Tropaeolum 2011

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello Everybody,
I think some tropaeolum growers might be interested in contributing ( or reading ) the Tropaeolum Newsletter published by the Geraniaceae Group
This is a small annual publication which is mainly based on growers' reports and photos
 As publications on tropaeolum are few this is an interesting complement to this unrivalled online forum.
For any information you can contact the publisher:
Mr Richard CLIFTON
The Geraniaceae Group Administration
5 Tower Street
Dover
Kent
CT17 0AJ
ENGLAND

J-P

[Maggi Young]

Thanks for that, J-P 

It may help to have the website of the Geraniaceae Group, too.... http://www.geraniaceae-group.org/

[Lesley Cox]

A few years ago I was able to buy from a local (NZ) source, a small plant of Tropaeolum myriophyllum. I had never seen the bulb because it was in growth at the time and I simply left it in its pot where it came up for a couple of years but didn't do much else. The fine, thread-like stems were like those of T. polyphyllum but much more delicate and thin, and of a pretty sea-green colour. It hadn't flowered.

Today I received an enquiry from J-P about it and because I hadn't seen it for maybe 18 months and assumed it was dead, I thought I'd better check. I tipped the pot and found this very healthy-looking bulb, about the size of a walnut still in the shell. Dormant now (summer) there are a few places where it seems it might sprout away so I plan to plant it in a warm trough and see what happens. If J-P hadn't reminded me about it, I probably WOULD have lost it soon. I don't know the original source, maybe Jim Archibald or John Watson.

[tonyg]

I've had no luck germinating Tr ciliatum, any tips? Maybe I should have done a more thorough stratification?

It germinates in the open garden here ... self sown.  I wish it would not - it is the worst menace I have introduced, impossible to eradicate.

[Lesley Cox]

I endorse that remark, absolutely!

[Hoy]

Well, I hope the aforesaid menace will spread more in my garden. I like it
My modest plant can spread as much as it wants where it is growing now.

[Roma]

Hope you do not have too long to wait to see your Tropaeolum myriophyllum, Lesley.
I sowed seed of Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum from F&W seed in January 1999.  3 germinated and grew on to flower.  I am not sure how often they flowered but I don't think I had seen any growth for at least two years before I retired in January 2004.  I took the pots home with me, one with one tuber and one with two.  The smaller pot was unlabelled so when it started into growth in 2007 I thought it was T. azureum.  It flowered in April and I did get a few seeds.  The ones I sowed have not germinated but I think there are still a few in the fridge which I will sow soon (if I can find them).  It did not grow again and when I checked it this year it had rotted away.
I tipped out the other pot and found two very healthy looking tubers.  I think they have been repotted at least twice before,  but have not appeared above ground for at least 8 years.  My watering regime can be a bit erratic as I have far too many potted plants to look after so that may be the cause or maybe its just as temperamental as Tropaeolum azureum.

Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum flowering in April 2007 and tubers in June 2010

[Lesley Cox]

I certainly find T. azureum a bit temperamental, not coming up at all some years but it always flowers if it appears at all.

I thought I had put this picture here earlier but perhaps it was in the Southern Hemisphere thread. Tropaeolum ciliatum which is now almost smothering my large patch of blackberry!

[Darren]

Roma and Lesley, my limited experience echoes yours.

Two years ago I sowed seed of both T azureum and austropurpureum. Both germinated well and I got flowers in year one. In dormancy I treated the tubers of azureum in the way recommended by the Youngs and others; repot very early and not allowing complete dryness in summer. All have sprouted this year. The austroprurpureum I treated as I would most other species (dry dormancy) and only one of the three has re-emerged. I am sure the other two tubers are OK - just like yours Roma. Next year I will treat it like azureum and see what happens.

btw - I harvested my own seed of both. Austropurpureum germinated no problem but mindful of discussion on here about erratic germination of azureum and possible germination inhibition between seedlings and ungerminated seed etc, I sowed them all one seed to a pot. None germinated...

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hi Lesley,
 Your Tropaeolum CILIATUM is really fine, and a little odd in that the flowers have purplish calyx which is quite unusual. The ordinary calyx color is green. Could it be a variant?
Did you collect seeds? I would be pleased to try it.
Best wishes
J-P

[Paul T]

Roma,

I just love your Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum.  The idea of a purple Trop appeals to me (I like purple  ).

Lesley,

I love the colours of the Tropaeolum ciliatum.  Very nice.  The red and yellow contrast beautifully.

[Lesley Cox]

Jean-Patrick, I bought this plant maybe 15 years ago, as Trop. azureum, from someone in New Zealand, whose Northern Ireland source should have been impeccable but turned out not to be! I've not seen any other plant of it so how it might be different from others, I don't know.

I usually cut off the flower swags when they've finished in order to keep the seed at a mimimum but there are still some left now, still green and when those are a little riper, if I catch them in time, I'll send them to you, with the warning that if you become buried under it, don't blame me.

T. speciosum which is also a terrible weed in some gardens, I've totally failed to establish here but I now have a single seedling plant, still small, from my friend Susan's plant, and in her garden it climbs high among the rhododendrons and trees.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Lesley,
Tr speciosum is said to be sometimes tricky to establish but when it is...many growers have echoed about this earlier in this topic. Planting under rhododendrons seems the ideal spot for they share the same growing conditions: Cool on the roots and full light on stems.
And..yes I would like to be buried under such bunches of flowers!!!
J-P

[Hoy]

T speciosum does very well here in western Norway. I have seen exceptional specimens in gardens here. Unfortunately my plant do not flower much too heavy shade, I think.

[Stephenb]

I had T. speciosum here growing up the wall of the house. It grew well and flowered the first years and also once self-seeded too. However, each year it would appear later and later and finally it was July before it came up. Somebody told me (I don't know if it's true) that this is because the roots force themselves down deeper and deeper until one year they are so deep that the shoots don't make it to the surface and it dies... Self-burial in other words....

I also have an old slide somewhere with a single bunch of red flowers about 1.5m up the house wall - the shoot had found it's way underneath the wooden cladding of the house and had emerged where the cladding meets the window - it looked rather odd....