Tropaeolum

[ashley]

That's a fine colour, Ashley... the assistant knows her stuff, obviously!

T. lepidum is a beauty, and the assistant is extra specially nice.

If truth be told the greenhouse bores her, but when nagging proves unsuccessful she just lies down in resignation.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
There are so many tropaeolum species worth growing...I'm waiting for mine to bloom but I thought of some nice ones I grew in 2007 ( Tr PELTOPHORUM ) and in 2008 ( Tr PENTAPHYLLUM ).
Thanks to all the contributors of this exciting forum...

[Tony Willis]

the Tropaeolum pentaphyllum is very nice,not one I have seen before.

Here are two of mine

Topaeolum brachyceras
Tropaeolum hookerianum

[Melvyn Jope]

Hello Tony,
Maybe an illusion but your T. brachyceras looks much larger than mine, perhaps you just grow it better than me!
I love the colour of T.hookerianum, does it have any special requirements?

[Tony Willis]

Melvyn no its no bigger just a closeup to give the illusion and make me appear a good grower!!

A lovely thing though.

[Jim McKenney]

I seem to remember reading in an old book that Tropaeolum peltophorum (T. lobbianum)  played a part in the development of garden nasturtiums. Can anyone confirm that?

Do the garden nasturtiums we call T. majus correspond to a true wild species, or is this T. majus the product of ancient hybridization and selection?

[Michael]

Jean-Patrick, what a very nice trop that was totally unknown to me. Is it annual or perennial?


Jim, T. majus is a true species.
Here on Madeira it is everywhere... All waste grounds around the island near the sea with no exception have it, a true plague, but i love it. On summer it totally vanishes and reappears by the first rains of autumn.

This picture might seemed to be taken on a garden, but it was not

[Jim McKenney]

Thanks, Mike. I wish I could get it to grow like that here!

[Ezeiza]

Jean-Patrick, what a very nice trop that was totally unknown to me. Is it annual or perennial?


Jim, T. majus is a true species.
Here on Madeira it is everywhere... All waste grounds around the island near the sea with no exception have it, a true plague, but i love it. On summer it totally vanishes and reappears by the first rains of autumn.


Michael, in dryish areas is a perennial.

As for its invasive habit, if you can't beat it, eat it! Inmature seed capsules can be pickled as a substitute for caper. You have millions to try!

Best

[Lesley Cox]

We have it here too Michael, growing near the sea in frost-free places where it flowers almost all year round. In cooler spots it is frosted right off but there are always so many seeds that it pops up again in spring.

Does anyone grow the old form 'Empress of India' which is a little bushy plant rather than a rampant climber/twiner? I love its blue-black leaves and the deep, deep red flowers which are just about double. I've lost mine now and the one being sold locally as E of I has much looser, greener leaves and lighter, semi double red flowers, nothing like so good as the proper thing. I always propagated mine from cuttings but didn't a couple of years ago and then had the plants frosted. That, of course, was the year when I didn't collect seed for re-sowing.

[maggiepie]

Does anyone grow the old form 'Empress of India' which is a little bushy plant rather than a rampant climber/twiner? I love its blue-black leaves and the deep, deep red flowers which are just about double. I've lost mine now and the one being sold locally as E of I has much looser, greener leaves and lighter, semi double red flowers, nothing like so good as the proper thing. I always propagated mine from cuttings but didn't a couple of years ago and then had the plants frosted. That, of course, was the year when I didn't collect seed for re-sowing.

Lesley, do you have a pic of this plant?
It sounds wonderful, did you perhaps send seed to friends who could return the favour?

[Lesley Cox]

Alas, I don't have a picture and though I spread the seed around quite widely, most people seem to have lost it now as well. I'll keep a look out though. It was great in hanging baskets.

[maggiepie]

Alas, I don't have a picture and though I spread the seed around quite widely, most people seem to have lost it now as well. I'll keep a look out though. It was great in hanging baskets.

Strange, I fired off a blank.

Gee, I wonder what I had meant to say.

[mickeymuc]

Wow, Michael, the photo is scary, reminding me of the sight of areas in southern france covered with Ipomoea indica !
Well, at least you can have nasturium flowers in your salad every day :-)

kind regards,

Michael

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,

Lesley: I don't personnally have "Empress of India" seeds but you might browse in the Chiltern seeds catalogue. They list it together with old nasturtium cultivars ( www.chilternseeds.co.uk )

Eseiza: Tropaeolum Peltophorum is an annual species. The seeds I've sown were given to me by the BG in Lyon ( FRANCE ). It can reach metres in a greenhouseand flower profusely. In my small experience it has flowered very late in a pot ( on my balcony ) in autumn. Tropaeolum Pentaphyllum is a perennial one? As Tropaeolum Tricolor it produces tubers and offsets. Seeds are rarely offered and it' a much better option to get tubers. This is also a huge plant which can grow up to 6 metres or more in a greenhouse. Flowers are-in my opinion-extraordinary.

Jim: Tropaeolum Peltophorum has been used for crossings in the very beginning but , according to Benkt SPARRE, Tropaeolum Minus has been much more involved for hybridization.

Jean-Patrick