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benesesso

Colorful Vines For Hot Desert

benesesso
14 years ago

I just welded up a few large trellis's for some backyard vines. My favorite vine is red Bougainvillea, but I want to grow others.

I'm looking for colorful vines that keep their color for as long as possible, but do not want any that are especially attractive to bees and wasps.

Hummingbird attraction is a big plus. Any hints on what to consider?

Comments (45)

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    14 years ago

    My current favorite for hardiness and long lasting blooms is the Bower Vine. The one I have blooms with white flowers, not sure if there are other colors.

    Also like Mexican Flame vine, incense passion vine, jasmine, cypress vine, Dutchman's Pipe vine. I also have a chocolate bean vine which has tiny burgandy colored flowers for a short spell, followed by tiny bean pods with seeds. Very prolific. Some of these may attract bees, the hummers really like the bean vine and you will 'manufacture' butterflys with a passion vine.

    Good luck, hth.
    Mary

  • User
    14 years ago

    I assume you mean colorful as in flowers? And you mention wanting hummingbirds, you should look thru the many trumpet type flowering vines: bower vines, trumpet vine, disticis vines, lavender trumpet vine, cross vine to name a few, all in the Bignoniaceae family, also red trumpet honeysuckle.

    Since you mention bouainvillea, one can assume you are not just interested in vines but also bushes that can get tall? Also in the Bignoniaceae family you might consider orange jubilee and Queen of Sheba.

    Bees and flowers go hand in hand though, taking one with out the other not really an option.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the replies. Looks like I need to get some kind of big cross-reference chart, which lists both the "common" names and the formal names--my Sunset guide uses the formal names for nearly everything.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    14 years ago

    Yeah, I'm bad with the latin names. azreno is pretty good actually....she may be able to translate for you.

  • grant_in_arizona
    14 years ago

    Welded??? Sounds really neat and durable; much nicer than my usual flimsy messes, LOL. We'd love to see some pics or hear more about the trellises. I'm very curious.

    You've gotten some great suggestions--let us know what you select and how it works out.

    I don't have a ton of vines right now, but I do love the ones I have:

    'Tangerine Beauty' crossvine (Bignonia capreolata,) which has nice orange flowers, evergreen foliage and a real hummingbird favorite, "slimjim bean" (Phaseolus filiformus which makes dime-sized purple/pink flowers and cute little bean pods and grows like crazy all summer long--it's very, very delicate and can even be trained up sturdier vines--it's like a super miniature version of snail vine (Vigna caracalla another great vine I'm also growing and is very popular in warm winter areas)) and several varieties of good ol' passion vine (Passiflora) like Mary mentioned. Those do really well here and are hosts to gulf frittilary caterpillars which ALWAYS find them, LOL. I'm also growing some "queen's wreath" (Antigonon leptopus a real heat lover). It can get a bit aggressive after it's established, but I love it since I'd rather have plants that need to be hacked back rather than nursed along.

    Regular honeysuckle (Lonicera spp) does very well here if given a bit of summer shade, but it's a bee magnet which doesn't bother me at all, but definitely does bother some folks.

    You've got a fun project ahead of you. Keep us posted!
    Take care,
    Grant

    Here is a link that might be useful: 'Tangerine Beauty' crossvine plant profile from Monrovia growers.

  • aztreelvr
    14 years ago

    You could also try a Lady Banks Rose. They're thornless and available in either white or yellow and will quickly cover a block wall.

    I've got an ornamental grape on a chain link fence that is outstanding. Called 'Roger's Red' it turns brilliant red in winter before losing its leaves in January/February. A photo is posted in the Gallery section of this forum.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    14 years ago

    Not all Banks roses are thornless. We have planted a 150' fenceline with this shrub, probably put in 25 or more 1-quart plants in 2005. Some have thorns....much to my dismay. All bought from either Summer Winds or Baker's at the same time.

    The Roger's Red is a great idea. I have one out front crawling between one Banks rose that was left over from the fenceline planting. The color at this time of year is astounding.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Yes, that Rogers Red looks great! Lots of different shades of color, whereas the Bougainvillea is just one solid color.

    Now that I've recently retired, I "should" have some time to devote to gardening--something I've never done before.

    My first "trellis" is really a large rectangular enclosure, built as a frame for vines on the outside and top, and for a BBQ/sitting area inside--thus my concern for bees, because it's not fully screened. It's ~90% completed. I took some photos today and will post them shortly.

  • grant_in_arizona
    14 years ago

    Your enclosure sounds really neat. Definitely post some pics when you can, and let us know who the lucky plant winner is. :)

    Mary, your roses sound great!! Are they all on drips? Has anyone seen the new-to-me rose labeled 'Red Banks'? To me the classic is white or yellow.

    Happy gardening,
    Grant

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    OK, I put 3 pics of the enclosure on my Photobucket "dump"--here's the URL. http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e234/Benesesso/Gardening/

    Later I'll try to post them on this forum. The uprights are heavy gage 1 1/2" X 2" rect. tubing, while the rest is lighter gage 1 1/2" square. The entire roof is light gage perforated sheet steel, painted with 2 coats of silver Rustoleum "Hammered Finish", a paint I have come to really like. It dries very fast to a hard glassy finish (at $15 a quart it should!).

    The tubing has 1 coat of the same paint in black, which is the only color that comes in gallons. Lowes will special order it, but it comes 2 gal. per carton, and you have to buy both.

    All of the welding was via stick electrode, even tho I have a good MIG welder. Problem with MIG is that it doesn't like wind, so the work must be shielded or the welding done inside. Notice how I welded the tube ends closed to keep rain out.

    Next I have to decide on what to use for the sides--more perforated sheets or just some small tubing welded on for the vines to grab.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    14 years ago

    Benesesso, I tried the link but Photo Bucket is asking me for a password. Would love to see your welding work. Here's instructions for imbedding the image to your post:

    Here is a photograph:


    End of photograph

    Well cwap - that didn't work. I'll see if I can email you the instructions.

    I got this from Grant and have successfully used it to upload an image.

    Grant, to answer your question - a drip line to all those Lady Banks roses would have been an excellent idea....alas, I did not. I laid soaker hoses when I planted. That didn't work out very well, the water pressure is not strong enough to push the water to the ends of the hose. Watering them has become a serious PITA. [sigh]

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    OK, I removed the password requirement. Also managed to post 1 pic here, under "Proud Projects". It wouldn't allow me to post another one--sorry.

  • grant_in_arizona
    14 years ago

    Your structure looks great. VERY professional! I love how you welded the ends closed to keep rain out. Definitely let us know what you plant and how it does.

    It might be good to get something up and growing on it befor it gets too hot--sometimes metal gets hot enough in full sun to cook tender young stems in summer (you can observe this as the DBG tries to get something to climb their cool metal arbor at the entrance over and over). If the stems are fat enough by blast furnace season they should be in better shape.

    In any case, it's really great. I can't wait to see how it progresses. I'm pasting your link in the "links" section below just to make it as easy as possible for folks to enjoy your handiwork.

    Mary, thanks for the information on the roses. I was hoping you'd say they're not on irrigation and need almost no water, LOL. I grew one in my last garden on a drip, but was hoping it wasn't super necessary for those banks roses. Sounds like watering them w/o one is a real chore. Good to know. :)

    Take care all,
    Grant

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the cool structure.

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    13 years ago

    Hi there my question is about the cross vine's ( Bignonia Capreolata ) ability to withstand heat. Im looking to plant a Tangerine Beauty vine next to a young Shamel Ash tree, or adjacent to it, so it grows up the trunk of this young tree and protects its bare trunk from the sun, in adition to the white paint covering the trunk of course, which is standard practice out here to protect their trunks from being fried in the heat.
    Anyhow, regarding the Tangerine beauty vine growing on the trunk, it should be a symbiotic relationship, hope it works, but my question is will the Tangerine Beauty withstand our HOT Phoenix summers? and What about competition with the young Shamel Ash tree, is that a concern? Thanks to anyone that might know, best regards to all!!! :)

  • grant_in_arizona
    13 years ago

    Hiya Pauly and all,

    I can vouch that 'Tangerine Beauty' definitely CAN tolerate our long, HOT Phoenix summers. Mine is on a SOUTH facing wall and gets sun sun sun and looks good every single day of the year. It has a huge flush of blooms right around now, and then blooms off and on all summer long. You can see from these pics that the foliage doesn't even get burned edges the way so many plants do. Here's mine as of this week, almost four years after planting:

    {{gwi:425682}}



    {{gwi:425683}}


    It was immune to the record breaking cold snap we had in February too. It has looked great from the first day I planted it. The only less-than-wonderful thing I can say about it is that the blooms are not a bright orange-peel orange, but still a very nice brick-orange with yellow throats.

    I gave it lots of water its first spring and summer, and now it gets water once a week in winter and three times a week spring, summer and early autumn.

    I don't know about the competition with the tree, or how well having it clambor up the tree will work, but I can say that this vine is very, very tolerante of heat!

    Keep us posted on what you do and how it works out.
    Take care and happy gardening,
    Grant

  • zone10aridgardener
    12 years ago

    Passion vines show off amazing flowers, you will also get fruit with the right variety! :)

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    Hey, grant_in_arizona, I wanted to thank you for the advice. A year later here in the desert of Phoenix and Im loving the luscious tangerine beauty (Bignonia capreolata crossvine), well I should say tangerine beauties because after the first one I fell in love with the plant and couldnt stop putting it up in other places!!! Im going to try to upload all the pictures here, hope they allow and/or make it. I started it up the evergreen ash tree, wow, it just grew and grew, it gets some shade from the young tree but other than that no other. I watered it deeply for the first year and now pulling back a bit. Later last year I decided to plant another tangerine beauty in a tiny planter next to a Saguaro cactus, and OMG they're like best friends. That tiny planter gets hot in the summer but its drip system watered every night, has grown huge up the length and around the entire 14ft saguaro, its incredible!! Lastly I put another in a large pot in the corner of the yard, facing west, that ceramic pot also gets hella hot in the summer and the crossvine still survives, gets watered nightly by drip system too in the summer. All these pictures are in August 30, 2012, middle of the Phoenix summer. Check out the six pictures.

    That was great advice, grant!! tangerine beauties can take this Phoenix heat, dryness, and even the frost!! Great choice, thanks!! :)

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    Tangerine Beauty (Bignonia capreolata crossvine) on an Evergreen Ash tree.

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    picture of Tangerine Beauty (Bignonia capreolata crossvine) on a Sahuaro saguaro cactus

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    picture of Tangerine Beauty (Bignonia capreolata crossvine) on a Sahuaro saguaro cactus closeup

  • grant_in_arizona
    11 years ago

    AWESOME pics and updates, Pauly! It's so fun to hear you are having the same wonderful experience growing Tangerine Beauty crossvine. It really DOES thrive here and yours are great examples. I love your pot/wall/plant and the way you're training your vines. Great stuff! How are you keeping it going along the wall? I can't see the training wires/string at all. So nice!

    Thanks for taking the time and effort to share yours with us. I agree that they look awesome every single day of the year. Just don't let it eat your saguaro or ash tree, LOL. Keep the garden updates coming!

    Take care and thanks again, so fun to see!
    Grant

    Here is a link that might be useful: My little garden blog, just a post or two a month.

  • mickeyperreaud
    11 years ago

    I just love the coral vines!!! The come in red ,pink and white. They can take our heat and cold and poor soil. Mine have climbed up a saguaro and my palo verde trees.and climbed ovn the top of the fence and up the wall of the house. The bees and hummers love them. They are getting a little easier to get from nurseries now around here. I got mine from Almost Eden in Louisiana or Texas. They have beautiful tiny flowers that come off their tendrils.
    I'll try and post some photos of them in the next few days.
    Mickey
    Cave Creek
    Mickey
    Cave Creek

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    Thanks Grant_in_arizona!! You had good insight on those vines, much appreciated. And I have to say I cant wait to see Mickey's pictures too!! Im already researching coral vines. haha
    To answer your question Grant, I drilled some tapcon screws to the brick wall and ran a wire between the screws. Seems to be holding up pretty well. Here is a closeup of one of the screws, and a pic of the wire package in case it helps, its really maleable and easy to cut with small wire pliers. The hardest part is predrilling a hole for the screws. These tapcons hang on really well once they're in. Until next time everyone!! :)

  • Pauly_in_AZ
    11 years ago

    and the wire....

  • grant_in_arizona
    11 years ago

    Awesome pics and information on how you're mounting your crossvine, Pauly, thanks for taking the time to share the pics and info. I need to create more things for my various vines to climb and I just haven't found a good way to help them on walls other than those sticky glue-dots (silicon or other adhesive). I like the idea of having organized wire. I guess I need to get some of those tapcon screws! Hopefully they're easy to find.

    I love coral vines (Antigonon) as well--mine isn't doing as great as I'd hoped, but it is getting ready to make another flush of blooms. So pretty. Looking forward to your pics, Mickey!

    Thanks again, happy gardening all!
    Grant

  • richsd
    11 years ago

    Funny thing- Sunset book doesn't list zones 13(Phx) or 12 (Tucson) for the Crossvine I guess they got that one wrong!

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'm back! Been gone from the forum for quite a while-health issues and lots of other household chores.

    Today we bought 3 small Tangerine Beauty vines--$18 ea. at Lowes. They have good prices and a 1 year guarantee, so it's hard to pass up.

    Been trying to find some Roberts Red vines, no luck at all. Anyone know who sells them in Arizona--hopefully close to Phoenix?

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I'm back! Been gone from the forum for quite a while-health issues and lots of other household chores.

    Today we bought 3 small Tangerine Beauty vines--$18 ea. at Lowes. They have good prices and a 1 year guarantee, so it's hard to pass up.

    Been trying to find some Rogers Red vines, no luck at all. Anyone know who sells them in Arizona--hopefully close to Phoenix?

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    11 years ago

    Try Baker's - 40th St and Osborn. I have one in front that has been growing 3 or 4 years. Love it in fall, it's about to begin flaming.....don't care at all about any grapes. ;-)

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Mary

    I'll call them tomorrow.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Tried Baker, no luck. Have called just about every nursery around Phoenix--nothing.

  • Pagancat
    11 years ago

    Hmm - it's grown and distributed (and I think trademarked?) by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery, out in Litchfield Park, so if it's at all available, it should be here. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled, unless, of course, someone feels like taking a cutting for you.... = )

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Finally found some time today to plant 2 of the 3 Tangerine Beauty vines on the steel trellis. Hope we did everything right!

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Another pic.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Tying vine to trellis.

  • tomatofreak
    11 years ago

    Love the shoes! Mine are red. ;O)

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Deleted

    This post was edited by benesesso on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 18:49

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Back after a long absence. The plants (Bougainvillea in center, flanked by Tangerine Beauty crossvines) don't look so good.

    They haven't been fertilized since we planted them in No. 2012, but were well fertilized then. They were well watered last year, but we cut back this year.

    I think they need more water and fertilizer.

    This post was edited by benesesso on Sun, Apr 13, 14 at 11:22

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another pic.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    One more.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Last one.

  • MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
    9 years ago

    I don't know about the tangerine beauty but the bougainvillea dies back each winter. It's best if you cut back the dead stems, long sleeves and gloves are a must, then it will come back like crazy again. Also, bougainvillea like to be ignored. Too much water and fertilizer will cause it to stop producing flowers. Weird but true.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Mary

    I know the Boug. doesn't need much water--not as much as the Tangerines. Fortunately I can adjust the amount each one gets.

    Here's some pics I just took. The big leaf is the Boug. Looks like something is pestering them.

    First pic is the fronts.

  • benesesso
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    2nd pic is the backsides. Could that be rust on the back of the Tangerine Beauty?

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