Hi,
I frequently shop at Joshua's Native Plants in the Heights and he has this amazing giant dutchman's pipe in mostly shade that he says is evergreen. It is a great specimen, the flowers are surreal and it seems to thrive with shaded roots and full sun at the top of the vine. Anyway, I am about to plant evergreen vines along an 8' wide by 8' tall fence with lattice for privacy at my front door. The roots would be mostly shaded but it would grow into half day full sun (full morning sun), which Joshua says is fine for that vine. Has anyone else grown it in Houston? If so, is it a slow grower?
I am also considering crossvine, any other suggests are welcome (other than jasmine, I have had my fill of jasmine ;-)
Thanks,
Brett
giant pipevine (or other suggestions) for Houston trellis
I don't know about the pipe vine, but the Crossvine is wonderful, evergreen and pest free. Here is a picture of mine on an 80 foot fence.
And a close up of the flowers, I highly recommend it, it can take sun or shade too.
Josephine.
Hey Josephine,
That vine is gorgeous. I planted 2 in my yard last spring, one in partial shade and one in full sun. How long did it take to get that big? Mine has hardly grown this year.
Thank you, I just love it. It took about three years for it to start being showy it is 8 years old now. I planted four of the in the 80 foot space, but I have one on another side that reached 50 feet in length, although not that full all the way.
Brett - you have a lot of options! The dutchman's pipevine is an awesome vine and will attract lot's of swallow tails to your yard. There's also the mexican flame vine, passion flowers, orchid vine, snail vine, bleeding hearts, bower vines....all of these do very well in Houston.
Josephine, those flowers are beautiful. Do you ever have a problem with them coming up in unwanted areas of your yard? I've been reluctant to plant because of the cautions in the comments in plant files. It's growing wild in the pasture next to me and I've now noticed it on the back fence trying to sneak into my raised vegetable beds.
I really don't have problems with it, but i do trim any stray runners maybe once a year.
Thanks for the suggestions and the crossvine pictures are great. I have seen a few around the area that impressive. As far as the suggestions, I think of bleeding hearts as deciduous, at least in Houston. I have even seen it die back in Galveston (but it obviously returns quickly). Is that not correct? I have also considered passion flowers, can you recommend an evergreen variety? The reason I am stressing "evergreen" is that this vine will also help screen the front door to my home which now has a parking lot for a small building next door.
Thanks!!
Brett
You're right Brett, bleeding hearts are deciduous.....
The crossvine is absolutely beautiful but if you notice the woodlands around here, it is popping up everywhere. Josephine's plants are gorgeous but, since we're in different zones, it may act differently than where she is. Here, one plant can shoot up roots 50 yards away, from underground. Pruning the stray runners doesn't help because the runners are below ground and we can't see them. Apparently, they like our clay! Before you know it, they will be growing up your house, in your neighbor's yard, in the slats in the street....just everywhere, swallowing trees, etc. Please be careful with this one. It's highly invasive and can kill the rest of the plants that try to grow naturally. Josephine, I hope you are not offended...it's just a dangerous plant here, in the sub-tropics of Houston.
Passion flowers....this is a different story for whomever grows them. Mine, I would not know if they are evergreen or not because by this time of the year, the fritillaries have devoured them. And that's okay by me but I face the same dilemma you are facing right now. I planted them to cover a wall by my front porch. 'Incense' is the variety there. I have two other varieties in my backyard....."Blue Bouquet' and 'Lady Margaret'. The lady is red and I was told the frits wouldn't eat her. Not true. They just chose to dine on her when everything else was devoured. I don't mind though....I raise butterflies.
I hate to say this but, for constant coverage and disease/pest free evergreens, really, your best bet is going to be jasmine or ivy. I know that's not what you are looking for but, it's what our climate provides us. I'm experimenting with snail vine, orchid vine and mexican flame vine this year but won't be able to provide info for another few seasons....so I'm sure what they do.
Another idea for vines that is evergreen is an evergreen wisteria. It's actually prettier than the typical wisteria, not as invasive and has the staying power of green all year round. You can definitely find one at Buchanan's or Enchanted Forest. I planted one over a trellis to open into the rose garden just a few months ago. I've been seeing it used in landscapes all over the city. Another idea, if you like roses, a Peggy Martin rose. This is a sure bet for our area and is a climber. You must read the story......
http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/PeggyMartinrose.html
She does VERY well here with our climate. Disease and pest free.
Also....you should see Rangoon Creeper. I planted mine last year. It didn't lose it's leaves in the winter but it also didn't flower this year. I think it needs a few years to establish itself. But when it does.....be prepared for a show and the most divine scent ever!
Knolan ~ does the Confederate jasmine to well in Houston? Mine stays evergreen and is lovely the winter thru with the foliage turning a reddish hue. Unfortunately, the blooms (fragrant) only last a month in spring but the vine is controllable here.
Confederate Star Jasmine would be a great evergreen coverage for your fence panel. Here is the plant file link on it. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55230/
I know it handles the heat /sun/and even short freezing temps up here in zone 7. Right now would be a good time to plant it in your area too. It smells like Gardenia to me; very aromatic.
The Rangoon creeper is amazing. There is an old, established Rangoon creeper at Another Place in Time in the Heights that will just blow you away. It blooms like mad for 6 months. I planted one last spring, it has done well but not flowered. Then the builder next door came in, pulled down part of the fence it was climbing. I am confident once they get that fence back up, it will start right back and do great this spring. They do like tons of full sun, I know that. My area in question will have fairly shaded roots.
Thanks for all the options! I will look at the evergreen wisteria and that Peggy martin rose looks pretty amazing. I very well may end up with jasmine, far worse things could happen. I have it along another fence, it looks great all year and the fragrance for a few months is a big bonus.
Before I go, on the topic of fragrance, have you ever seen almond verbena? It smells amazing...unlike anything from gardenia to jasmine to sweet peas, very unique.
I love that rangoon at Another Place in Time. It is beautiful!
I have an almond verbena in the back yard and it's taller than my neighbors banana trees. It's one of my favorite plants. I love to use it in bouquets....makes the whole kitchen smell like a dream.
Pod - yes, the jasmine does wonderful here. I'm going to replace my passion vine in the front with it this year.
Hello Knolan, I had never heard of Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata, being invasive,
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BICA
but I guess in some climates it could happen.
Still I wonder if you might be seeing Trumpet vine, Campsis radicans,
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CARA2
which does spread underground and is hard to remove.
The flowers of these two vines are very similar, but Crossvine is evergreen and Trumpet vine isn't, and the leaves are very different.
I hope you don't mind my pointing this out, it is just hard for me to accept that Crossvine could be that invasive since I like it so much.
I guess I'm like a mom, not wanting her favorite kid to misbehave.
Josephine.
I have had crossvine for 3 years now and it is intertwining with the wisteria. It has not multiplied in any form. No roots or seeds. Now the trumpet vine is another story but I love it so much I just deal with it. My fence is covered with English Ivy. Another with a bad rap but we just mow close to the fence and all is well.
Jospehine, you are absolutely correct. My mistake was thinking it was trumpet vine. My apologies. Now, I'd plant that crossvine! You're a wonderful mom to your plants
Would that make a good windbreak?
A friend in Wallis has such strong winds the it shreds the garden plants, and he is looking for something FAST growing that would make a good windbreak.
The Crossvine looks beautiful - if it would work.
Hello Knolan, no need to apologize, many people get them confused since the flowers are so similar.
I am glad to know that my kid is behaving nicely down there in Houston.
Josephine.
I don't see why it wouldn't work, of course he would have to provide a good support for it, especially under very windy conditions.
Another good fast growing plant is Carolina Cherry Laurel, Prunus caroliniana, it grows fast it is evergreen and need no support. It is also native to Texas and very easy to grow.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/prunuscaroliniana.htm
There are other native evergreens but they are not fast growers, I have the cherry laurel as a screen to my compost area and it looks great.
Her is a picture of mine.
Thanks, frostweed.
Think rangoon creeper Bubba--best, most dense windbreak I've ever had.
Debbie
Thanks, Debbie - good to see you among us again.
Hope your projects are allowing you some time for yourself again.
Thanks Bubba--yes, finally some time. Weather has been great the last 2 days too.....
I went to Caldwell's this weekend, a very cool place. She suggested a few vines, including the sky vine which sounds like would would tolerate a little shade and grows very fast. The blue flowers look amazing as well. Another she suggested is Madagascar Jasmine but from what I am reading it would be very risky in Houston.
My grandmother has the skyvine in her Houston backyard. It's stunningly beautiful! She's had it for at least 10 years now.
Crossvine is invasive in zone 9 i promise.
This is a picture at my daughter's house of jasmine even if you are tired of it, I am growing some in a giant pot at my back porch. i want it to do what my daughter's does but she is in zone 8a.
My son in law was so smart to just leave a small bit of soil for it to grow on the patio.
He built these big big trellises for the wisteria and jasmine he has up and down the fence beside the driveway.
