Mucuna species

I bought this plant this past spring from Logees and didn't know anything about it, other than it was pretty in the catalog. It was a small plant and has been gradually growing all year. It is still only about 3 ft. long, but the vine has become very strong and woody and doing well.

Just before Christmas, after a large rainstorm, I walked around the back garden to see if there was any damage and low and behold I saw a red flower growing on my arbor. Wow, was I shocked, especially since it's in the middle of winter. I had no idea that this would bloom this year at all. There are 2 long tendrils and each of them have lots of red petals (not petals, but I don't know what to call them. I looked this up in the PF and I think it is Mucuna bennetti. As the plant gets older, the flush on the tendrils should become much fuller.

If anyone knows more about this plant, I would appreciate any info. I went back to Logees site, but they don't have it listed anymore.

Donna

Another view.

http://www.logees.com/store/ It's still there Donna, but it sure doesn't say much other than it being macuna species. I tried starting them from seed some time ago and had no luck at all.

Thanks Brugie for checking it out for me. They must have just added it back to the site, cause I just looked for it last week when I took this picture. I haven't seen and seed forming yet, but maybe after if finishes flowering.

Donna

You're welcome. It's pretty. I hope you get some seed. Maybe you can figure out how to germinate it.

I started a red mucuna from seed. They had it marked M. albertesii/albertusi
Mine has fuzzy (pubescent) leaves.
Yours looks to have smooth leaves. Are they fuzzy, or smooth?

It could be benetti, but I would assume that if it were, Logee's would have just listed it as benetti. They know their stuff, so I assume they know otherwise...

I wrote a guy in the UK, who has a great nursery, about mucunas, a while back. I was trying to find other mucuna/dioclea species. He sent me a couple pages from an out of print book. It listed several varieties that are red....

I could try to go back through my emails and try to find it, if you are really on a hunt for the name...
Have you tried Calling Logee's and asking if they know more about it? Even if they could tell you where their source for these was, it would help.
The book excerpt tells where the different ones originate...
-T

I have one of these vines too from Logee's. It is a hybrid which is supposed to be more cold hardy than Mucuna bennetti which is very sensitive to cold. I tried to enter it into the Plants Database as Mucuna species, but they didn't want the "species" name as the species so I just entered it as M. bennetti. Logee's talks about it just a little in their book about Container Gardening.

Mine is about 8 feet tall, and it too is covered in the long racemes. I am just starting to see a trace of red. I will post more pictures of it when it does bloom.

T, if I am not mistaken, I think M. albertisii is supposed to be white. Here's a thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/422440/

T and Clare,

Thank you both for educating me more on my Mucuna vine. It looks like mine is just like Clare's. It doesn't have fuzzy leaves, just leather like green leaves.
I'm also glad to find out that since this is a Species, that it will take some colder weather. We have been having some 40 deg. weather this past month and the plant seems to be doing very nicely.

I think I will go put this picture in the PF with Clare's.
Edited to say, that I can't find Clare's picture, so don't know exactly where to post my picture yet.

Thanks again,
Donna

This message was edited Jan 7, 2005 4:27 PM

I purchased seed from two sources.

The seeds I ordered from Nicky's were listed as Mucuna albertisii, and were described as white.

The seeds I ordered from Driftwood gardens, were listed as Mucuna albertusi, and were described as red, with the common name "Oxen's red eye".

Both had pubescent leaves. Neither flowered for me before the freeze. I brought one in, and left the other in the ground. I have spare seeds set back, so let it be an experiment, to see if the one could recover from the roots...

They both seemed to be the same plant, so one of the sources must have the spelling and color, -wrong...

It may take me quite a while to figure them out, positively. Meanwhile I am very happy with my purple mucuna, and ordered some pure white, to try this Spring...

Neat species(mucuna) and great for surrounding plants. We have bats in the creek at the back of our property, so had great pollination this past season on the purple ones. I had over 100 seeds from just two plants.

Bats are supposed to be one of the primary pollinators of mucuna in the wild...(same can be said of the jade vines, although mine has not bloomed for me, yet, to find out for sure... )

-T

Guys, as far as I know Mucuna albertisii is WHITE. I have never heard of a red M. albertisii.

By the way, under the right conditions M. albertisii is a very aggressive grower.

-Ron-

Hi Donna, I actually haven't posted a picture yet over at the Plants Database. I was waiting for mine to be in bloom, and it is getting there rather slowly. I knew it bloomed in winter but wasn't sure exactly when in winter. We've had lots of cold nights too in the lower 40's and high 30's, and we're having lots of rain right now. I was wondering if it would even bloom under these conditions. My vine is apparently going to bloom in late winter.

Edited to add: Donna, put your picture here: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/82327/index.html I think that is where they want the pictures of Mucuna species, even though it is a hybrid of M. bennetti.

This message was edited Jan 7, 2005 9:46 PM

Donna, Here is an exerpt from Logee's book:

"Light: Full to part sun

Blooming season: winter

Soil: Any well-drained potting mix

Fertilizer: moderate amounts of fertilizer throughout the year

Best time to prune: Important to prune immediately after flowering to insure next years blooms; prune severely -- cut back to woody growth once a year, then do not prune again until after next flowering cycle.

Pests or disease to watch for: insects: high susceptibility to spider mite

"Mucuna species is a heavy vine that needs space for growth. As a potted plant, it needs to be grown in a large container and given a strong support. Supports such as a trellis or stakes work well for its vigorous growth....Once plants are finished blooming, they can be pruned. We prune in January or February, then do not prune again until after the next flowering season. Throughout the summer months, we recommend that you wrap the vine around itself. One of the more famous Mucunas, bennetii, known as the 'Guinea Creeper,' is a spectacular tropical climber with immense flowers. We have tried culturing it in pots but have found that it grows much better when planted directly into the ground....Unlike other varieties, this Mucuna will flower in a container."


Edited to fix spelling.





This message was edited Jan 7, 2005 10:04 PM

If you do grow it, keep it away....FAR away....from any trees, bushes or children. They have acute eyesight and stretch out to grab and awaaaaaay they go! I have seen them strangle a HUGE banyan Ficus and by it's pure weigh bring the tree crashing down.

Having said that...we have it growing across the shop...and I prune it back to the wood after blooming...and then feed it ONLY blooming fert.

It IS spectacular when it blooms!!!

Carol, is your vine the white one or the red one?

Alohahoya-
Are you familiar with Pacific Tropical Gardens?? They are located in your same town. They have the mucuna bennetii, and they also have the mucuna pruriens 'alba',
Here is a picture:

And here is a picture of my purple ones(mucuna pruriens):

Would love to get some seeds of that red Mucuna. I could trade you for some seeds of Solanum mammosum or Ipomoea pes-caprae. Let meknow & thanks.

Hi Buttoneer, this is the first time mine has bloomed, and I have no idea if the flowers will produce seedpods afterwards. I don't even know what pollinates this vine here as I don't think we have any bats in this area. Maybe the bees or the hummingbirds will do it. I'll let everyone know if I get them and have extra.

You could open the flower & use a makeup brush???? LOLOL. LMK & Thanks.

Ah! I didn't think of that. I tried to hand pollinate a passiflora of mine for the first time, but I guess it didn't work. I used both the pollen of another passiflora and the pollen of the same flower as well. When the rain lets up and when I get some decent flowers to practice on, I will try it.

Here's another Mucuna vine from a site where we are discussing Mucuna. This one is Mucuna novo-guineaensis (sp?).

http://www.spectresjungle.com/v-web/coppermine1.3.0//albums/userpics/10032/normal_AUT_5647.JPG

-Ron-

Wow, Ron. That vine is gorgeous. Thanks for posting that. I only have one little flower open right now, but more buds look like they are on their way to filling out.

Sorry to have gone missing on my own thread, but have been under the weather...along with this soggy rain we've had.

You all have been so generous with your information on this beautiful plant. I've gone from not knowing anything to now know that their are other types as well.

Ron, that picture above is amazing. I wonder how old it is.....and do I have mine in the correct spot now after reading what Aloha said above. hehe

I have another small blooming racemes. It is much smaller and it just developed in the last week. The first set of flowers to bloom, have already died off and I haven't seen any type of seeds forming. Maybe it is still to young or hasn't been found by the pollenators yet.

Donna

According to the owner of the vine who's image I posted, another drawback is that these vines have very fine hairs on the leaves and stems. This image came from Venezuela. Most Mucunas, because of the way they display are grown on overhead pergolas. So he was warning that the very fine hairs are an irritant when they get on your skin.

I think that this particular vine is extremely old because he posted a pic of the trunk last year and the trunk is the size of a tree! A large tree!

I'll post a pic of Mucuna bennetti from another grower who lives on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. It's a doozy too.

-Ron-

Here's a link to the image of the Mucuna bennettii on Reunion Island:

http://spectresjungle.com/v-web/coppermine1.3.0//albums/userpics/10013/MucunaBennettii.JPG

-Ron-

That is beautiful, Ron! Thanks for posting that. I've never noticed any hairs on my Mucuna species. The leaves are pretty shiny. The M. species must be different in that regard. I'll check mine again in case I am mistaken.

My albertusi and albertisii, were both pubescent...
-T

My M. species is glabrous, which is good because I have enough things with irritating hairs!