Vines, observations, and questions!

Becky, do you have any photos of the yellows?

Becky, some seeds would be cool, thanks! I'll plant them next spring when I get that whole BIG lasagna bed planted. For now, I'm preparing a place that I use for a "nursery". It is about 10 x 10 or so, between 2 garden sheds so it gets LESS sun and wind. In summer it helps to protect the new plants. I'll open some more ground up ( I have it covered in weed cloth). Gotta go... need to go to WA to get some paperwork for my licensure!
Pat

Now .... back to MGs!

I have been wondering about this question ....

When I brush up against all the fuzzy leaves and blooms, it gets a little uncomfortable and itchy. Is there something in the hairs that is a repellent or irritant? The inside of my arm is a sensitive spot and it almost feels like a burning sensation when I brush again a fuzzy leaf. No rash or anything. But my skin sends out a signal to back away from the vine. Has anyone else experienced this or am I just overly sensitive?

I like the fuzzy, it makes me want to stroke it!

Judith - Here is a photo of my yellow 4 O'Clocks.

Beth - I like the fuzzy hairs, too. But I was wondering if they are a defensive mechanism for the vines. Anyone know?

Oops, forgot to add the photo, Judith. Here it is!

Back to 4OClocks, I've got one growing with an MG this year, it is Mirabilis Longiflora and it is 5ft tall, but hasn't bloomed yet.. anyone know if it blooms the first year?

And, the ones in CA were perenial and the scent was great, especially the cream colored ones. I may try them again this coming year if I can find a spot for them when we get done with the hardscape..

Arlan, great photos there..

Becky, nice yellow blizzard..

A.

I do believe they are a defense mechanism against insects that will have a much harder time crawling up the stems. They may also insulate and create a microclimate that benefits the plant.

Thanks Beth for your thoughts on the MG hairs. I think that you may be right! Makes sense.

Antoinette - If and when your Mirabella Longiflora produces seeds, I'd love to have a few! I can send you some of my yellow and maybe some pink later if they produce seeds.

Arlan and my photos above of the crossed 4 O'Clocks is just a gorgeous example of what MGs color combinations might look like if we can get large yellow blooms on MGs. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!!!!

Becky, those are nice yellows, and I love the blizzardy yellows.

Thanks, Judith! I've got plenty of the yellow 4 O'Clock seeds if anyone wants any. Just d-mail me. :-)

I've got a lot of yellow and fuscia seed...but no blizzards.

Beth, what is a fuscia seed? Ohhhhh you mean pink colored 4 o'clocks? (I can be so dense some times!!! LOL)

exactly! but there is a light pink too. The fuscia is intense pink.

Becky is this flower here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4014339 purple? I love it and would love some seeds if it is...I also would love some of your yellow and pink blizzard seeds. I have some Longiflora I will put aside for you..they smell heavenly!! I also have a pretty pink one that has been staying true for 3 years. I bought it as 'tea time rose'

A., the longiflora bloomed first year for me...

OOOH, I hope it blooms this year.. it sure it a thin plant, and tall. Becky, sure will save you some seeds (if it blooms before frost) lol.

A.

A., here is my longiflora from last year...

Oh my, it is gorgeous.. I love the colors of the anthers and stigma.. I sure hope this one blooms, I did start it off late in the year though. Ronnie, Does it produce a tuber also??

A, I'm not sure but I think it does..I didn't bother checking just collected seeds..sorry now I didn't do them again this year the fragrance is unbelievable. Better than regular 4s!!

" I have some Longiflora I will put aside for you..they smell heavenly!! I also have a pretty pink one that has been staying true for 3 years. I bought it as 'tea time rose'" ....

Luvs, what can you tell me about this plant? I tried looking it up but there were too many different ones and I'm interested in YOURS because you said it smelled so good! And I have a weakness for pink... What zone does it grow in? water and light requirements? Thanks, inquiring minds want to know!
Pat

I will be more than glad to share my 4 O'Clock seeds. But they probably won't be the crossed ones. I am finding that I am not getting many if any seeds from those. I hope that my hot pink/magenta 4OCs will start kicking in the seed production. If so, I can share those seeds as well as the yellow 4OC seeds. (I have a lot of the yellow!) I suggest you plant the yellow right next to the pink or another color and see what happens. Mine were in two totally different places around my yard and the bees still crossed the pollen on them, so I can just imagine if the plants were right next to each other!!! LOL!

Let me tell you about my 4 O'Clocks .... I have them shamelessly growing in pots with the same dirt from almost 2 years ago. They are growing in partial shade. (Morning sun, afternoon shade.) I don't do anything to them except occasionally water them. About once a year I fertilize with Osmocote. They are pretty much ignored and neglected the rest of the time. But boy do they bloom up a storm! They form tubers that get quite large. Each flower produces 1 seed (if pollinated). Large dark seeds. My yellow smell wonderful. Because I grow so many, the scent is immediately noticeable the minute the sun sets! They bloom all night and wilt at sunrise. Moths love them! If there is a frost they die to the ground immediately. Mine did that one year, but came right back in Spring in their pots! I truly believe every seed that falls to the ground .... sprouts! But if you don't want the volunteers, they are easily spotted and pulled out. I love them, so none of mine get pulled out! LOL! They do get about 2-3' tall and a bit scraggly and will fall over, but they keep growing. Best to grow them where they can be propped up against something and have other plants in front of them to hide the bareness around the trunk as they get taller. I do prune mine, which causes new growth to form near the bottom of the plant. A very easy plant to grow! I think it is listed as "easy" for first time gardeners! :-)

If you are interested in some of my seeds, please d-mail me. I just can't keep track of who wants what on a forum thread. I have a d-mail folder just for seed trading where I move request d-mails, so that helps me keep track of everything.

If you love a sweet scented flower that is not too overpowering .... this is a great plant!!! :-)

Ronnie - Yes, the Youjiro Blizzard MGs are a purple/plum color with light blue streaks and patterns. Very unusual color combo, but it is just beautiful!! I will certainly share what seeds I get from this vine! :-)

Becky - Continuing on the subject of Morning Glories...

I've noticed that the hairs can sometimes produce a slightly irritating sensation and/or itchiness...and this effect seems to vary considerably with each individual...

The hairs that dislodge from the seeds can be more irritating than the hairs on the leaves...

There are people who are allergic to the MG hairs...although at least one person I know remains particularly interested in growing different species of Morning Glories...

TTY,...

Ron

P.S. - Becky - I'm wondering if you have ever thought of bring a MG plant into school with you to share with your students and brighten up the atmosphere...

Ipomoea indica flowers often last for several days and might be particularly well suited to grow and share in your learning environment...

Ron - Funny you should mention about growing MGs at my school. I was just talking to the teacher last week about doing that and she thought it was a great idea. We have a perfect brick wall at the school in an area that is landscape neglected. It gets full sun with some afternoon shade. My only problem is that I am worried that it is in a non-secure area. Adults and children go through this area all the time and I was concerned someone would try to dig them up to steal them. Maybe I'll grow some that are commercial packaged varieties and see how they do. If noone disturbs them, then I'll plant other cultivars. I never thought about growing one indoors at school. I'll have to look up Ipomoea indica to see what it looks like. My students are interested in everything! We already have a butterfly garden that we created and work on at the school. You should see all the butterflies we get! We even had a mother rabbit dig a burrow to have and raise her babies in our garden. Too cute!! It would be neat to try to do some crosses between cultivars at school and monitor the experiment. That also came to mind. :-)



This message was edited Oct 2, 2007 7:18 AM

Ron - Also thanks for the info on the irritating hairs on the leaves. I KNEW that I wasn't imagining that! No rash or anything, just irrates my arms a little bit when I brush up against the vines. And I certainly wouldn't stop growing them even if I did get a rash or an allergic reaction. What other plant has such a variety of colorful blooms??? :-)

We get a lot of birds at our school as well. Here is a sandhill crane peaking in the classroom windows! LOL! We also have bird feeders! ;-)

Becky, you go girl! Great idea about the morning glories at school. You might be surprised at what happens when they're planted in a high traffic area.

I love the critter photos, especially the sand hill crane, which is a rarity around here. People drive for miles as they fly over and land in southern Colorado and Nebraska. So to see a pic of one looking in a school window tickles me!

Becky,
One that resowed on it's own is Rebecca.. it blooms at least 60 flowers a day in the backyard in a cactus pot, the seed had to be from CA, and was there when we moved. That is beautiful and also, I have alot of seeds for that if you want some.. it is producing several pods.

Becky - Ipomoea indica
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/78888/
http://www.shirleydenton.com/plants/plant_www.php?uniq=ipomo_ind_acu
Ask Sister Mary Martha(!)
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2007/05/story-morning-glory.html
http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Ipomindiacum
http://www.biologicalresearch.com/plants/plant_www.php?uniq=ipomo_ind_acu
http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/ipoind.html
http://www.nsis.org/garden/family/morning_glory.html
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/main.asp?plantID=3387#
was once thought to have originated in Asia,but the latest analysis of the oldest pollen samples prove that it originated in the Caribbean and is considered to be a native of Florida (much to the chagrin of the exotic invasives people who have attacked this plant)...too bad(!!!) it's a bona fide Florida Native and was here before there were any people in North America...

TTY,...

Ron

I just had to click on Ask Sister Martha...

this was the first thing it says:

Ask Sister Mary Martha
Life is tough. But Nuns are tougher. If you need helpful advice just Ask Sister Mary Martha. She'll help you. Just don't expect any sympathy.

She sum's it up just about right...

Ron - Thanks for posting those links. I did a quick goggle this morning after reading your post and up popped a different MG by that name. Anyway, the links you posted show a very pretty blooming vine. Interesting that it may very well be a Florida native vine. I've never seen one here in the 40+ years I've lived in Florida!

Loved the Sister Martha site. VERY funny! I really needed a good laugh today. A good friend of mine whose daughter is my daughter's best friend is back in the hospital again. More head/brain surgery. Her mother is very down about the situation. I am worried. And my daughter and her sick best friend are putting up a good front. This beautiful and amazing teenager is keeping it together for everyone else. Kids never cease to amaze me! It's heartbreaking that she is spending her teen years in and out of hospitals going through surgery after surgery.

I keep thinking in the back of my mind that if I get a really pretty "new" MG cross that I am going to name it "Kailey" in honor of her and her brave fight to claim her life back. I posted a thread on the Prayer Request Forum here on DG about her situation and the little boy she babysat. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/757379/

If I am able to get a pretty cross, I am going to grow out more in a container and give it to her as a surprise! We made wishes and then released butterflies when she went in for her first surgery to remove the brain tumor (Old Native American Indian belief). She got a big kick out of that. I think she would be tickled to have a plant named after her. So .... I think that is going to be a new goal of mine. To cross and grow a new MG in hopes I get something awesome just like this very special young lady!

Thanks for all the info Ron! And Antoinette - Love the quote from Sister Martha that you posted. Sure made me laugh! Thanks!

Antoinette - I am currently growing out Rebecca, so I will see how it does and if I get seeds from it that might be a good one to grow out with my students! Thanks for the suggestion of that vine. :-) And ..... I DO like the name, too! lol

Okay, another question for someone to try to answer.....

What is the largest MG vine? And what is the smallest MG vine?

And I got seeds today from Lazlo for the Morning Glory Bush. Craziest seeds I've ever seen. Very fuzzy/hairy! They look like a little mini-me of "Cousin It" (for those of you that remember the Adams Family show ... I am aging myself here. lol) Are there any other really unusual MG seeds?

Here is what the seeds look like for Ipomoea carnea. Kinda cool! I wonder how easy they will be to germinate with their little fur coats on?

This message was edited Oct 3, 2007 11:27 PM

Becky -

you asked
"What is the largest MG vine? And what is the smallest MG vine?"

Largest if you mean length and leaf size ...offhand I'd say Merremia peltata

Smallest...there are alot of small ones in different genera but I'll toss the genus Cuscuta at you for now...

"Are there any other really unusual MG seeds?"

The Ipomoea transvaalensis has orange or red fuzzy seeds and Merremia discoidsperma has the largest seed in the MG Family...

TTY,...

Ron

Very interesting Ron! The Merremia peltata is beautiful! .....but listed under mostly invasive plant links when googling. As is Cuscuta! I think I have seen the latter growing wild here. It covers and smothers everything in it's path. I had no idea it was a MG vine! Ha! Very interesting!

Another question: What is the fastest growing MG? Is it one of the two listed above?

Ron - What MG cultivars would you NOT grow? I get seeds all the time from different places and since I know so little about these amazing plants, I look at some of the seeds and am not sure whether to even grow them or not. I do look them up but find it funny that many links listed them as invasive even if they are not.

Becky, it seems I even mention the words "morning glory" and people freak thinking INVASIVE!~!

Just wondering .... how many folks here on this forum grow MGs indoors? And could someone please point me to a thread on how to do that? Thanks! I am thinking of trying that next (maybe in my classroom).

If the weather gets too cold, do the vines not produce seeds?

My vines will produce seeds all year, but it is easier to get the pupureas to seed in the winter than the nils. I try to keep the room at least in the 70's. Do you have big windows in the classroom for light?