This is the third post in our series on vining plants for your garden. In this post, we will discuss Ipomea Tricolor, otherwise known as the Morning Glory.
Morning Glory is a very common, widely known vine that can be easily cultivated from seed indoors and grows quickly in the summer months outdoors. Native to Central and South America, it is a perennial in Zones 10-11 and an annual in colder, more northerly zones. Morning Glory is known for it’s colorful, showy flowers that bloom in abundance during the cool morning hours, and close up in the heat of the afternoon.
Morning Glory vines are an excellent choice for trellises and arbors, as they grow quickly and make for excellent temporary screens. The vines easily reach 10′, and in one growing season, the stems can become quite large and thick.
Morning glory does best in full sun, and requires moderate moisture and well-drained soil.
Part II of our series on climbing plants to consider will focus on Campsis radicans, also known as Trumpet Vine.
Trumpet Vine is a rapidly growing plant that will quickly cover arbors, fences, and other structures. It flourishes in rich, moist soil and in full sun, and will do quite well in Zones 6-10. It is a decidious, woody vine that can grow up to 40′ tall. From summer through fall, it will produce a large number of showy reddish-orange flowers shaped like trumpets.
This is an easy plant to grow on arbors or trellises, but take care to keep it away from structures that could potentially be damaged by sucker-like aerial roots. It has been known to ruin paint finishes on siding.
Trumpet Vine is also an excellent plant to use if you want to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.
This series of posts explores some climbing plants that might be good options to consider for your trellis. In Part I, we will discuss Actinidia kolomikta, more commonly known as Kiwi Vine.
The Kiwi Vine is a fast-growing plant native to eastern Asia. It is a very low-maintenance plant, requiring average moisure and full sun to part shade. It has no major diseases or pest problems and grows well in Zones 4-8. In one growing season, it will typically reach 15-20′ tall. It is a decidious vine with attractive, heart-shaped leaves that are variegated with white and pink. The Kiwi Vine does have both male and female plants, and it is reported that male plants tend to have better leaf variegation. Female plants will produce small fruits in the fall. If growing the Kiwi for fruit production, you should plant approximately one male plant for every three or four female plants. If being grown for ornamental purposes only, male plants by themselves may be a better option.