Vines in the NW

I would like to try some Red Cardinal Climber to mix in with my Jasmine hedge. I know it is invasive in the south but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with it here in the northwest. This is a pic of my back fence hedge (left). It is confederate jasmine, planted about 8 years ago and VERY hardy. Anything that wanted to invade its space would have to be pretty strong.

This message was edited Jan 20, 2011 3:57 AM

This message was edited Jan 20, 2011 3:57 AM

This message was edited Jan 20, 2011 3:58 AM

I’ve also been thinking about maybe some Purple Bell Vine. Does anyone have any experience with it here in the northwest?

I am concerned about planting vines because I planted a trumpet vine a couple years ago (the big empty spot in the hedge on the left of the pic is what remains). I had to cut it out and after 2 years I finally managed to kill it.

Hmm...I tried a version of a cardinal climber (ipomoea family) a couple of years ago. I don't remember which one, but I think I bought a start at Portland Nursery. It's really an annual. Mine didn't do all that well, but then, considering it's in the morning glory family I definitely didn't coddle it at all. And, I think that was 2008 when we didn't have a very good summer. In any case, it died when the weather got cold. Not sure if that's helpful at all or not?

Your trellis arbor is beautiful!

Thanks for the input. I am kind of spooked abour vines after my experience with the trumpet vine. (The vine from hell.)
I was going to start them from seeds so if they didn't make it I wouldn't be out much money.
From what you said I expect that in our NW climate they are fairly mellow and not invasive.
I really want to give some color to my hedge - I think I will try some.
Thankx!
:-)

Dafs from last spring. Check out the date!!!!!!!!!!!

ooh, those are very cute! nice big clump-and early! I think the early ones are my favorites-definitely need the bright cheery flowers early around here. :)

Yes, trumpet vine is verrry scary-don't blame you a bit. :P

I have a trumpet vine which has just kind of sat for several years. It puts out a lot of shoots that go every which way, but my efforts to train it up my porch support have not been very successful and it has only produced occasional blooms. It gets morning sun, aftenoon shade. Maybe I should just dig it out and put something else in? I previously had a wisteria in this spot and moved it for the same reason (not enough sun). What vine (either annual or perennial) would thrive in part shade and give me some flowers? Preferably with some fragrance as I sit on this porch often.

I have done cardinal climbers several times, and they are definitely not a problem in my area. They are annuals for me and don't reseed at all unless I collect seed and start them inside the following year.

I love the asarina (climbing snapdragon) for color and it does OK in part shade and is almost always full of color. Down side is that unless I start mine really early, it doesn't start to bloom until around the end of August. Plus side is that it is not as tender as some of the climbers, so it will hang around with color until the first hard frost.

Hmmm. The asarina is tempting me. On the other hand, I do have seeds for a moonflower of some sort (there seems to be a recurring theme throughout this forum to use what you have before buying new...). Anyone had luck with these in part-shade? I've always seen them in full sun.

And, what to do with my trumpet vine? I could move it to a sunnier spot with room to grow at will, perhaps on the west side of one of our outbuildings.

Deb, My track record with moonflowers here is success.... 0 ... frustrating attempts... around 10 or so. I have however decided that no matter how green my thumbs are, there are just some things that I can not grow.

From your pics of your yard, I can imagine that you have some places that your trumpet vine can grow with abandon and you can still enjoy it. If you don't try asarina this year and IF weather is conducive this summer for seed collecting, I can send you some seeds for next year. I just adore it and will always grow it, but last year was so bad for my annuals that my seed setting was zilch. Crossing my fingers that this year will be better!

Julie, I'm always a bit suspicious of plants that do well in EWA for the rainy side. My Twisp sister has had fabulous luck with moonflower, so maybe it needs the heat and alkilinity she has rather than acidity and rain I have. She also has much better luck with all artimesias than I do. Hmmm, back to asarina.

And funny about some plants just refusing to grow for you -- I can't grow a good looking rhodie to save my soul, better luck with azaleas but still iffy...weird.

Azaleas are iffy for me as well, but I do OK with rhodies. Go figure....

I've got one vine that might work for you. I've got a vine wall that's a collection of things that's in part shade. Most are deciduous, and not fragrant. This particular vine grows below my ordinary deciduous fast growing jasmine but it's also a jasmine. I think it likes a little more heat than here which is why it is a slow grower for me. It's a little bit tender, but evergreen and very fragrant, but it's not a super-heavy bloomer (again, maybe part of it liking it warmer????). I've covered it during significant cold spells but not this year when it's been high-twenties and it looks fine. I've had it for several years, and it seems pretty tough. It might have a little die-back this spring because of it, but not as much as other things.

It's "star jasmine"
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55230/

I had an ipomoea year a couple of years ago and started a bunch of them-more than I could get planted, really. (I bought the single start the next year because I never got the seedling planted, sigh.) The moonflower was one of my failures. The standard morning glories, ipomoea purpurea, did well, and boy did they grow!!! I had gazillions of seeds and trouble keeping it from overtaking everything. If I had a vote for any in the ipomoea family, I might pick the japanese ones.

I've also got a lonicera heckrotii 'goldflame' that has been pretty moderate in its growth pattern but for me it is very prone to powdery mildew and looks awful a lot of the time. I think it would like more sun. I'm considering ripping it out even though the hummers love it.

Billardiera is one I want to try again. I tried a tiny start but it got hidden behind a giant hosta before it had a chance to grow above it and died.