A Little Disappointed with "Scarlet Balboa" Trumpet Vine

I planted two "Scarlet Balboa" Trumpet Vines this year, and am a bit disappointed with the color of the flowers. They are too orange, not scarlet/red enough. Dirr mentions a red trumpet vine he says is "a glowing red." That is the one I'd hoped Scarlet Balboa would be. Does anyone know of a place where I can get a "glowing red-flowered" trumpet vine, or does anyone have any cuttings of one or a small potted one they can trade with me for? Maybe I could trade a scarlet balboa I already have rooted for a truly red one. Scarlet Balboa is certainly different from the common orange trumpet vine, but just not red enough for me.

Does someone have an aswer, please, as to which trumpet vine Dirr is talking about that is a vibrant, glowing red?

Thanks.

CJ


This message was edited Jul 22, 2006 11:34 PM

Distictis buccinatoria.

Hi, Kay,

Do you know where I can get it?

Does anyone have a young plant or cutting? Maybe I could trade? Or do you know a nursery I can order from?

Thanks.

CJ

Hi, Kay.

I am in zone 5B and Distictis buccinatoria is tropical, not hardy. Is there a "glowing" scarlet trumpet vine that is hardy in zone 5B that you know of?

There's a cultivar of C. radicans called Flamenco that could be red--the description makes it sound that way, but when I searched google images for it, the search turned up everything from a nice red to a pale yellow so I have no idea!

I will have to go back to Dirr and see just which one he talks about.

Thanks, Ecrane3.

CJ

I know the one I recommended is tropical, but to my knowledge there is no true red C. radicans.

Here is the M. Dirr website:

http://webs.lanset.com/pathline/vines.htm

It seems he's recommending C. Madame Galen, but my experience with this is it's VERY orange.

Hi, Kay. Thank you for the website. On page 167 of the 4th Edition of Dirr's "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants," he mentions "Crimson Trumpet" - "A strong growing form with pure glowing red flowers without any trace of orange."

"Scarlet Balboa," which is flowering for me right now, is certainly a different, redder color than the regular Common Trumpetcreeper, but would like to find out how to get "Crimson Trumpet," a vine which apparently will grow in same zones as the Common Trumpetcreeper.

I will see if I can email Dirr about this.

CJ

If anyone finds the crimson trumpet please let me know. I also bought the Scarlet Balboa
and thought the same thing!!!

There are plenty of links that mention "Crimson Trumpet," if you do a search under "Scarlet Trumpet," but NO links that say where to purchase it.

Campsis radicans is so rampant and so easy to root that "Crimson Trumpet" ought to be easy to come by.

It is strange that "Scarlet Balboa" has apparently found its way into commerce better than "Crimson Trumpet."

I have emailed the Dirr site and will relay any answer I get from them.

Hmmm... My email to the Dirr site just bounced back to me as undeliverable.

I am going to phone the largest nursery in my area to see if they know anything about Crimson Trumpet. However, I won't be thrilled about paying them maybe 20 dollars for one when Campsis radicans is such a weed. It ought to be easier to find than this...?

I found another email address for the Dirr website and have sent another message. Will see if that one gets through.

Nope. That one bounced back to me, too. Seems to be no way to reach them by email, and no phone number...

CJ




This message was edited Jul 24, 2006 10:50 AM

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This message was edited Jul 24, 2006 10:58 AM

Is this trumpetcreeper from Monrovia the same as "Scarlet Balboa?"

http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.nsf/67f84a5ebda3df3a88256f9d006b9c7c/0f83a226a0077c9588256a4d005c4d79!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,trumpet

I think it is, and if so, then the photos do not match the flowers i get on my plant, which have plenty of orange in them, and which do not glow like the ones in the photos from Monrovia.

Seems odd that there would be two cultivars of trumpetcreeper with "Balboa" in the name and that they would be different one from the other.

I have emailed Monrovia about it.

CJ

I have the one from monrovia and mine has alot more orange than red

Thanks, Marie.

Then the colors in the Monrovia photos are not true to what the flowers actually look like up close.

I have emailed Monrovia to ask them if they can start growing and selling "Crimson Trumpet." Will see what they say.

Thanks I look forward to hearing the response. I would love to have a red one.

I googled your Crimson Trumpet, and Wayside Gardens popped up as one source--their current listing of vines doesn't have it, but you could try emailing them and see if they might offer it again.

I also ran across references to a cultivar called 'Minnesota Red' which is also supposedly true red, here's one source with a picture. The pic looks a little on the pinkish side of red, but if you contact these guys they might be able to give you an idea of whether it's true red or not
http://www.gardenvines.com/catalog/native-vines-c-26.html

I have no personal experience with either of these companies so I would highly recommend checking Garden Watchdog before ordering anything.

Thanks, ecrane!

I have contacted gardenvines.com about Minnesota Red.

Wayside is not too bad, and not wonderful, either. But much better than some.

Have never done business with gardenvines, so thanks for the tip to check them on garden watchdog.

CJ

Brushwood gardens has a good rating I believe.

Hi Kay,

I have 'Madame Galen' and it is quite orange as you mentioned. Also, it is LOT more invasive than advertised. It may be better behaved further north, but down here in zone 9a it can attempt to become a garden thug if planted in the ground. Needless to say, mine is planted in our sandy soil which gives the plant another edge...Barb

Who is Brushwood Gardens, Marie?

CJ

Hi, Barb.

Trumpetcreeper in zone 5b, where I am, is not rampant or invasive. It is pretty easy to keep pruned and within desired bounds.

I have not heard back from Monrovia or from gardenvines.com yet.

CJ

That is where I get sent on the link above. Oops it is Brushwood nursery not gardens.

This message was edited Jul 25, 2006 7:27 AM

Hi, Marie and all.

Bushwood got back to me to say that because photos are unreliable, he cannot say if his Minnesota Red is any redder than Scarlet Balboa. He ALSO said that Dirr revised his opinion of Crimson Trumpet in the 5th edition of his manual of woody landscape plants. For one thing, he said the corolla does not open nearly as far as it does on Scarlet Balboa and Minnesota Red. That's why I was only able to find photos of what looked like buds when I did a search for Crimson Trumpet. Sounds now as if Crimson Trumpet is not the "Holy Grail" of red trumpet vines.

Now I need to possibly find out if Minnesota Red is any redder than Scarlet Balboa---if it is worth it to get Minneosota Red.

Brushwood nursery said they are working on another cultivar right now but dont know how it will turn out.

CJ

Now if someone would just chime in on the Minnesota Red!!

Here is a place that sells Minnesota Red. Still looks to me as if it has some orange in it and can't tell if it is a better red than Balboa:

http://www.mortonarb.org/2006PST/vinesTent.php