I've had this solandra or chalice vine in the greenhouse for several years but this is the most awesome it has ever been. It has never bloomed this much! And the fragrance is wonderful--just a light sweetness to the air at night. DH and I go in the greenhouse at night just to smell these beautiful blooms.
This morning we picked up 14 fallen blooms. There has already been lots of blooms that have come and gone and looks like quite a few yet to open.
I love this plant - mine died a few years ago, but it is a beautiful bloom!
I love the plant, too.
So much so that I snipped some pieces from a mgnificent plant growing profusely at the front gate of an unknown neighbor in Vieques. I felt somewhat guilty about by clandestine cuttings --until I was on the island next, and found he had knocked the entire gate down to build a new one, destroying the magnificent parent of my little cuttings.
I've got several plants going at this point --one's even bloomed!-- and will some day assuage any residual guilt by offering my (still unmet) neighbor some rooted pieces, so s/he can once again have the (same) beautiful chalice vine that was the only part of the original gateway I ever really noticed...
Pictures in a week or so
This message was edited Dec 17, 2008 9:56 PM
That plant should have come back from the roots - how come it didn't?
The gate builder excavated a large hole for his new foundation, taking the chalice vine out roots and all.
There is WILD solandra maxima growing on a canyon down my street. I have to slow down every single time I drive by! I'll post a picture as soon as I can too, it's in-cre-di-ble and blooms all winter! I picked a flower the other day and it smells absolutely amazing...too bad the bloom only lasted one night!
Rob, how lucky for you!!!
I love the way it will have the new creamy white blooms open beside the older gold colored ones. So beautiful....
OK, it's been raining so much I didn't get a chance to go photograph my wild discovery. But here is a picture I took that day I picked a flower and a couple of cuttings....
A closeup of this incredible bloom. Enjoy!
Lovely!
Nice pix, rob --that's the one!
Mine is set with lots of buds as well, but inspection reveals that something is eating them, and not the bug variety either. Squirrels, rats or other. Has anyone else come accross rodent bud snatchers on this vine?
Rj
argh, how frustrating, RJ! I hope you find out!!!!! Maybe you should post a pic of the damage so someone can help you find out?
I think so. I have some in a container blooming now. just don't over water them. The pot mine is in right now is bone dry, and that would alarm me for most other plants, but this one seems to prefer the dry side.
I did find the culprit Rob, that was eating the blooms on the fence. It's a young teenager possum. I've seen him every night all over the garden, but I busted him the other night on the Solandra. What can I say, a possums got ta eat. I just leave him alone.
fburg696, do you have a bright spot you could put it? Mine always seems to bloom in the winter (in a greenhouse). When I first got it, I kept it outside in a pot for the summer/fall then moved it in the greenhouse. It rooted out of the pot and grew so large I can't move it out of the greenhouse. I am going to root some pieces though and try it outside to see if it will come back in zone 8. I don't know if it really blooms at other times of the year or not.
It will sporadically bloom during the year, but main bloom time is usually winter.
Thanks, rj. Sounds like it's no use in trying to grow one outside here. It would freeze about the time it was ready to burst into bloom, if not before.
But...! it does bloom in a pot. I have one in a pot blooming now..so you could put it inside..and since it seems to thrive in dry...inside sunny window would work. Mine went inside during the cold snaps...
this photo, the vine is in a pot on the front porch rail
Well, the critters didn't get all of the blooms. There were originally 8 to 10 blooms on this little section. Teenager possum is living in the garden, I see him every night now. Hmm, or is it the Racoon that comes to the pond to drink at night...noo noo....the squirrels..yes..that's it...oohh.wow..mice..yes saw them too, rats...birds...a little snow, frost? Considering, I'm happy to see these 2 blooms anyway! There are more growing..how long does the bloom season last?
It's so high up there I need a ladder.
Does anyone know how long these vines take to bloom from seed?
I haven't seen any seed on my vine, so I'm no help there.
RJ, mine was in a pot to begin with, but after the first winter in the greenhouse, the roots decided to travel "outside the box" (pot), so it's been there for several years now. I think it's been blooming close to a month now, but there are only a few here and there now.
I've never tried to grow it from seed - fact is, I've had plenty of blooms but never noticed any seeds or pods. This grows extremely well from cuttings.
If anyone wants to trade for fresh cuttings let me know...I have gobs of these in my back yard. Can most likely find some with aerial roots to send out.
Am looking for anything that is a butterfly larval host plant :o)
~ Cat
Yes they are SUPER easy from cuttings!
Hey Cat!
Matter of fact, those are yours blooming in my garden. They too have the aerial roots all over the place...the vine trunk is pretty thick now, and has traveled everywhere. I think I'm having possum and mice snack on the blooms...does this happen there?
RJ...nothing bothers my chalice vines here. Kind of wish they would...just to keep them contained :o) Ha! Ha!
The hummingbirds use the morning dew that has collected on the big leaves to bath in. I've seen them do that a few times...have bad photos...but it was fun to watch. They rub themselves against the leaves to get their feathers damp then they perch nearby to fluff and preen themselves :o) So cute!!!
~ Cat
Judging by the growth of these, I can see why you wish that..they are HUGE. I've planted them in 3 different locations, and there's not a place they don't seem to like. This is the first year they've bloomed though...I think it's been about 2 years since you sent them.
The blooms are very robust. Just before they open, they look like small baloons!
Rj
Do ya'll ever get any cold, like below freezing temps? I would love to have mine outside but just don't think it would work would it?
I also keep mine in the GH in the winter...I have the green and the variegated...BUT mine has never bloomed...here in Alabama I keep mine with afternoon shade...is that my mistake...I would love to keep my trop's outside all year....It would keep my DH from calling me names in the fall and spring...lol lol
I keep mine out, and have a cutting growing in the greenhouse. It's close to freezing at nights here this week. It's so easy to root from cuttings, which you will have plenty of once it's in the ground. That is a very thick and far ranging vine. Mine finally bloomed this year.. this is the 3rd year it's been in the ground. I took one of the gals advice from California, and deprived it of water all fall, until stressed, then water a little, then November fertilized it with superbloom...it worked rather well!
Here's my spare guy, I bring it inside when it get's into the 30's.
Rj
My variegated has never bloomed. I think I need to repot it. It doesn't grow either.
I thought they needed afternoon shade here too, but in the greenhouse, most of mine is on the afternoon sunny side, but some has grown over to the shady side. Both parts bloomed prolifically.
Do varigated ones bloom? for some reason I was under the impression they didn't.
WHAT....NO BLOOMS...
Thats my luck.....lol...
So how does it multiply?
I don't know..I have to ask Wayne from Zone9..I think that's where I heard that...I'm going to be in Colorado over the weekend..leaving in an hour or so..remind me when I get back ..monday
OK, I finally took a camera down the street to photograph this beauty. This Solana vine is cascading down the cliff by the road. It's growing wild with a beautiful bouganvillea.
It's really hard to capture the sheer size of this vine here. It's truly a sight to see!
