The Bleeding Heart vines are so pretty this year.

Some years seem to be better than others for certain plants. This must be my year for vines, they are really starting to put on a show.

Bleeding Heart Vine, Glory Bower 'Delectum'
Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Picabo--really nice vine! I really like a lot of the members of the clerodendrum family because their anthers are held so high by super long filaments. Is that vine hardy for you or is it in a pot?

Here is clerodendrum incisum--not a vine mind you but it has the long filaments holding the anthers high too. I like a lot of the members of this family (but watch out, some are quite invasive).

That is beautiful.
The vine is not hardy here and lives in the greenhouse over winter.

This is another of my favorites. But it is really invasive. clerodendrum bungei

Ok two more plants that I need!!!! Now if I could just get my husband to build a green house for me with heat and air conditioning!

Picabo--
I've really been thinking (I know, a dangerous thing for me to do! lol) for a while on getting one of the Bleeding Heart Vines--Clerodendrum thomsoniae; but it does freeze here sometimes. Tell me, how do you care for yours? Do you cut it back in fall upon bringing it into the greenhouse? I could do that and bring it in the house during really cold snaps and then back out during warmer weather. How large of a pot does yours grow in?
Debbie

Hi Debbie. Mine are in maybe a 5-gal pot. I usually don't cut them back. Instead I will let the vines continue growing up into the top of the greenhouse (Not really a greenhouse, just a potting shed with a glass enclosed porch) Last year I did cut one back and it has already caught up to the one I did not prune.
I would be tempted in your zone to mulch heavily and just cover it up if you get a freeze. Your Rangoon creeper does well outside doesn't it?

This is the flower on the white one. The vine is about 10' and covered with these flowers.

Betty

Betty--

Beautiful picture--get it into the PlantFiles!

My rangoon's in it's 2nd full year in the ground...I mulched it with a good 18" of pine needles and hardwood mulch. We had one late Feb freeze that stripped every leaf off of it; but it recovered quickly, I think, due to increasing temps and day lengths. We have been known to have some freaky cold snaps, but I haven't seen one in 5 years. I know I'll worry all winter about it!

I'd be willing to risk the bleeding heart in the ground if I could get one real early next spring and it had the entire growing season in the ground.

Any special fertilizing needs? I'm organic if its in the ground. Contrary to what many folks say about the hibiscus food for the rangoon--mine needs nothing once it's growth spurt starts. I guess anything in a pot needs different feeding needs due to the fact its in a confined space, no?

Thanks Betty for answering my questions!
Debbie

Thank you Debbie...

It is really a pretty plant. I guess it is happy with its job!! LOL

The plants living here have to follow my fertilizing schedule.

Messenger when I think about it
MG Every two weeks if I remember
And Fish Emulsion when I happen to see the bottle and have the time. Not a very good mother.

Betty

Hi all - I just got a Bleeding Heart Vine as a gift fro my neighbor, Ila. We live in central Louisiana and she has hers in a large pot with a trellis that she takes into the garage for the winter.

My baby is in a gallon pot and in my kitchen - think I'm goint to try and keep her here - I got a pot trellis and want to train it to grow around it. Anybody keep these as a house plant?

Ila gave me some cuttings and I think 3 have taken root. She also gave me some seeds and I have no idea what to do with them. Since they are tropical, do they need to be chilled before planting? If so, for how long? Will they germinate in potting soil/perlite mix?

The pix is of Ila's - her plant is huge in just 2 years. I'd never seen them before and just went nuts! I'm orginally from the north and what you can grow down here is wonderful.

Great pics--Ok, this has been added to my must have list of plants! =)

I have one as well.. i love it... but i do keep it indoors.. i dont think it would survive my winters here.. I dont like taking my indoor plants out in summer so inside it will remain.
It hasnt bloomed for some time, but thats ok.. still a beautiful plant!

Betty... I told you I'd send a picture of my white one here... so here it is...growing in with my night blooming cereus... now they are totally unseperatable..
I also want to send you a cutting for you to root of a clerodendrum you don't have there yet... .. I don't have a good picture of it so I'll send you the Dave's plant files link to it... hope to get it out to you this week... so this is just a heads up for it's arrival... If you're going to be about this week.. and not off on holiday somewhere ..
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1874/index.html
Thanks again for your generosity during my visit there... Gordon

Wow! That's a real beauty Gordon
=)
Debbie

Thanks Debbie...
It is a great plant... It keeps all of the flowers through being brought inside.. and will bloom as grandly most all winter in a lowlight west window.. although I'm sure it would like to be under a light ... there's no room.. the white and red of the clearadendrum..now means Christmas to me .. whenever I see it.. you can't go wrong with this one it's decades old now here... HAHA one winter it spent the winter in the hallway..stapled to the wall.. and grew and flowered there also.. under a skylight and a 24/7 plant spot.. I've replaced the hallway lighting with a plant light .. why waste the space.. Gordon
here's another photo of it from yesterday

Hi Gordon...Beautiful pictures. Your pictures always make me want to move to the city. What a view!!!

I just noticed that all of my night blooming cereus are setting buds. I hope that yours is getting ready to bloom too.

Hi Betty... the big old one I had .. bloomed last week.. it had two blooms opened for 4 nights running.. and a single bloom open the following night.. I haven't seen buds on the [real one ] one I got from you yet.. it looked so young I gusss I wasn't looking for them yet... but the plant part is as think about it ... is as old as yours is.. even though the roots might be newer..
I'll be looking foward to them..be it this summer...in the winter.. or next year..
Mother.. and her twin Velma...were quite excited to hear theymight again be inposession oftheirold familyheirloom NBC.. thanks again... for them...
I am deviating from an old southern family tradition .. never to thank someone for their gift of a plant or seed material... but to say they will grow it..and take good care of it...
reasoning being... if one is as silly not to know who to really thank for the gift of the plant
that person from whom all gifts and joys derive and the creator of the plant in question.. they don't stand much of a chance of it growing anyway..
Thank God... bless your neighbor..
well maybe that's just a delta tradition... Gordon
here's apicture of my Hummingbird...she's always with me here... got her favorite stained glass flowers for her