Thunbergia grandiflora "Blue Skyflower"

Thanks to my enabler Gordo, I purchased three thunbergia's from Logee's in May. LOL

This beautiful vine has started to bloom. I am in love with it! It is gorgeous!

Thanks Gordo!

Susan
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A few more pics

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Beautiful!!

Ah....Susan!
Send more photos when the entire house has been swallowed alive...GULP!
;-)
(remember I said this)...

Very, very pretty! A family member has been growing this in her backyard for well over 10 years now. I've been unsuccessful with cuttings. It's such a lovely plant.

How much cold can it take?

My guess is that this vine is very tough. I've cut it to the nub and it still keeps truckin'. Now, this is in Florida. I do think it could survive winter if cut to the ground and heavily mulched. JMO. Perhaps, someone who grows this plant further north can advise.

I am sure it won't survive here. I will have to order another one next year, cause I don't know how to overwinter a vine.

Susan
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Susan, this vine survives winter in my zone. If you bring the pot indoor which should be fine. If not, like gordo suggested. Mulch it heavily like that of brugmansia growing outdoor. You'll be surprised. Good lucks.

This is my 3+ year old beauty. Came back year after year, and became more lush every year. Here they die back to the ground after 1st frost in Nov. :-) They resprouted faithfully every year without fail. :-) For more tips how to overwinter them, d-mail me.
Kim

This message was edited Sep 6, 2007 12:27 PM

Hi Susan and KIm,
thank you both for posting the pictures. I just bought one and it is growing like crazy but no flowers yet. Do you have any experience with T.Mysorensis? I just placed an order with Logees.

I don't know of the cultivar. Mine is unknown, but it behaves like a hybrid in that it doesn't produce any seeds. I hope that help.
Kim

Kim, you have dmail.
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Susan,
Try d-mail again, I didn't receive any mail from you.
Kim

Well, where did it go????
I wondered why you didn't answer. LOL

Susan
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Click on my screen name, then dmail. See if it works. :-) And keep your whisker crossed. lol
Kim

I decided to just ask you here cause somebody else might like to know too.

I would like any information you have on overwintering the thunbergia.

I have three different varieties in three GIANT pots. They are then vining on a chain link fence. I don't have room in my house for the GIANT pots so what do you suggest? They would of course have to be cut off the fence also. (Duh!)

They weren't that expensive, but I bet if you could keep them over and start them again in the spring that they would get bigger and nicer that way.

Here is a recent pic of grandiflora. I just love it!!!

Susan
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You lucky thing you!!! They're absolutely to die for!

Ok, if you don't have a green house. Take cuttings when the temp. drops below 50F. Make your cutting roughly 4-6 inches no taller. Pot them up in good growing medium. Keep them in your garage with some additional supplemental florescent light 12 hrs. a day. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Those cutting will be your new plants for next year. The big pots, same treatment. Water them only when the soil is dry. (get a water gauze - can be found at Wally World, or Lowes, DH alike). Move those back out door when temp. is greater than 40F. in the spring.

Should you want to try to plant them in the ground, Susan. I would build up a mulch system several feet tall. Frame them in by some sort of wire mesh or the like, so no critters can get to them, and also keep the area tidy. Remember to water them when the ground are not frozen. I can't promise that it would work, but if the pot become too big for you to move them about. I use hand truck to transport most of big pots (tropical and such) they're great help.

If you keep them indoor; remember to have some fan, not aim directly at your plants, but keep a fan in the room to help keep circulation, I found that is benificial to overwintering your plant indoor. Good lucks and happy gardening. I hope that would help. Do keep me posted.
Kim

Thanks Kim! I will give it a try.
Susan
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:)) Remember to keep your whiskers crossed. Happy gardening my friend.
Kim

Yeah, they are crossed a lot!!!

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OH I should have included a picture of this in my vines post.. I forget it is a vine also....... Gordon