0r 3:00 in the afternoon, I had two poles with string tied to each other about 3 ft. high and pinched them while they were small they did really great, too great in fact, can't grow them there again they were growing into the window and along the gutter and on top of the garage, they were beautiful, but fierce lol Oh yes the gutter always ran over when we had a lot of rain and right beside the vines, thought they were on their way out....boy was I wrong. Beautiful plant, the humming birds love them. Wish I had some seed this year started, I ran into some beautiful cedar trellises at a festival last year forgot about them and didn't start anything :-(

LeBug - It's not too late, is it? I'm in IL and just putting my climber seeds in the ground. Last year they took over the place and lasted until winter! Although the cardinals didn't do as well or last as long - I will take your tip and pinch, which I hadn't thought of, as the basic morning glories went crazy even without pinching. This year I'm trying climbing spinach, love in a puff, hyacinth bean along with the morning glories. I don't expect they'll climb as high but I just hope they grow. Something's already eating everything. By the way, the pinching will make them branch, but will it also encourage more flowering?

All my Cardinal seedlings succumbed to dampening off :-(
This time I planted the seeds directly in the yard where I want them....hopefully they will germinate and have enough time to grow up big and beautiful.

rikerbear - I'm sure they will! No matter how we try to lengthen our growing season by starting inside they still prefer their natural environment, don't they?

earthtosylvia, you know I'm always thinking spring and summer is going to run out before I get everything done, I dread the fall at the beginning of Spring lol I haven't been working a real job this year, started my own so have been going 90 miles an hour, always thinking it's later than it is, I'm starting perennials and thinking it's too late for what I want to do with them (having a sale in the fall). This not working a real job has thrown my timing off. I'm sure they will be growing like crazy and I don't think the pinching will hurt the blooming at all, I had oodles of them :-) I always started mine in seed trays on the picnic table outside, you know, I don't think I have ever planted a seed for a flower in the ground...not even my garden plants.

LeBug...I have cypress vine this year and I know it is often confused with Cardinal Climber (or so I've read), so they must be similar. I've never grown climbers of any kind before and am wondering how you go about "pinching" them? Any info would be appreciated! :-) I'd like them to grow up an old fashioned wooden fan trellis and bush out to cover it; do you think it's possible they will climb this on their own, or will I also need to put twine or something on them?

Does anyone have any Cardinal Climber seeds to share? I had both Cypress vine and Cardinal Climber seeds and only the Cypress came up. I like the CC vine better because it fills in better. I will send SASE for some. Thanks!!

Gardengirl1204, I just picked some Cardinal seeds up, would be glad to share, or would love to trade you for some Cypress vine, does it bloom? Correct me if I'm wrong, it's just a vine isn't it? I have 9 Cardinal seeds left. :-) Email me if you want them.

IowaNovice, I just pinch them off when they get about 4" tall and then when they start spreading out I pinch them here and there, it's like a pinch of this and a pinch of that lol

Here's a pic of a Cypress vine that climbed an 8 foot arch and looked beautiful - if a bit thinish. Could have used a coupla companions. Phot won't load. try later

Cypress Vine Photo

I give up phot won't load

This message was edited May 20, 2004 12:06 PM

I did a search on the plant database, the Cypress is more fern type leaves than the Cardinal Vine although the Cardinal Vine is fern like too.

IowaNovice, you might have to have some string at the bottom to train them up a little, just keep an eye on them and you will see when they need a little help. :-)

If you look closely at the leaves on the cardinal vine, it is sort of like your two hands put together and your fingers spread. The thumbs in the center would be the longest part. Cypress vine is more thready looking sort of like asparagus fern.

Thanks LeBug! Will do!

Hello ALL,
I am new to this site and very excited to have found it.

I also planted this plant for the very first time. I planted mine in hope that it would grown up the pole that houses a few bird feeders. What I am reading is that I need to have some kind of twine etc,

Here's the cypress vine pic

And another

I am growing these and would like help. I have not had anything but Blue Dawn. I have put out a 8 by 8 net. How many plants will I need to fill it? I want to make a 45 degree slanted wall of them.

Check it out, the leaves on your pkg are of a Cardinal climber, though they've got both names on the pkg - the Cypress vine has feathery almost asparagus fern foliage [see pic above].

Wow! What does that mean? Like an air fern, oh! Look up cypress vine in database, right

You are correct thank you so much! What can you tell me about it(growth etc.)? It says 20 ft is that close at all?

You will need quite a few and once growth gets going good, pinching them back like LeBug advises above will help with the fill in....both should love netting as a trellis. Just chuck em in and give them a drink. Maybe take into account that either of these plants has 'wimpy' stems.

Anybody think six inches is too close together.??

Darlin, after I grew the first Cardinal Vine, the next year there were a million in it's place and I pulled and gave away like crazy but I left quite a few so I don't think it's gonna hurt putting them 6" apart, I bet the Cypress is the same way, how bout that you all.

BloomsWithaView, do you have pink and red? I just love the vine on that, I traded with Gardengirl1204, sure hope mine look that beautiful, they'er up about 3/4 of an inch now.