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June 5th, 2009
This is a reminder to myself that hummingbird vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) is a late arrival. Every year, I start looking for sprouts (so easy to identify and even easier to move around the garden) and wondering, where is it?
But this year, I was certain something happened. Either the birds ate the seeds, perhaps there was a disease, or my nosy neighbor thought she was being helpful and cleared last year’s dead vines off my lattice. (She recently did that to some that had wrapped itself – per my guidance – around some bamboo stalks, thinking she was being helpful. I gently explained that I leave the tiny, dried vines there so the plants will reseed.)
Two days ago, I even said to my mother – who invented the vine – that I supposed I had no vines this year, and what a disappointment that was. She didn’t really invent the vine, but was the originator of it in the family. She got some seeds from a friend and now several of us grow it because it’s just great stuff.
She said, “Just when you think it’s gone, it will surprise you. You’ll look down at the ground and there it is.”
The very next day, after I’d give up all hope, there they were…little sproutlets. I immediately ran into the house, called my mom and said “Once again, you know everything.” She liked that.
So here it is June 5, and yesterday I saw the first hummingbird vine sprout. I need to make a record of progress, but usually by early to mid July, it’s grown up the lattice (and anywhere else I transplant it) into a messy mix of tangles, full of bright red blooms. The flowers are tiny trumpets, and of course adored by hummingbirds. Each flower has a seed, and I just let it all dry out at the end of season and it reseeds on its own.
The foliage is as beautiful as the tiny flowers; very airy, almost like asparagus fern. But don’t let its delicate look fool you. It’s a tough guy, and once you can identify the seedlings, you can carefully pull them out of the ground and stick them somewhere else. Carefully, only because you need the tiny root.
I was so sure this wasn’t returning that I bought a similar plant at the nursery, Ipomoea x multifida, also called Cardinal Climber. It’s pretty, too, although I don’t think it’s as prolific and it doesn’t have the airy foliage that I love.
Maybe my vine sprouts this late every year and I’ve just forgotten. But now I have a record for next year, that it didn’t start to show up until June 4. Welcome to my favorite friend!
Here’s a good article on hummingbird vine (with a great picture of a sprout), and this person says it doesn’t emerge until at least late May – zone 7. I’m in zone 6. Next year, I will be more patient.
Possibly Related PostsThis entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 10:52 pm and is filed under Organic Gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 1st, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Hello,
I planted two humming bird vines three years ago. With these plants in mind I built a 16 fool long by 8 foot high lattice work fence for them to grow.
I ordered these two plants from gardeners choice magazine I got in the mail, the plant description indicated that it would grow man high in just one year and be covered with blooms.
I did everything instructed from the company when I planted the vines, which came bare rooted and about five inches long.
However, these plants did not grow as indicated by the company. By the end of the first year they were only about two feet tall. Last year they did grow much better reaching about five to six feet tall. But thru this whole time I have not been able to get them to bloom. They both are in full sun, are in good soil, get enough water and gets fed when I feed the rest of my garden.
I have contacted the company and they can not help me with this plant other than offer me two new ones, which I took last year. Unfortunately the sprouts they sent me last year did not return this year nor did they grow any better than the first two did. Now I do not want anything to do with the company who sold them to me. I have lost all faith in them and do not believe a single thing they tell me.
Now its year three and I still have not gotten any flower buds on them.
Is there something I can do? Do they require a specific number of years to mature before they flower?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am close to pulling them out and replacing them with honeysuckle.
Thank you very much for taking the time to help me in this matter.
Sincerly
Sheri
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Hi Sheri,
What you’re describing does not sound at all like the hummingbird vine I grow. Do you happen to have the scientific name of the plant?
What I grow is an annual, although it reseeds itself nicely. Once it starts growing, it grows like mad and can cover a fence very quickly. By mid summer. It’s the beginning of July now, and mine is already headed up the lattice and will probably start blooming within two weeks.
That’s why I’m thinking perhaps you’ve got a different plant? I can’t imagine sending a bare root of this…it’s just a seedling.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hello Juli,
Thanks for the response.
I looked up the magazine description, it says Humming bird vine (Campsis radicans).
Mine grows new foliage on old wood, it has the same leaves as my neighbors humming bird vine and hers is also a perennial, also grows new growth on old wood.
Other than that the only information I have found regarding this vine, and due to you suggesting giving you the scientific name, I looked up this name and found that it may take up to 5 years for it to mature and bloom.
July 5th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Oh, that’s more of a trumpet plant. Those can be beautiful once they get going, but they *do* take awhile.
It’s too late this season to start my kind of vine from seed, but there’s always a chance a local nursery could still have a plant. The nice thing about these is that they grow so quickly, and by mid summer you’ll have a beautiful, flowering maze of vines that the hummingbirds just love.
So you might call around to all the nurseries, just in case they might have a plant. They’re usually only 3 or 4 dollars.
And next year, you can either order a pack of seeds from Park Seeds or somewhere else and start your own. (Or if you’ll remind me come fall, I’d be glad to send you some seeds to get started…I have zillions in the fall.)
This would at least give you blooms and beauty while you’re waiting for the trumpet vine to get established.
With perennials (flowers that return year after year), the rule of thumb is that it takes three years to really get going. I’ve had some that did well the second year, but this is the down side to perennials. You have to be patient.
September 12th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
the best thing about organic gardening is that they are not contaminated with those chemicals-`*
October 13th, 2010 at 4:20 am
organic gardening is the thing that we do, we do not like artificial chemicals on our backyatd vegetable farm”`:
October 24th, 2010 at 11:47 am
right now we are shifting to organic gardening because of the bad side effects of chemicals on foods-`~
December 20th, 2010 at 11:28 am
i hate artifical stuffs so i always do organic gardening at home to get some natural foods ;.;