WOW! She's a beauty! I planted one a couple years ago. This fall it was very floppy. Do you prune yours at all, or stake it up? I'm hoping that as it gets older it will be able to hold itself up w/o staking. Thanks for sharing your photos.

Mine has finished blooming already, and it also flopped quite a bit this year. For some reason the middle just fell away with no upright branches. I blamed the cat because I saw him napping in there early in the season, but not sure that was the cause. This is its third season and it normally is beautiful.

Mine did "flop" over some too when it was younger. It still does somewhat if there are really hard winds. But as it grows bigger and gets thicker, it is less likely to flop. We had very heavy rains just the week before it really came into bloom. Before the rains you could hardly see the windows behind it, so the rain did knock down the branches/stems that were growing more upright. However they just bent over, so still look pretty good.

I was hoping to see some pictures of other bush clovers? schoolhouse and thyme2dig, did either of you take pictures?

I have thought of pruning it early in the summer, but hesitated to do it, as it always looks so nice in fall when it blooms. Wasn't sure what effect the pruning would have.

I am sooooo jealous. I have coveted your's for years. :)
I can't find one at any nurseries here.
Does it grow from seed?

Kathy

Kathy, I will research propagation and get back to you this evening. I am on lunch right now. Maybe I could start one or send seeds if that works...

Didn't grow upright as much this year, mostly spread itself out. Could it be reaching for more sun?

{{gwi:759920}}

I'm another one coveting this plant, just a wee bit green with envy. I've been looking but haven't found a source in my neck of the woods yet but I'll keep on looking.

Annette

Mine did spend alot of time water soaked because we had so much rain in September.

ML, thanks for the info. I am thinking that as the canes get thicker it will be less apt to sprawl. I think it was blooming when hurricane Irene followed by TS Lee came through. It's amazing anything survived those back to back storms! I know this is going to be one of those show stoppers in years to come.

schoolhouse, thanks for the picture. If I remember right, mine looked a lot like that too when it was younger. As it ages and grows more canes it won't flop as much, just arch downward.

thyme2dig, yes it is that. Lots of people stop and ask what it is. Very few people have seen it before, at least around here anyway.

We will probably be moving in 2-3 years. I am seriously considering trying to divide it then and take some with me. The only problem is we will be moving to one zone colder and I'm not sure it will survive the winters there. But I will give it a try, just in case.

Kathy and Annette, from what I could find, it looks like it can grow from seed, soft wood cuttings or division. Getting pretty late in the year to try a soft wood cutting, but would be happy to try in spring if you would like? I will look tomorrow evening to see if there really are seeds. As I have yet to find any seedlings in my yard (it has been planted since 2004) I doubt trying to grow it from seed would be successful.

Marylu, if you find any seeds I'd love a few. Cuttings wouldn't make it across the darn border :(.

Annette

Cuttings will be great, when ever you can.
Thanks a million!

Kathy

Annette, I worked late tonight and it was dark when I got home. Will check for seeds tomorrow night.

Kathy, in spring I will take some softwood cuttings for you. If I should forget, please give me a "shout out" to remind me. I am sure I will still be around! :-)

That really is lovely! I was interested to read that it sort of sturdiest itself as it gets older, since I was thinking as it got larger /heavier it would flop.
Beautiful plant!!

schoolhouse, I looked back at your picture and I was wondering. Did you plant 1 bush or 2? From your picture it almost looks like 2.

crackingtheconcrete, I will look back at my old pictures and see if I can find one from when it was 2-3 years old.

crackingtheconcrete, below is a link to a post from 2008. About half way down there are pictures I posted of the various sizes through the years after it was planted. Hope this helps as far as how it grows as it matures.

Here is a link that might be useful: GW post from 2008

I planted only one shrub and cut it back to the ground in early Spring.

Kathy, you have mail!

Got it!

I observed something yesterday. Now that the blooms are gone, the shrub is very much upright again, that is I can see the tall phlox again that are planted in front of it. So maybe the blooms were weighing it down?