Rangoon Creeper, Drunken Sailor (Quisqualis indica)

Rangoon Creeper, Drunken Sailor
Quisqualis indica

Rangoon Creeper Seeds

My plants get little seed pods on them but then they just seem to disappear - they never get this big. Is there a secret to getting them growing? Do you know what's pollinating them?

I don't know if mine are just not getting pollinated or if something is eating them after they start growing . . .

any thoughts?

thanks!
Onalee

Hi
No secret that I know of. I was surprised to find them. My flowers are always fukk of the tiny tiny ants so I assume that's what's pollinating them. I'll see how they do this year. I have one pos that's about an inch long as others that look promising. I just got arond to planting the seeds. I experimented with one a few months ago and it sprouted in a pot on my office desk, It's about 8 inches tall

Hmm, could be the ants - I know some plants have such small openings that only ants can pollinate them - I haven't seen any ants on mine - but I don't see anything else, like butterflies or hummingbirds on them either -which seems odd since they smell so good and they look perfect for hummingbirds. Perhaps because they can't reach the nectar.

Thanks for the info! let me know how your seeds do!

Onalee

Is your creeper in an area protected from winds, or anything that would knock them off?
If you had obvious seeds, you must have some kind of pollinator. I'm not sure if the butterflies like mine or not. I have so many different butterflies attractors that they seem to land everywhere. I posted some pics of mine this year over here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6774269

Hi,
It's growing up a trellis next to my barn, so I'd say it's fairly well protected. The seed pods are just real small (like maybe twice the size of a grain of rice) right after the flower goes and then, poof, they're gone - they never get big like the ones in your photo.

I have tons of pollinators here, too, but I don't think I've ever seen a butterfly or anything actually on these. For the wonderful fragrance, you'd think SOMETHING would like them, but I never see anything on them.

Have you ever tried rooting your plant? I haven't had much luck with that, either. I have friends that want some of it, but I'm not sure how to share it. . . .

thanks!
Onalee

Those are where the seeds develop fro if they are polinated. Id they aren't fertilized, they fall off. You might try hnd polinating them wih a paitbrush when they open. I have tried to root cuttings alo wihout luck. I checked the vine last night and I have about 6-8 developing pods so far.

Ok, I'll give that a try!

thanks,
Onalee

Geez you can tell I was typing half asleep. LOL
Let me know the outcome.

This is as big as I've ever seen my seed pods get -then they just are gone - I assume they're falling off - un-pollinated presumably. . . There are HUNDREDS just like this on my plant, but, alas, never any seeds . .

Onalee

Yep if there are pollinated, the seeds will develop from those. If not they will fall off. Sometimes a whole bunch will develop and some just 1-2 from a group like that. You will know as the change shape as they develop.

Did you get any seed pods yet?

Hi,
No - not one. A friend of mine did get one cutting to root - we think. Out of about 15 cuttings, one of them is still alive and seems to be putting on new growth. The cutting was new growth off the end of a stem, so maybe there is hope for rooting them, just not very good percentage.

thanks,
Onalee

It is not a heavy seeder either. I got about 15 seeds to mature so far. I haven't had luck rooting them either. I'm going to try air layering next.

Onalee, Did you get any seeds this year? Last year I ended up with about 50. This year it went nuts and gave me 306 seeds so far.

Hi, No - mine had never made a single seed... I think it needs ants that I don't have or something...I've seen hummingbird moths on it, but apparently even they don't get deep enough into it ... ??