Any northerners growing Thunbergia grandiflora?

Hello fellow fans of all that twists, twines, and tendrils!

Being a lover of blooms, vines, and tropicals, and a bit of a glutton for punishment, I've been acquiring seeds lately of various tropicals to try. As long as my back allows, guess I'll be lugging pots from the deck to the plant room every spring and fall :-). Among the seed is a pack of Thunbergia grandiflora 'Alba', and I'm curious about pot culture for them in cold zones. How are they best overwintered?

If there's hope for success with them, I really want to try the blue flowered forms!

Any tips on germination would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks!
Neal

I grow passion grandiflora its a blue passion vine it is great blooms out of a eight inch pot so not heavy to carry mine is three years old it bloomed the first year I started it at the beginning of march and august had blooms goes out end of may back in end of september I trim it down to about four feet and it then goes nuts

sciciarella, wow! I'm surprised an 8"pot will hold that Passion flower! Cool that it performs so well in that size pot! I keep a Mandivilla in a 12or14" pot that I just carry in and store the pot dry in winter, and that's how I'm hoping the Thunbergia can be treated. Do you allow your Passion flower to go dormant in winter?

no I dont it sits in a sunny window south facing and does well all winter but no flowers, the last time I grew thunbergia I did it as an annual started it at the end of march and it bloomed all summer they are very easy to grow and you do not have to bring it in you can just grow another the next spring since it goes from seed to blooms in about three months never even thought of over wintering that one

I'm guessing that Passion Flower you have is a tropical variety? There's a hardy form with very similar flowers (about 4" in diameter) I see occasionally growing wild here, and they go dormant in winter.

I've grown some of the annual Thunbergia (T. alata, black eyed susan vine), but noticed there are several species including some tender perennials. If they can be grown as annuals too, that would be much easier for me :-)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=Thunbergia&Search=Search+PlantFiles

it did say that it is hardy to zone 7 but im a zone 5 so in it comes hahahha

Oh, what we'll put ourselves through for a glimpse of warmer climes, LOL.

I have a monrovilla and two bougainvilla and a madagascar jasmine also a hibis tree also a banana tree and brugs that are that all get the royal treatment of in and out every spring and fall love them on my deck have to see the tropicals for four months in bloom
my husband says he is at his happiest when the jungle moves outside that the house seems twice as big

Neal... I grow thunbergia in containers outside on mmy rooftop.. in the fall I bring the into the hallway.. where they get light 24/7 although someevenings I have turned the light off.. mostly it's always on.. and I've replaced the light fixture with a bit of track lighting.. and a few plant grow light spots.. every now and again it will bloom some... not quite as activly as outside..
here's a shot taken for you about 5 minutes ago ..

that is a very pretty one I usualy grow the blush and yellow one of each in the same pot
but I love the purple will look for the seeds this spring

here's another view.. passion vine on the wall behind
Sicci.. yup.. I get that attitude also..

nice vine what color are the flowers on that one
here is a pic of my passion flower

Gordon, thanks so much! That's just the info I needed. I've got a light set up for a bunch of tropicals- its been nice getting blooms from time to time on brugs, begonias, and the blue butterfly clerodendron this winter. I think I can provide them with similar conditions to yours. That deep blue is gorgeous! Do you get seed production from it?

scicciarella, I used to have that too, in summer we had double the living space inside! Now I'm lucky to have a room just for plants and crafts, so its enabled me to plunge forward into the world of tropicals. I keep them out on our deck in summer too, and I love the instant transition out there when the plants all go out- suddenly all green and inviting! It kinda gives the feel of some tropical vacation spot, and thats just the vibe I wanna invoke for time on the deck :-)

I live outside from spring to fall and if I sit for a minute it is always in my favorite chair on the deck surrounded by my babies with a cup of coffee the world is right by me hahahah

it does not take much to make me happy a few hummers at the feeder and all is well

Scicci... what color is that passion vine... I think that's one that didn't flower.. real unusual here.. as it's so big... I can't recall just who it is though..as it was a seedling last summer.. without a tag at this point.. I've found that's the best way to geta plant to really do well... just loose it's tag..
I haven't found any seeds on the Thunbergia. it's a Thunbergia Battiscombei ~ Blue Glory though..if you're looking forthat one.. it's from Annies Bloomers @ Robrick Nursery
wwwrobrick.com but they are awholesale nursery... so unless you need 72 of them.. in a flat.. you might look elsewhere...
Well somewhat off the vine topic.. is another bloomer today.. my night blooming cereus.. I missed it's floer the first few times through.. but here it is with the snow behind..



This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 2:28 PM

Well lets see some snow

my passion vine did not bloom the first year summer comming will be third year hoping it will give me more blooms last summer it game me nine of them over a 5 weeks period but at one time at had three open each one lasted about 5 days so they are nice to have just which I could treat it as the perennial it is but it says zone 7 and I am a 5 so it would not make it outside

That could be a fun experiment! Perhaps take some cuttings and try some in a protected spot outdoors and see what happens. A friend of mine had Passion Flower growing against the foundation of her home in Chicago zone 5. I'm sure the warmth of the structure was a huge help.

and possibly because it kept the root dry in winter that is what kills many tender perennials is that the root freezes wet and kills it also add six or seven inches of good much in the fall that will help and trim it down so it will not fight to keep the branches aline since they usually die to the grown in zone seven and regrow from the root so help it along and before it goes below freezing cut it back hard and add the mulch nothing to loose lots to gain if it works

scicciarella sai:

I live outside from spring to fall and if I sit for a minute it is always in my favorite chair on the deck surrounded by my babies with a cup of coffee the world is right by me hahahah


"Ditto for me!!;
mj

maybe I will drop by and we can sit and have a coffee someday

If your ever in Florida..............come on by!!!!

will do actually I was there last may I just loved it did not want to come back but the garden was calling

any new pictures to post of your vines pretty lonely in the great white north

Scicciarella,
Actually we had 3 nights of hard freezes here last week...8-9 hours of low 20's...so most of our plants look pretty fried.
The only thing I have blooming right now are a few things that were in pots that I able to move to the barn or inside. Other than Yellow Jasmine (native) and of all thing Mealy cup Sage...that's one tough little plant.

so sorry to hear that, hope they come back up from the root

Most things should come back fine...just look terrible right now, and today it's supposed to go to 80 degrees..then tomorrow night we are back to 32!! with a high of 60 Friday and low of 38 over friday night. Poor plants are so confused!!!

try to cover them with plastic without touching the plastic to the plant it will stay warmer that was I usually use paint sheets from the dollar store since we always get a heavy frost two to three weeks after everything is out lol just make us crazy so I always have those in the garage so I can cover the plants which like my peppers and tomatoes