Clerodendrum X Speciosum

This is the pink-bracted form of the Clerodendrum Thompsoniae.

To be more specifi, it is actually a sterile cross between Clerodendrum Thompsoniae, and Clerodendrum splendens. It is not hardy for me here in zone 8.

It is beautiful.

Very pretty. I have the Clerodendrum Thomsoniae & it is not hardy for me in zone 9. It dies in the winter unless I bring it in. :~(
Donna

Wow., another, clerodendrums from what I drool over in my plant books look just awesome.

I REALLY thought this one would come back...I planted one that had roots thicker than my husbands fingers, and two feet long. I thought for sure it would at leasst return from the roots, but it didn't...and doesn't...

Thanks for mentioning that, Donna. I guess I don't feel too bad, if the same is happening in zone 9.

The clerodendrum VINES must require zone 10, or higher, but I know my clerodendrum BUSHES are hardy for me here in 8...
-seedpicker_TX

Send it to me!!!! LOL Just kidding. I may have to find one though. Seems everything I touch lately ends up purple (except the brugs of course.)

Yes, I think your right about it only being the vines that are tender, cuz my Clerodendrum ugandense don't mind the cold.

Don'tcha just love this one?! Mine has been blooming for the last couple of months. I repotted it and put it in the greenhouse last week and it never "skipped a beat" :) My ugandense is blooming again too and they look awsome together!

Do you know how to take cuttings? I tried in Sept but failed to get them to root... :(

Absolutely beautifun there SP.. the pink is such a delicate looking thing.. is it as strong and rampant a grower as the standard red/white.. one of the toughest going... does the pink set seeds for you?
I have the standard Clerodendrum Thompsoniae.[ pictured below ] . about my favorite.. allways such a flush of blooms.. well till the chilly weather.. it is almost compleatly shut down now... I did get a bunch of seeds from it this year.. although I'd never noticed them in years past..
How might these be started.. any special requirements in getting them to go.. I guess I'll go up and see how many there are of them.. perhaps someone would like some to start their own flowering vine Gordon

Frogsrus-I did take a bunch of cuttings of this recently, so email me back in a few weeks, if you'd really like to trade for some.

Pudgymudpies-yes, my ugandense, bungeii, etc., all do just fine outside here.

Jody-Yes, I've rooted cuttings of this many times. My only concern this time is that I may have cut them too early. It is starting to get chilly outside. I probably should have waited until the heated greenhouse was up and going, before I cut these. (Some look like they may be starting to root, though, so we'll see...)

Gordonhawk- Beautifun? I like that word! lol...
No, I am pretty sure this is a sterile hybrid. I have had mine for years, and never have had any seeds. Congratulations on your seeds! Yes, definitely save those for trades. You will certainly be able to trade those off. I've never started them from seed, or I would help you with that. But, did locate a thread in which Brugie asked the same question: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/108218/
Hope this helps.

-seedpicker_TX

I've tried to grow the seeds from Clero T. aka bleeding heart vine and I've never had one seed germinate for me. Of course, I didn't know what I was doing either. I've always taken cuttings since they root so easily in water. Mine is blooming right now and is outside. It made it through the frost, so they must be fairly hardy. Not sure if I'm going to bring it in. I want to see out my windows this winter. LOL! Great picture Gordon.

Taylor, I could never get my Clero Speciosum to bloom that pretty color. They always looked dirty. I kept it two years and gave it away. I have another clero that I can never remember the name of, but it is hardy to my zone and blooms in the fall. Last part of the name begins with a T. I've had it for three summers and have never seen a bloom yet.

Seedpicker, I am definitely interested too if the cuttings root. I'll email you in a few weeks if you don't mind:-)

Indigoez-yes, do that...I always love trades with fellow vine-lovers.
I checked on them, and one is already rooting...
-seedpicker_TX

You're on.

I've had this one and glory bower for about 4 years, they've come back every year for me.
They do die back, but every spring that send out new growth from the ground. I'm not sure if i have seeds that self so or if its spreading under the ground but i've gone from 1 vine (speciosum) to about 4 or 5. The glory bower one hasnt multiplied. I'm in zone 8b, about 7 miles inland from the gulf.
jen

Brugie-
I know you don't want to crowd your window, but I hate to see that bower vine foliage go to waste. If you want to send me the foliage, I'll make cuttings. I can send some seeds, in exchange?
Is the clero you are referring to maybe the clero trichotomum?

MsJen-hm....maybe I should try again...

Indigoez, and Frogsrus-I'll post here when the cuttings become plants!
-seedpicker_TX

I sent the Blue sky vine home with Kyle, but the Bleeding heart vine has white flies so bad, I'm not sure you would want to get them started at your house. Yes, the clero trichotomum is the one that is hardy here, but no blooms.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=32587
Though this picture [2-year old pic] has the whitish calyxes, my plant looks the same as yours on top. Calyxes are exactly the same colour as yours. It is the same plant I have. Is it different from 'thomsoniae'? I have another with the creamish calyxes but this is not doing well at all.

Dinuyes, it is different than Thompsoniae, although very similar.
The Clero X speciosum is a cross between Thompsoniae, and splendens. In other words, Thompsoniae was a parent, and the splendens was the other pollen parent. Their resulting "baby" was named Clerodendrum X Speciosum.

The Clero X speciosum has all traits of the Thompsoniae, with the exception of the calyxes. The calyxes picked up the red trait from the Speciosum. The clero x speciosum calyxes start out white, and age to hot pink.
-seedpicker_TX

This message was edited Oct 15, 2004 9:31 PM

This is my 1st. year with this plant and I love it. Non-stop blooms! Seedpicker, do you root the cuttings in water?
Jean

It is so pretty!!!

JJsgarden- I have rooted them in water, but have better success rooting them in wetted sand.

I planted a bleeding heart vine (not sure which one it is) this year and it is just now really taking off. Red blooms this week with lots more buds. I have to do some research to see where I got it and get the correct name but I know it said part shade and it was hardy in my zone. I'll try to post a picture soon. Guess I better take cuttings just in case!

Thanks for the tip, seedpicker. I'll give the sand a try first.
Jean

This is a dumb question Seedpicker, but what kind of sand do you use and where do you get it? I know I don't have any sand around my house.

Sand was a very quick answer on my part, and a good question on your part! lol...

I buy sand at Home Depot. It is in a large bag, just like the concrete. I think it is even on the same aisle...
Anyway, I buy that. I heard it was good for rooting things, so gave it a try. It did ok for most things, but I wanted to discover a mix that was great for even hard to root things like roses. It didn't root roses as well as I had hoped. I was still getting 50% strike, and wanted better. I started analyzing it, and figured there was great drainage, but still not enough air allowed with such tiny particles, so started wetting the sand first, just enough, and then stirring it and "fluffing" it to make it more loose, and not so packed. This increased it to more like 60%-80%. I still wanted better.

Recently after a lot of experimentation, I think I've arrived at my perfect mix. At least for me. I mix one part sand, one part perlite(to really allow air pockets), and one part very barky sandy potting soil. I like the "Jemasco" brand potting soil for this. I pre-wet it, so I don't get it too wet...(mixing the mix before you stick your cuttings, you can always add more water, or more mix to get it just right). I used to just stick the cuttings and then water it, and it usually got too wet.

Anyway, this recently rooted !00% on a rose I had repeatedly had 0% success with. I was amazed when I pulled out all of the cuttings of my Paul McCartney hybrid(hybrids are much harder than antiques)and they all had multiple roots 4-5 inches long!

I tried even harder to root things after that, and I already have the swelled bumpy ends after just one week! I really like this new mix. Sand (flluffed) would probably work just fine for the clero x, but I think this mix would work even better. Be sure to cover with a plastic cover with a hole poked in the top.
Good luck!
-seedpicker_TX

Seedpicker, thank you very much for all the information and directions! I am definitely going to try that mix for things I want to root over the winter. The only question I have is about the plastic cover with hole poked in top. Would you explain that more? Do you mean like plastic wrap over the top of the cup or whatever us used leaving a hole for the cutting? And keeping it covered until it is rooted? Oh, yeah, another thing. Do you water the sand mix at all after you initially add water?

Trunnels, you are so close, you really ought to just come over some time! lol...It would be much easier to show you, but I'll try to explain:

I save lots of clear bags, especially all my celery bags---those long bags with tiny holes punched in them...they fit great over a quart milk jug cut in half (with holes poked in the bottom for drainage). And, they are nice and tall for those longer cuttings... If the container is a (cut in half) gallon milk jug, I use the produce bags, or other such bag. The bags that beets come wrapped in, at Super Wal-mart, are PERFECT for gallon size. I like the bag to be clear, so I can monitor them without having to take the bag off, and it lets the most light in. (Always keep your cuttings out of direct sunlight, or it will bake the cuttings and stress them, -forcing them to use too much energy, which they really need to direct toward producing roots.). I put mine on a step on the North side of my house.

I also save all those rubber bands off the broccoli and asparagus. I use those big rubber bands to wrap around the jug/container to hold the bag on.

I don't water the mix, once I make it just right. It would get too wet. It should stay just like I made it, if I keep a bag over the top. If they REALLY need more moisture, and they aren't well rooted, yet, you can use a spray bottle mister, to add a little more moisture.

The hole in the top is for venting. I poke a hole about the size that one finger could poke into-no bigger. Sometimes it can get hot inside the plastic bag, and the hole is for the heat to be able to escape, without cooking the cuttings. It is also handy to blow in, if the bag looks deflated. If the bag is deflated, it means the cuttings have been using the co2. This is a GOOD thing! They breathe co2, we breathe their exhale. So, when the bag deflates, blow your co2 in there. It would be the equivalent of being in an oxygen tent for us...

Once I can see roots through the semi-opaque milk jug, I gradually make the hole in the top bigger, or sometimes just take the rubber band off and allow more air to get in. Over a few days, the bag is gradually/slowly removed. Doing this over the process of a few days, helps slowly acclimate the cuttings to regular air and increased oxygen. Complete removal of the bag, is best done on a humid, or rainy day, if at all possible. This is when I would water, if the mix is becoming dry. They are able to handle more water now, as they have roots and are more stable.


If kept warm(75-85degrees) they will root within one to three weeks, depending on what you are rooting and how mature the cuttings were.

I hope I explained this right, but feel free to ask any more questions. I guess I could post some pictures??, if you need me to?
-seedpicker_TX

LOL Seedpicker! I'm sorry I'm driving you crazy and maybe I should just come over!! Do you root brugs in this manner? Also, you said you "see roots through the semi-opaque milk jug." I'm guessing the roots get so big that they are towards the outside of the mix, up against the milk jug so that you can see them? Just trying to picture seeing roots through the sand mixture. LOL
You are so great to take the time to explain all of this and I really appreciate it!
Terrie

edited because my fingers go faster than my mind!

This message was edited Oct 20, 2004 2:11 PM

lol...
Yes, that is exactly what I meant. I took pictures for you, and I'll try to post them later this afternoon...
-T

Great. I think that's amazing that your stuff roots so well that you can see them through the milk jug.

forgot to answer your question about brugs...I remove all the leaves, stick them in water, and change the water daily until I get the swelling and white bumps. Then I put them in moist potting mix let them form roots in the mix---and voila! They are super easy...
You can let them continue in the water, but I find that when you do it that way a lot of the roots get broken when you try to untangle them, and try to pot them up. So, now I just pot them at the brink of roots, and let them root in the mix, undisturbed...you can place a bag over them, but I usually don't...when you see new leaves, you know you've got a well rooted brug...
-seedpicker_TX

Terrie-
here you go...
Here is a picture of three different set-ups. The one on the far left is a quart milk jug, with a celery bag slipped over the top. I didn't need a rubber band, as it is a perfect fit. This one has my "special mix".
In the middle is a one gallon milk jug with a beet bag over the top, Again, no rubberband needed, as it is a perfect fit. This one has my special mix, too.
The third is a one gallon vinegar jug with a generic clear plastic bag. It didn't fit as well, so used a broccoli rubber band. It is filled with "fluffed" sand, only. The clerodendrums in this one are so easy to root, I don't use the special mix for them.

Here is a close up of the rose cuttings container with a celery bag. Notice the holes...


edited: oops! I entered the wrong photo...this one hasn't been flipped...sorry.

This message was edited Oct 21, 2004 10:04 AM

Here is a close-up of the snail vine cuttings container with a beet bag:
Notice it is so happy in there, that it is not only rooting below the surface of the mix, but at the nodes in the AIR! lol...

And this is a close-up of the roots showing through the milk jug. If you can see a couple of roots, that usually means that there are a lot more that you cannot see. Usually, by the time the roots show up at the edges, it means that the stems have already produced multiple root shoots.

Just came across this and wanted to say thanks for sharing all of this seedpicker! And thanks for asking all the questions Terrie! All of this is wonderful and great detail. Just what I needed too. I am going to print it out and use it for reference. Wonderful!

You have no idea how helpfull all this info is to us!!!!! Thank-you, thank-you :~)

REALLY??!! I am so glad I could help...didn't reallize so many others would look at this...
This is me smiling through the computer! lol...
-seedpicker_TX

edit: aw...the picture is kinda covered up by the dave's watermark...that is disappointing...

This message was edited Oct 21, 2004 11:43 AM

forgot to mention that with this really loose mix, it is easier to get the cuttings out, without tearing the roots...
-seedpicker_TX