Original Victorian "Pirates Morning Glory"

I had a packet arrive this morning from a friend in Scotland who works for the RHS with a the original 'Victorian' Morning Glory brought into England in 1844, this one has the original candy pink colour rather than a washed out colour, it also came with the original 'single' version of Calystegia hederacea brought at the same time. It is self-sterile so does not set seed but it 'clonal' meaning it grows from the rhizomes.

There are 'washed out forms in a link pink' of this variety however this form apparently has retained it's original colour.

Calystegia hederacea flore-pleno was hidden in a pot of peony roots smuggled by Robert Fortune from Ningbo, China for the RHS into the UK in 1844 and at the same time grown by Kew next to the Great Pagoda.

A water color painting held by the RHS from the 18th century depicts it growing in an emperor's garden in Ningbo, China.

Apparently in the year of the collection Robert Fortune,was captured by ruffians in Canton, disguised himself as a Chinese man to get into a 'forbidden city', and was attacked by Chinese pirates.

Fortune's overseas adventures included investigations into the commercial opportunities in growing tea. Commissioned by the British East India Company, he disguised himself as a Chinese peasant as he smuggled out cuttings of the tea plant Camellia sinensis from China into India. These cuttings enabled India and Ceylon to become established as major growers and exporters of tea so when you sit down with your cup of tea you can think about the way the original plants had been smuggled!

When he set out Fortune had no knowledge of Chinese and during the course of the tour was several times attacked by bands of brigands and a junk on which he was travelling was attacked by pirates. Additionally he had to battle against severe attacks of fever and tropical storms and typhoons.

On one occasion he managed almost personally to see off an attack by two pirate junks, by lying hidden on deck until the pirate junk were at very close quarters, jumping up firing at the helmsmen and warding them off.

Somehow he managed to acquire a passing knowledge of Chinese and took to wearing Chinese attire and by shaving off his hair and growing a pony tail he was able to enter the forbidden City of Souchow. Known by the Chinese by the name Sing Wah he was in this way able to travel quite extensively, a hazardous undertaking as at that time no foreigner was permitted to travel more than thirty mile from any port.

I will let you know how I get on with the "single version" and the "double version" a nice story that can be verified and shows the extreme nature of the eccentric plant hunters!

The roots, single form and double, as with most calystegia species it spreads by rhizomes, as the double form is sterile it puts all its energy into blooming, this form apparently blooms right to the last frost and thrives on neglect. I am looking forward to letting it take over, I will grow some in a pot and some in my English garden.

they exist!

Oh my, how I would love some..... I just love the pink. I saw them a while back in a "Gardener's World" magazine.

Please keep me in mind should you have any rhizomes to share.

Elsa

I'm with you, Elsa! I, too, would love to have a rhizome of that beautiful pink calystegia like Beth posted a photo of! It's unbelievably pretty!!! I am just amazed at all the species out there!

Interesting stories rareseedman!

My rhizomes didn't come back after the winter. Maybe it is too cold here although we are zone 8. I thought they would thrive like my regular bindweed.

Beth - I am so sorry to hear that! That is such a disappointment for you ... and us! Can these be grown from seeds (should anyone get their hands on any)? Or only as rhizomes?

Hello;

These can only be grown from rhizomes as they are self-sterile; I don't have enough at the moment to share and send sterile rhizomes in perlite (cough)

When I do however I will and I will keep you in mind Elsa123.

I send and receive on a regular basis with South Africa I will however need to wait until these spread. They do however need a cool moist place where they won't get burned!

Thanks Rareseedman,
Luckily I have some shaded parts in my garden - actually, I don't have enough sunny parts (according to me) to grow all my lovely MGs. Need about double of what I have. And then there is the daylilies, roses... I'm sure you get the picture. LOL!!

Elsa

So, any suggestions as to where to get a rhizome?

"eyes"

eyes - Colin posted on a new thread some website links that might have this beauty! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/991350/

Thanks Becky.

"eyes"

As in Colin's thread I am happy to trade sterile rhizomes in perlite anywhere in the world for straight forward "trade"

I take back what I said, these ARE coming back! It seems they are sprouting up a little later than the rest of the bindweeds but they are in a shady place so that may be why.

I am sooo glad for you that they are coming back! Please keep me in mind should you ever be in the position to share some of the rhizomes.

Elsa

I'm new to MGs; can layering be used as another means of propagation?

(Adventitious roots.)

Beth - That is certainly good news! Such beautiful blooms, it would be sad to lose it. Glad you got new leaves showing you that they are BACK!!! Yay!

BostonArea - I have heard of layering on some species of MGs, but my guess is that most would not make it since they are so fragile. I am sure others here might be able to give you more information about this way to propagate.

I think the rhizomes just spread out on their own. I'll see how big the plant gets this year. If it gets big enough I might try to divide it, but I want to make sure I don't try too soon and kill it off.

they should not be decided till they are at least three years of growing and they should be done in the fall

Mine is growing very slow...I am happy to share...I don't know if it layers but can certainly try..I do know it does not like direct sun and baked soil

Blooming here!

Nice bloom!

I had no idea that bindweed was morning glories I saw some wild ones last year some light pink and dark will go back and look for seeds they looked amazing

This has me fascinated because I have not seen any seeds form on my blooms so far. In fact, I don't see any stigma or anthers on my blooms. They are tight bloom with lots of petals and no reproductive parts.

rareseedman - Does yours produce seeds?

This message was edited Jul 26, 2009 9:50 PM

they dont seed they grow and multiply from rizones

Mona - That's what I have been told by just about everyone. Thanks for your input as well. :-) They will also root from cuttings, but rhizomes seem to be the best way to divide them.

well I would say that with being not self fertile it may just mean that you need two plants I find it funny since I think all plants can be polinated it just doing the research on how does it get done for that particular plant, and do remember some rizone plants like irises do produce seeds from the flower but patatoes dont

Hey - I found a source for the Calystegia - Arrowhead Alpines! Here's the link: http://www.arrowheadshopping.com//
Go to the "Vines" category, page 2.
"Calystegia hederacea fl. pl. - Vigorous vine to 8' or more with abundant double pink morning glories, a cool new vine, we grow it in a barrel, it tends to run underground rather quickly, and while this is great for covering fences its a problem in small gardens."
Samantha
Here's the pic :

so pretty contacted the company to see if they ship to canada would love to have one

Mine does not produce seeds, only the single and semi-double form produces seed. The double form will never produce seed and can only be propagated by rhizomes.

Mine has not bloomed, only the single and semi-double which might indicate keep it in a pot.

Despite all the hype in my initial post there is an old water colour of it which indicates it has been around for a long time.

To be honest it was probably never on a pirate ship they were probably all drunk on rum! The story is nice though the main thing is you don't grow the story but the plant.

With each such story it probably changes a bit and has things added, did I mention they had to fight giant squid and jelly fish?

OI ME HEARTY'S...(slaps hook hand bitten off by crocodile on side of ship and lowers eye patch) Serious if anyone is gagging for a piece and I can identify it as the double rather than the single I will send a small piece of washed and sterilised root

it may not bloom till the rizones are large enough like irises if it a baby wont bloom for three years, I am going to try and find some in canada since I know they dont let bulbs roots or rizones into the country only seeds, maybe a company will import it for the spring if I contact them and give them time to get a source for it

I wonder if it would produce blooms sooner if rooted from a cutting? Anyone know?

it would still need time to produce the rizones and will not bloom till they are large enough I would fertilize with 15-52-15 to promote blooms that is what I use on my callas I add bone meal when planting then the fertilizer as soon as green shows and then every week till the blooms come up works great and I have large healthy plants

Hmmm ... I got small rhizomes that were starter plants and they bloomed for me within a few weeks after I got them. I used the Bloom Booster on them. Perhaps a blooming fertilizer is the key?

The rhizomes are like the laces your get on a pair of boots, they grow in length not in width. Here in the UK they seem to need to be pot bound.

I have found calystegia cuttings need to also be pot bound before they can bloom, in the autumn all the green dies off and the rhizomes remain.

I have seen this also in an old book in Birmingham Library called "California Rose" and it makes reference to it being a weed in North America.

Also from experience a hard cold wet winter will kill it off, however if you do take the rhizomes inside place in free draining gritty soil and keep just slightly damp and examine for fungus and fungus gnats. Once they set in the entire mass will die. Oddly enough however if kept outside the roots can take a freeze, we had down to minus 6 cel for a few days last year..and winter wet. So experiment by taking some rhizomes inside and leaving some outside..

Here is the complete single form I have, the one thing they both share are the delicious sugar pink color; I like to call it Queen Mother pink. It's very well behaved and slowly spreads and seems happier in the garden than in a pot. I have had this one for about 8 years.