Wow! Nice plant Grant. I have no experience but appreciate the eye candy. Good luck to you and your lovely.

Thanks, Mary. We'll see how it does. So far it seems really happy these last six months or so.

Thanks for taking a look and commenting. I'll post updates good or bad, LOL.

Take care,
Grant

Grant, if any of those flowers ever set seed, let me know, i would like to try that one! I have plenty of different seeds i can trade ya.

Azant, will do. If you'd like a cutting, let me know. The plant is still small (and was started from a stem cutting) but it's supposed to be a house eater (rampant) so I'm HOPING to have more than I can deal with by mid-summer.

Take care,
Grant
ps: love swapping seeds too!

Here is a link that might be useful: My little garden March 2011

A friend was asking me for an update on this plant, so I thought I'd post it here too. I planted it in the ground in April and it's really taking off! It's finally started making aggressive, grabbing vines that are doing a good job climbing up the metal arbor I provided for it. It gets a good deep drink three times a week and is in full bore sun all day long.

I have really high hopes for it now that it's in the ground for a couple of months and aggressively climbing. I know the summer is still young (and not officially started, LOL), but so far so good. Hopefully I'll have seeds or cuttings to share by autumn.

Take care all,
Grant

Would love to swap for some cuttings. Have plenty of seeds to swap too.

Gorgeous vine! But on off topic question here: What kind of bug is sitting on the top of the blossom? Is it a good guy?

Thanks all, I'll post again here if/when I've got some cuttings to share and when I've proven to myself that this plant thrives here through the summer. So far so good. The bug is a milkweed beetle or milkweed bug. They do feed on milkweeds and their relatives (everything from oleanders through stapeliads and native milkweeds too) so if you have to classify them, they're probably 'bad guys', but I just leave them to do their thing.

Take care and happy gardening!
Grant

Here is a link that might be useful: Milkweed bug information

I am new to gardening for the most part, but would love seeds from this if you get some! I have some for trade of other plants.

Oh, a bad guy bug for me is something that's going to try and hurt the plant in my veggie garden! Squash vine borers and the like. Thanks for the ID.

Grant,

Just ordered one of these off eBay and it finally arrived. I'm stoked and think I have a great spot for it where its pretty much in the shade. I still have it in the house as I don't want to shock it with the extreme temps were having this week, but how is yours doing? Still have it in full sun?

Congratulations on your plant, DesertPlumie. Keep everyone posted on how it does.

Mine has been in the ground since April in full bore full sun all day long and it's thriving. It's started sending up nice, vigorous grabbing vinelike branches and tons of new foliage so it seems very happy so far, mid-June. It's on a drip and gets a good soaking three times a week.

It seems really, really happy, but we'll see how it looks in August, or September, LOL. Lookin' good right now, though. Keep us posted on yours--this is a hard time to transition plants from other climates as you obviously know. Have fun and post updates!

Take care,
Grant

Does anyone have any seed or cuttings for this plant? I would like to get a start. I have Aristolochia gigantea, Aristolochia ringens, Aristolochia elegans, Passiflora edulis 'Purple passion', Beaumontia grandiflora that I can trade. All are plants and not seed.

Hey, Grant & Deet - How did this vine do for you, did it make it through summer last year?

I have to say I cannot recommend this plant as a landscape for this area, despite those gorgeous, gorgeous blooms. My two main reasons are that it only bloomed for a few brief weeks in spring, and then despite having a frost-free winter in my garden (even basil and coleus came through just fine) it didn't survive the "winter". It was fun while it lasted though. It might be good as a pot plant indoors in winter and then out for summer, but as a landscape plant my one specimen didn't cut it. If others have experience here in the Valley with it in the ground, don't be shy. It could have just been the location I gave it, or the treatment it got, etc.

I've replaced it with good old mile-a-minute vine (Merremia dissecta) that I started from seed that old Mr. Baker Sr. gave me several years ago. It's a much better option for me, and it's already starting its looooooong bloom season.

Fun to test drive and discuss different plants though, isn't it? Happy gardening everyone!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics (so far) from my garden April 2012

Grant, your flowers are gorgeous!

Hey Grant, do you know what bug that is in the first pic? I have lots of them and wonder if they are friend or foe? Something is sucking on my ripening tomatoes and I'm thinking this little bugger is the culprit.

Thanks all. :) Mary, I've been told that beetle is a "milkweed beetle" which feeds on milkweeds and their relatives (like the huge oleander hedge in my neighbor's yard, plus anything in the milkweed family like plumerias, some stapeliads, etc). I don't know if they ever venture onto tomatoes etc., but maybe one of our members knows?

Happy gardening everyone!
Take care,
Grant

Thanks for the reply, Grant, too bad on that vine!

That bug looks suspiciously like an assassin bug. Their colors and markings vary quite a lot, but this one is very similar. It falls in the 'good' camp - if that's what it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Assassin bug