suggestions for Houston TX

Hi vine lovers!
Does anyone have a suggestion for a fast growing, full sun loving, tough vine that would grow well in Houston? We have two trellises, in full hot Texas sun most of the day...I don't have time to water, so I would need something that does well in this heat and can survive our Houston summers...Also, I would prefer something that blooms red, orange or white...

The color is not as important as the ability to withstand the heat...Because once they're in the ground, they're on their own!
:)

Is this a tall order?

I would appreciate any suggestions, thanks!

What you want is Black-Eyed Susan Vine. They laugh at heat and sun and grow like crazy. They come in all the warm colors you can think of.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/248/

X

Found a picture of the one I had.

X

How about either Crossvine (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58823/) or Rangoon Creeper (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/31530/)?

And for what it's worth, here's a whole thread about vines that are native to Texas: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/529381/

consider butterfly vine.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/92246/

wow, thanks y'all!
i love the BESusan vine, but i haven't seen any of that around here in nurseries...marylyn have you?

I don't remember seeing it, but I haven't really looked either. I'm going to get some crossvine for our back fence this year, so I'll keep an eye out for the Black Eyed Susan vine, too. :-)

Mexican Flame Vine? But I don't know if it can take a dry spell.....but then you get more rain in the Houston area than we do here...

It has BeauTiFul orange daisy-looking flowers all over! AND it grows fast!

abl_newbie

You would do well to pick Black Eyed Susan Vine-
Mine blooms constantly, is evergreen, tolerates cold, and meets your requirements for not paying alot of attention to it.

I will say this, it is a prolific grower, it's only March and I'm having to give it a second trim of the year already.

Do you know where abl_newbie can find it, Randy?

abl_newbie -

I live about 20 minutes south of Houston and have a Cross vine in the ground that is doing EXTREMELY well. It is about 10 feet tall, quickly thickening and has literally thousands of gorgeous blooms all over it!

Here are a couple of pics of some (don't have any of mine right now). These are NOT my photos, they are googled results.

Pic1

Pic 2

These grow really well and I've done nothing to mine. I bought it for about $8 on eBay last summer as a 10" tall plant in a 4" container from a seller called cowboyflowerman (or something like that). Now it's putting out TONS of blooms! :) And does better and better after ever rain, which is good for us Houstonians who get rain about 2-3 times a week Spring - Fall.

Also, I have Wonga vines for nothing more than evergreen vines that will thickly cover my fence. These are also doing very well, and are about 5 feet tall from seed that I planted last Spring. Both this vine and the Crossvine are evergreen vines and beautiful, not at all weed-looking (which the Trumpet Vines can be like).

amanda, those ARE gorgeous and thick! but every time i see them in the nurseries, they are more pink than orange...

i am very interested in the black eyed susan...i went looking for them here but haven't found them yet...of course, it might be that they weren't blooming at the nurseries, so it was hard to spot them...and good luck finding anyone at the big garden centers that can help...the last time i asked where their vines were, the employee said she "thought" they were "over there" and waved her hand in a general direction then went back to eating her sandwich...hehe

rjudd, let me know if you've seen it anywhere...thanks!

abl -

You're right, they are more pink (even in my yard). Hope you get what you're looking for! :)

There are a couple of oranger varieties of crossvine. There is Tangerine Beauty: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56818/ and Dragon Lady: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58823/

I love the cross vine too, but there is only 1 good bloom a year, where as the Black Eyed Susan is all the time.

Try
http://zone9tropicals.com/
for the vine


There's my cross vine


This message was edited Mar 18, 2008 6:17 PM

couldn't find the vine on their site...

I will start you a cutting...they are easy, matter of fact I'll look tomorrow in my cutting section I may have one there. I have so many plants I no longer know exactly what I have!
Will a cutting be good enough or are you wanting a bigger plant? I will talk to Wayne at Zone 9 and see if he has any. I saw some over there last week.

Randy,

I went to Zone 9 Tropicals (the link you provided) and clicked on "vines" and there was no "Black-Eyed Susan" vine. Do you know its other name?

It's Thunbergia alata. I don't think they have it, at least not right now--I was on there a couple days ago looking at what they had available and don't remember seeing that one.

True, I don't see it posted... but I did see it at his place last week. He is my neighbor, so I'll ask him if he is going to post it, or if he has one or two to sell.

rjh- if he isn't going to sell any, i would love one of your cuttings! is he on DG? if so, please tell him to DMail me...thank you so much!

btw, one of the DG photos of the BESusan Vine shows yellow, orange and white blooms all in one picture...do they actually bloom different colors on ONE vine?? or is that probably just 3 different vines intertwined?

i'm on a mission to get this now :)

thanks to everyone for your help!

I did email him, but I will see him this weekend.. If not, I'm pretty sure I saw one as I was taking stuff out of the greenhouse.
You know, we were just talking about those that bloom different colors, and If I remember right Wayne had just bought some seeds to grow them...I'll double check with him.

I did find a place that has the Black Eyed Susan,
http://logees.com/products.asp?dept=177&pagenumber=2&sort_on=title&sort_by=

If you wanted more than the one I have.

randy, can you tell me where to shop for unique plants in houston this weekend?

thanks rjh!
should i wait to see what your neighbor says before i order? does he have good prices? logee's is selling for 8.95 for a 2.5" pot...being that i'm a newbie, i have no idea if that's a good price...

connie - if you have time, drive out to caldwell's in rosenberg... http://www.caldwellhort.com/

they have unique stuff, a beautiful nursery/property, and the owner's are wonderful...it's worth the short drive...

Yes , Buchanons (accross the street from me) Joshuas also in my neighborhood, The backyard gardener (yes neighborhood) and Another place in time. If your around I can take you over to Zone9tropicals too..especially if your by Buchanons..
I talked to Wayne today, His black eyed susan vine is his stock plant, so he doesn't have any yet. You can have that one of mine, plus I can do more cuttings to get you going in the impatient style that some of us gardeners want it now!

Yes! CayDee and Chuck Caldwell are friends of mine - they have great stuff, great prices- She has a philodendrum collection to die for..her personel collection. They're stuff sells quickly!

rjh, sure i will take whatever you want to give me!
i don't think i have anything you would want for a trade, but we can chat about that too...so just dmail me and let me know how to proceed...i will reimburse you however you'd like...i truly appreciate your efforts and YES i'm impatient about growing stuff!!
:)

thanks again
Amy

Thanks! I'll be in town for a funeral, but who says I can't have a little fun? ha

Right!!?