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princesspea_gw

tropical look vines for San Jose?

princesspea
10 years ago

My daughter made a little shade garden along our fence when we moved to our new house in december, trouble is, it is only shady in the winter!

I am looking to put a narrow overhead arbor made from a couple old ladders and run a deciduous or light textured vine across it to shade my girl's violets and lilies in the baking summer months.

Already we have on order a pink star magnolia for the larger semicircular bed that anchors the shade garden. She would like a "tropical looking" flowering vine, I would like a vine that won't eat my house. (I'm looking at you, wisteria and bouganvillia)

Thanks!
PP

Comments (7)

  • bahia
    10 years ago

    Mandevilla laxa.

  • hosenemesis
    10 years ago

    If you don't get frost, you could plant dalchampia (sp?) butterfly wings vine. I love mine.

  • princesspea
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    These are both beautiful, I will show my girl and see what she thinks. I had forgotten the mandevilla laxa and never even seen the dalchampia!

    thanks for the help.

  • bahia
    10 years ago

    Dalechampia probably won't likely survive a Sunset zone 14 winter, it sometimes dies here in 16/17 conditions. Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Dream' is another one.

  • princesspea
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Good to know about the dalchampia. Luckily my girl discovered the mandevilla was fragrant, that sealed the deal for her- and i know I can grow those here.
    Now to figure out my trellis !

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    10 years ago

    There's always the purple trumpet vines and the Jasmine vines. Not hard to keep them from getting rampant. Maybe some Passiflora?

    Don't go near Honeysuckle,Wisteria,Bougy,Parthenocissus. Algerian Ivy,any Ivy, Red trumpet vine,Giant Morning Glory,Tecomaria.

    Don't even take a cutting for free!

  • princesspea
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the list of bullies to watch out for! I thought jasmine was on that list too, also passiflora, because of an old neighbor's vines that came over my garage roof. I like those vines too.
    I grew up in the northwest, where ivy and wisteria are total thugs- the wisteria can shift a house off its foundation and ivy kills entire forests! So even here they are thugs- good to know. How about clematis Montana? I have seen extreme examples here but can't tell if they are neglected and our of control, or simply uncontrollable.
    P.P.