Hummingbird vine

[Beth]

Hi

A new neighbor, (moved here to Michigan from Alabama) gave me some seeds he
brought with him. He told me the seeds are from a plant called "hummingbird
vine". This is definitely not a trumpet vine. I planted the seeds and had
pretty good results. He told me the vine will be annual here, but will easily
grow over five feet tall and spread out in just the summer season. Has anyone
heard of this plant? Is there another name for it? I cannot find any
information on it in the books I have. When the seeds sprout they get a single
leaf on the stem, that splits in half lengthwise as the plant matures. From
the center of the split, a leafy aspargus fern type looking growth comes out.
I recently transplanted my little seedlings into a bigger pot, and in three
days they have doubled in size. He told me they have a small very delicate
pink flower when in bloom, and that they will climb just about anything. They
can also be used as a ground cover vine.

Any info on these little mysteries would be wonderful.

Thanks!
Beth

[Bow343]

I believe you are referring to the "cypress vine, an annual tropical,
quick-growing member of the Morning-glory Family, known also as Star-glory,
formerly listed as Ipomeoea quamolclit, but now as Quamoclit pennata." This is
quoted from The Wise Garden Encyclopedia. Hope this is right. As I emailed you
before, I also grow this and enjoy the hummers who visit. Martha

Martha

"When the sounds of the wind are mixed with the melody of the birds, I hear
peace.
With my dogs playing around me and butterflies on my flowers, I see peace."

[Harold Olivier]

I think you have Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit or Quamoclit
pennata), a member of the Morning Glory family (Convolvulacea). The
only part of your description that doesn't fit Cypress Vine is the
flower color. CV has deep red (crimson or scarlet) flowers. There is a
picture of it at http://hammock.ifas.ufl.edu/images/fw/ipoqua1.jpg

It is also possible that you have Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea X
cardinalis), which is very similar but has wider segments to its
leaves. It is a hybrid of Cypress Vine and Scarlet Morning Glory
(Ipomoea coccinea). The Time-Life Plant Encyclopedia has an article on
these three plants and a painting showing them together at
http://pathfinder.com/vg/TimeLife/CG/Books/E12/Html/E12138X.html
Note that the pinkish red coloring of all the flowers is an error.
There is a photo of I.coccinea at
http://www2.msstate.edu/~jbyrd/wildflower/ipoco02.jpg
which is much closer to the true color than is shown in the painting.
The hybrid is colored more like I.quamoclit than I.coccinea.

If you have either you have a very vigorous annual vine that hummers
love. As your friend told you, if there is nothing to climb they'll
cover the ground. But if anything is ever in reach they will quickly
climb it. A friend of mine curses CV because it invaded a perennials
bed when she wasn't watching, but I love it. It is apparently immune
to insect pests and diseases. Here it usually reseeds, but I think
that you will have to save seed for replanting in your climate.

BTW, I have seeds of Ipomoea coccinea collected by my CV-hating
friend. She loves the flowers of this plant, but doesn't realize that
it is just as vigorous and potentially invasive as CV. If you'd like
some let me know.

Harold

[YardGirl]

Maybe a jacob's trumpet ?

yardgirl