frostweed, no need to apologize, that crossvine is beautiful! I had no idea it could make such a large display like that. I've enjoyed my little bit, look forward to even more.
Can I start crossvine from cuttings?
Gardening with Texas Native Plants and Wildflowers - Part 2
I wanted to show how my Crossvine looked last year. It is equally impressive this year. Right now it is in full bloom, and does get better each year! It is only 4 years old.
mel
Maggie, I tried 4 Crossvine cuttings last year and it took close to 3 months before I even got root buds (only one made it to that) and by that time it was October. I probably killed the other three, by checking them for roots weekly. The one that was starting to root, I ended up forgetting about them over the winter and it died. I had heard that they can be rooted by cuttings but take a long time. I also read layering is the easiest way to propogate. Set up the layering - air or ground - and then forget about it for several months.
Well, here's where my two Crossvine plants are growing. I have wires attached to the brick that you cannot see.
Mel! what a wonderful use for the Crossvine, it makes me want an arch for mine too. I bet your neighbors can't get over how gorgeous it is. You know, we are so used to using roses for that purpose, but it is good to show that it can be done with different plants with spectacular results.
Sweezel! what a creative use for yours too. I bet when it is fully grown it is going to be a show stopper. Too bad you are planning to move, does it break your heart to leave it? Well, I don't mean to make you sad, I am sure where ever you go, you will make an even more beautiful place, with all the experience that you have accumulated.
You know, I have had the same kind of experience trying to root the Crossvine, it does take forever, and the results are not great.
Maggiemoo, it is not you, it is the plant, so I think that we should all take a lot of cuttings, and someone is bound to get lucky.
Sounds like a plan! Now I need a mother plant.
This is a native plant that has eluded me for quite some time. I am trying it again for the third time and hope this time I get lucky. Standing Cypress; Ipomopsis rubra. Have any of you had success with it? This plant is spectacular when in bloom, it can get to be as tall as 6 feet, and it is a biennial. They tell me that in some areas, it grows wild and it is quite a sight, but I have never seen it in the wild. Seedling 3-25-05.
And here is the plant in bloom Standing Cypress, Ipomopsis rubra.
Photo taken at Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, May 2004.
Frostweed, yes, it will be dissappointing to leave behind, but I will try to come visit it (if the new people remove it, I will be heartbroken though). I can't actually take credit for the idea. A lady on the street next to mine has done the same thing with Lady Bank's Rose. When I first saw it, I had not seen it bloom and was not sure what it was she used though. I will have to take a picture of hers, but the vine is very thick and beautiful. The funny thing is that early last year I saw her outside and asked what it was. She told me it was some type of Rose and that she had bought it at Home Depot not blooming. When it bloomed the following year she found out she had two different colors (yellow and white) and they don't start blooming at the exact same time. LOL I later saw it bloom and it is still pretty being one side white and one yellow.
I actually wanted to do the same because I despise the colors of our brick and want anything to cover it up. I bought the house for practicality - 5 bedrooms since my husbands 3 were living with us.
The Standing Cypress is really pretty in the wild. I saw it blooming everywhere at Mineral Wells State Park on Memorial Day weekend 2 years ago. If I remember right it blooms the second year.
I want to tell you all about an experiment that I am conducting. I had read in my garden encyclopedia, that if you cut your hardwood prunnings to about 8 inches, and bundle them up and bury them in sand through the winter, they will make a calous and then form roots and sprout in the Spring. Well, I tried that, and I never had any luck. This time I bundled the cuttings and put them in a pot with potting soil, and kept them moist, and look at the results. I don't know why the cuttings being bundled works better than being single, could be that they keep each other from drying out. In any event, I am thrilled, those are cuttings of Desert Willow, and Bird of Paradise, so if they do well, I will have enough to share with everybody.
Very cool! Don't you love the excitement of something like that. I hope they continue to thrive. :)
I'll be dern'd!
Very cool about the cuttings. That is something else that I want to learn, too.
The crossvine on the arbor was my hubbies doing... It works great, but you can't see the beautiful cedar arbor! Oh! And at nite it is gorgeous. I have white fairy lights on it, and this year I added a mesh sheet of lights, so it is covered. On both ends, I have Clematis, a Ramona and a Jackmanii. The Ramona is blooming large lavendar blooms right now, and is covered with DOZENS of buds for later!
Last year, I had 3 birds that raised families in the crossvine arbor, and loved the view, I guess.
Wow! Mel, it looks like you guys are doing great things, I can't wait to come and see your place. It thrills me to see people doing wonderful things and making this world a better place to live in. We all have a lot we can learn from each other, sharing makes life better and easier, don't you agree?
Here is the side of the arbor from last year, with the Clematis growing up to the Crossvine...
Now if I could find a Sweet Autumn Clematis for the other side... I could have continuous color!
Mel, that Clematis is gorgeus, I have a neighbor who is crazy about those and he would be so jealous if he saw yours, his very rarely blooms. Have you checked with Redenta's Garden for the Clematis you are looking for?
No, but I do need to. I don't get over there too often.... although I will be on S. Cooper at 2.... maybe I could convince the tribe to go......
we'll see.
mel
Here is a gorgeous plant that most of us are familiar with. The Texas Star ;
( Hibiscus coccineus ) I really love this flower, when it is in bloom it is a show stopper, and everybody that goes by wants to know what it is. This is a native to East Texas, where it grows naturally around the swamps, so it likes a lot of water. However it doesn't have to be drowned,
I have some growing on my wildflower slope in full sun and facing south, so it can live where it is not very wet too. Emerging Texas Star; 3-28-05.
A picture of the flowers last Summer, these are on the slope in full sun.
A single flower in my backyard jungle, last Summer also.
And a picture of the leaves last fall, they had never turned such a wonderful shade of gold before.
How much shade will the Texas Star tolerate?
John
Hello John, the ones in my backyard are in semi shade and don't bloom as much as the ones in full sun. I do have seeds of this plant, if you would like some. They are easy to germinate.
Josephine.
I would! :-)
John, I'm trying cittings of the crossvine, but I think I snagged a mother plant for you. We'll see if it survives 'till April 23rd.
Goody! Thanks, Maggie.
I also have one. I was cleaning up the weeds around mine yesterday and noticed a piece along the garage door. Come to find out it had self layered in the dirt between cracks in the driveway if you believe it. :) Nice roots about 5 of them 1/4 inch long. I potted him up to bring in May.
:-)
Mel, Are you coming to the CTXRU on Apr. 23rd? I have a nice potted Sweet Autunm Clemitas that you could have. I could also send some cuttings to you. I think the root easily. They also reseed. That is where my extras came from. SEEYA, Margie aka Queen of Dirtland
Hello Everybody, we went to Tyler yesterday to visit a native plant gardening friend, and saw some amazing wildflowers on the way there and back. One of them is Squaw weed,
(Senecio ampullaceus ) We hardly see this plant around the metroplex area, it ikes sandy soils. We saw whole fields full and it was really pretty. It is a Texas native and it is annual.
The field,
A picture of the stem showing the leaf.
And a close up of the flower, It is of the Sunflower family. I do not have this plant, and if somone has seed I would appreciate some, if you can spare it.
Margie, no, I won't make it to the April 23rd one... soccer conflicts. Thanks for the offer. I might try a cutting though! Or if you see Frostweed, maybe she would transport it back for me.... ; )
Darn... the Dr that I work for, his wife just left San Antonio at noon today.... darn!
Thanks for thinkin of me!
mel
Josephine,
I don't have seed right now, but I could save seed from some of the flowers blooming now. It might take a few weeks. I'll put a baggie or pantyhose on the flower stalk and wait until the seeds are ripe. Anyone have any idea how long it take for it to go from flower to ripe seed?
Veronica
Last year, we were up to our necks in Brown-Eyed Susan. The seed is easy to pick and save. If anyone is interested in some let me know,
Veronica
Yes' Veronica! I would love seed of both, the Brown-Eyed Susans have just about disappered from my slope, it seems that the perennials are pushing out the annuals, but I will try and give them space. I never had the Squaw Weed, so I am looking forward to trying it out.
Thank you very much, you are so sweet.
Josephine.
imway2dumb, while adding dirt to the hanging basket that containss the dwarf yarrow, I found no tap root. The roots just swirled around like normal roots. I am pretty sure that regular yarrow can be grown in a tall, tall container.
Veronica, I have a question for you. A while back you posted 2 pictures of Thistles one yellow and one pink. I had never seen the pink one and had wondered what it was called. I looked in my books and none of them showed that type. Last Sunday when we went to Tyler we found them along the road, I don't know if they are native, but they sure are amazing.
I am hoping that you or one of our plant detectives will be able to identify it for me.
Here is the picture of the plant.
And a close up of the flower, isin't it amazing? It looks to me like the very exotic Protea from Hawaii.
