Does anyone grow Royal Purple Brunfelsia VINE?

I saw one today at a nursery and it was not a bush but a vine. I have never seen a vine of it before. The flowers were huge, at least 4 inches.

Me neither--that's gorgeous! I've grown several different types of Brunfelsia but they've all been shrubs. Do you know what species it was?

Kell, That sounds like a must have, I haven't seen it though.
I also have several Brunfelsia one quite large (Over 6') but definitely a bush and not a vine and I don't think the flowers are that large. The vine would have all sorts of advantages.

Betty

OK, I was trying to resist asking where you found it because I really don't need any more plants, especially ones that would probably need to go in the greenhouse for the winter...but what nursery was this at? I hope it wasn't Armstrong because then I'd be forced to run over there today and see if they still have any, but if it was one of the Berkeley nurseries then I might be able to resist it because I don't have time to drive over there today!

Gorgeous Kell! Does it smell heavenly?

I'm always getting so envious at all the great stuff you guys have available to you in California...*sigh
:0)

Great flower Kell... and such nice dark green leaves... the flower looks big.. and a lovely dark blue...
so is it at Berkeley nurseries... if it is I might have to drive over to se it... [ HA HA BUY IT ] should only be about a four day drive for me now... [ although my record is 36 hours SanFran - Boston... but that was back before the days of RADAR.. in an effort to show up on time for my draft debarking.... just ,, another Summer of Love Story.. now that it's been 40 years ]
so surely someone has it online... lets dig it up.. Gordon

Gordon, you do need that vine in your beautiful garden. While I was in LA last week I found a nice blooming Snail Vine. Something I haven't seen in Nashville. I felt lucky that I could drag that thing on the plane to get it home. Glad I didn't see that one Kell. LOL I would have shipped my clothes and packed the plant.
Betty

I hesitate to suggest the name of this plant as I may well be wrong.
A Brunfelsia vine? I'd certainly check that out with the nursery if I was paying good money for it.
I would suggest anyone interested in purchasing the Brun mentioned above, do some research on the Brunfelsia Magnifica. I believe this Brunfelsia is a multi stemmed Brunfelsia, with extremely long, rather drooping stems.

http://www.rareflora.com/brunfelsiamag.html
http://www.toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi

Has anyone found out what this plant is? Where is it for sale?

It could be Brunfelsia Magnifica, bedouin. I do not know enough to be sure. The plant is in a 3 gallon pot and has a 4 foot trellis which the long runners are tied to. I did go back and buy one. It flowers in deep shade and the color is so pretty.


Amygirl, it was for sale in a local store and its only label is Brunfelsia.

Kell.......... It is gorgeous not matter what it is. I am wondering on it being a BRUNFELSIA MAGNIFICA as I thought that one was a shrub not a vine. I have it and so far mine is a shrub. The flowers in the links above sure do look a lot like it though. Does it have a fragrance beacuse the Magnifica is very sweet smelling. Love it a lot.

Bea

Brunfelsia Magnifica is definitely a shrub, not a vine.

Kell, check the leaves of your plant and see if they correspond to those photographed on Top Tropicals web page for Brunfelsia Magnifica. The following is a description of B.M. by Top Tropicals:

'The most fragrant brunfelsia with large purple flowers. Unlike most of purple brunfelsias that are winter bloomers, this rare variety is ever-blooming throughout a year. Two inch tubular flower with five petals; colors fade from purple to white. Common name comes from the three colors of the flowers. They begin a dark purple, fade to lavender, then to white. Plants will be deciduous or partly deciduous in coldest areas of its range. Good specimens in containers, can be trained into a small tree'.

http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/BRUNFELSIA_FLORIBUNDA.htm

I'd suggest you call Gardino's and ask Syd if he could give you the name of a 'Brunfelsia vine'. You could also ask if you could send him a few leaves, together with a photo of the flower for an id. Or you could see if you could send him this info via an email. He is very knowledgeable. Or you could also contact Top Tropicals for the id.

I took more pictures but they are not on this computer. I will post some tomorrow. My leaves are much longer and narrower than the pictures at Top Tropicals. Also the stems are thick and not bush like at all. But it is tied to the trellis, I do not see how it could attach itself to climb.

I will smell it tomorrow. LOL

THANKS

Kell, could you post the leaves of yours as well as a few photos of the flowers. I'll check the leaves of my Brunfelsias today as well.

Here is the leaf.

The flower

See the succulent stem.

Kell, with the very long, slender leaf as an id, I'm positive it's NOT a Brunfelsia I have in my garden!
I'd certainly love to have this blooming in my garden!
Kell, the Brunfelsia root very easily by 'air layering'. Should you do any, and would like to have an exchange, I'd love to swop with you. It takes 6 weeks for air-layers to root. D-mail me if you are interested and I'll send a list of what I have, most of which are fragrant plants. I too could do an air-layering this end.

This message was edited Aug 31, 2007 12:05 AM

So how does it smell?
-T

I've posted pics of Brunfelsia Flowers and their leaves here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/764984/

Chantell, The Brunfelsia flowers are quite different in fragrance. All are night fragrants.
I'm afraid I'm not very good at describing these wonderful fragrances, but I'll try.
I went on the web to try to find 'words' to describe fragrances of flowers, but it was no help, so here goes:
With almost all of the fragrances, one can pass close to the bushes and stop to take a deep breath, enjoy the fragrant night air and wish one could package the fragrance and carry it with one! The gentle breeze moves the fragrance a little distance for all to enjoy and breathe deeply with great pleasure!

The B. Americana and B. Nitida both have a very clean, clear, wafting fragrance of cloves. Rather 'high notes'

B. Gigantica's fragrance is rather powerful, deeper, gardenia-ish; 'fuller' rather than 'headachy'! A heavenly wafting fragrance - I've air-layered to ensure I have more than 1 of these.

B. Lactea, like Gigantica has a glorious 'flowery' fragrance, lighter than B.Gig, clean, clear and just as memorable.

B. Isola is a hybrid of 2 of the very fragrant Brun's. (I'm waiting for the son of the Hybridizer to return from holiday, so I'll post this info later) IIts B. Lactea +B. ??? It's fragrance too is 'flowery' rather than 'fruity'. You can imagine the combination of the best of 2 of the Fragrant B! So its pretty special. The flower is a combination of the white ??lactea and the blue of ??, therefore easily identifiable.

My B. Australis has no fragrance whatsoever!

My B. Grandiflora has beautiful pure purple flowers, changing as tdo he others, to white. I don't particularly like the fragrance. Rather dog-like, but it could be a problem with the soil as I've had it in a pot since I bought it. All the B's really should be in the ground.

I have to check the id of one of my B's. I believe it's B. Magnifica but having lost the id a long time ago, I cant be absolutely sure. I seem to recall it was the largest flower of the Brun family. It has a large, purple flower. I'll have to take a cutting to Tropical Paradise for an id.

Some links which could better describe the Bruns fragrance and flowers.

http://www.rareflora.com/priceavailibility.htm
Excellent descriptions of Brunfelsias
http://mgonline.com/ladyofthenight.html
http://132.236.163.181/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Brunfelsia&rank=genus

I have just heard from Joseph (owner of Tropical Paradise Nursery) and he says he has Never Heard Of A Brunfelsia Vine!


This message was edited Aug 31, 2007 12:02 AM

WOW what a collection you have!!! I am so impressed. I smelled my today and it had no fragrance but it was in the heat of the day.