Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Bulbs General => Topic started by: Lesley Cox on February 16, 2013, 09:26:04 PM
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Started a new thread because I have some very fresh seed of Tropaeolum ciliatum which I know a couple of Forumists want but I couldn't remember who. I have 20 good seeds and could get some more probably but it would mean climbing through a blackberry thicket! so I'd rather not. James in South Australia wanted some and if anyone else lets me know very soon, I'd like to get it posted away before this coming Friday which is moving day. Send me your postal address please and I'll divide it among whoever replies.
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A new season with new seedlings which have appeared by the end of 2012.
Seed pots kept well protected from the cold.
JP
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Hi,
This mild spring weathers brings the first tropaeolum flowers.
Hope more will follow...
Tr BRACHYCERAS
Tr TRICOLOR
JP
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2 more tropaeolum pics taken at Lyon's BG:
Tr PENTAPHYLLUM
Tr PELTOPHORUM
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Someone has sent a request for the seed I mentioned above, of T. ciliatum and I'll happily send it - as soon as I find it! In the process of moving house/garden/nursery/ many things have become (I hope temporarily) mislaid. It will be somewhere not too far below the surface and so will, in due course, be sent. In the meantime, I apologise profusely. :-[
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Just got seeds from Chile
T. polyphyllum and azureum
lets hope they grow well
T. polyphyllum seedlings from last year germinated in February
and are potted in 9 cm pots
Maybe some flowers this year ?
Roland
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Roland - Thanks so much for the belated offer. I did get seeds from a fellow on the Isle of Eigg. Some sprouted last year and I expect more to germinate the spring.
johnw
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I've twice had seed of polyphyllum from the Archibald lists and had good germination but not a single flower - ever- over 20 years so I grow it for the foliage. My mother used to have it years ago and when she went to dig it up the tubers had moved to the bottom of the half barrel in which they grew but mine have all stayed at the surface of troughs and raised beds. I've buried them deeply but still no flowers. At least two other NZ rock gardeners I know (one now died) had it coming up everywhere and flowering like crazy. Why not mine? :'(
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Dear Leslie:
Do these two people you mention garden in a climate colder than yours? In the wild they grow in screes, in slopes, with the tubers very deep. They have snow in winter so they are quite dryish and dormant then and sprout and grow, etc. during spring and early summer depending on altitude. In plain summer the tubers go dormant.
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Years ago I had bought T. ciliatum and I planted the bulb in the garden and now it is weed. Even Winters with -18 degrees Celsius the plants are still alive and increase extreme.
Ton
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Dear Leslie:
Do these two people you mention garden in a climate colder than yours? In the wild they grow in screes, in slopes, with the tubers very deep. They have snow in winter so they are quite dryish and dormant then and sprout and grow, etc. during spring and early summer depending on altitude. In plain summer the tubers go dormant.
Thankyou Alberto, no, generally their climates are the same as mine. One in Christchurch, the other in Geraldine, a bit south and a bit inland from Chch but overall, similar to Dunedin's climate. Christchurch doesn't get much snow at all really, and Dunedin just occasional overnight falls, lasting a day or perhaps two, a couple of times in the winter. Geraldine much the same.
Hannink, years ago I bought a dormant tuber as T. azureum and it turned out to be T. ciliatum. You're right, a terrible weed, crawling all over everything and not eradicable by digging or spraying, because of the other plants around the area.
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The first flowers in Trop. azureum.
Ton
[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]
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Some more tropaeolum pictures:
Tr BRACHYCERAS ( in full bloom )
Tr AUSTROPURPUREUM
Tr X BRACHYCERAS ( hybrid )
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A very nice Tropaeolum hybrid
JP
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A very nice Tropaeolum hybrid
JP
Yes, Very nice! A subtle colour and lovely marking.
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Hi,
A strange Tropaeolum : Tropaeolum Hookerianum ssp Pilosum?
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Perhaps you can help with this Jean-Patrick?
This seedling hybrid has appeared this year. I'm fairly sure the seed parent was austropurpureum but can only guess who was 'daddy'...
The possible suspects are: azureum, tricolor and brachyceras. My guess would be azureum based on colour but the flowers are then smaller than either parent... (see the tricolor behind it for approx size).
Any guesses? Or is it just a poor form of austropurpureum?
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Hi Darren,
The calyx of your flowers have the veinings which are found on Tr HOOKERIANUM & AUSTROPURPUREUM. But the spurs ( which we can't see very well ) are thin and pointed. I don't think Tr AZUREUM could give this kind of spur ( it has short ones ). Tr BRACHYCERAS also has short spurs. Tr TRICOLOR would be possible but we might expect some of the hues of this species on the calyx ( ?? ). Tr X BRACHYCERAS is a good option as these hybrids usually have smaller flowers and long thin spur. The last possibilities would be Tr BEUTHII which also has long thin spurs and often gives hybrids.
So I would go for Tr X BRACHYCERAS or an AUSTROPURPUREUM variant.
This is in fact quite impossible to guess without DNA analysis...
Do you grow Tr BEUTHII?
JP
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Thanks Jean-Patrick,
Yes - the spurs are long and thin like those of tricolor but, as you say, I would have expected some of the corona colour from tricolor. I don't grow beuthii. The only other Trop I have is sessilifolium which seems extremely unlikely.
So - I agree either x brachyceras or an austropurpureum variant.
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A young Tropaeolum MINUS
This underrated - and forgotten- species produces lots of wonderful flowers.
It would deserve to get back in fashion.
JP
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Hi,
Something a bit different this time. I've sown last year seeds of Tr PENTAPHYLLUM ssp MEGAPETALUM. The 2 seedlings grew but didn't flower. they've been dormant since last autumn. So I've checked the pot in order to see whether there was anything in it. I've found 2 carrot-like tubers of a surprising size...
JP
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Hello,
This very mild spring in France gives a chance of having Tr SPECIOSUM in flower. Young seedlings have emerged in a shaded container and are climbing to reach the light.
JP
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Hi,
This is a young Tropaeolum INCISUM seedling
Very nice incised blue-grey leaves
( many thanks to Kirsten )
JP
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Here's Tropaeolum SESSILIFOLIUM
Just as showy as last year...
JP
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Here's Tr TRICOLOR in full bloom
JP
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Hi,
Here's a young Tropaeolum Tuberosum ssp Sylvestre grown from seed.
JP
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Hi everyone! I am new to Tropaeolum, but very interested in growing & hybridizing. I have plants growing of the more common T. majus and T. peregrinum, and received seeds (very late...) of T. azureum, T. tricolor, T. speciosum, and a few others (although it has been recommended that I wait until fall to plant these). This is a GREAT forum, and I've learned a lot from the posts here. However, there is one specific thing I'm interested to know more about. One of the posts in an older Tropaeolum thread mentioned treating seeds with GA-3 (gibberellic acid) for germination. Given the fickle and somewhat unpredictable nature of the seeds, this was something I had considered trying anyway. I would assume this would eliminate the need for stratification, yield higher germination rates, and hopefully give quicker results, rather than the weeks... months... YEARS that it can apparently take these to germinate. Has anyone else used GA for germination? If so, at what concentration and how long were they soaked? I'm very interested to find out more about this. Any thoughts?
Clayton
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Hi Clayton, welcome to the Forum :)
I've never used GA-3 but there are plenty forumists who have experience with this method so I'm sure you'll get some good advice.
We actually get the best germination from the likes of Trop. azureum from seeds self-sown into the sand plunge of our glasshouse! ::) - not much input from us there!
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Hi,
I'd like to know whether someone on this forum can tell the differences between the Tropaeolum TUBEROSUM cultivars. Of course there are Tr TUBEROSUM and Tr TUBEROSUM ssp KEN ASLET. Do they have similar tubers? I've purchased this year ( labelled as Tr TUBEROSUM ) tubers which were white. And I've found on a nursery's web site comments on Tr TUBEROSUM ssp PILIFERA ( UM ) quoting this one has white tubers. There are- apparently - 4 cultivars listed on the RHS plant finder.
Can anybody help?
JP
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Great results, Jean Patrick. Concerning T. pentaphyllum the species is winter growing/summer dormant but the ssp. coming from the subtropical regions is summer growing/WINTER dormant.
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Hi Alberto,
Thank you for your useful comments. In fact one tuber of ssp MEGAPETALUM has just started to grow in a glass house at LYON's BG. And I'm longing to see its flowers - as you could easily guess!
JP
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Tropaeolum hookerianium flowering from seed sown in September last year and kept frost free over the winter.
susan
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Thanks for the reply, Maggi. I have been awaiting other responses, but none yet. Does anyone have experience using gibberellic acid to jump-start tropaeolum seed germination? Would love to discuss with you. Please reply of send me a private message, if you prefer.
Thanks!
Clayton
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I have never really had a problem germinating Tropaeolum seed from autumn sowing. It as always been that summer's seed though. The problem I have is keeping it from getting frosted, as it is very tender when it starts germinating. Never tried gibberellic.
As you can see they really grow well the first year and sometimes flower producing good tubers, often outside the pot!
The only advice I could give is to wait until about Oct then soak the seeds before sowing them.
Susan
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Hello,
Here's one of the Tr PENTAPHYLLUM still in bloom on my balcony.
JP
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First flowers of Tropaeolum austropurpureum
Roland
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This year again I've been lucky enough to grow successfully Tr ARGENTINUM
This tricky species has germinated in one of my containers and has invaded its neighbours. Blooming started by mid august and the plant is covered with dozens of wonderful flowers.
JP
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Fantastic success, Jean-Patrick. Does it behave as an evergreen or as a warm season annual?
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Hi Alberto,
This is considered an annual though the plant - as with other annual Tropaeolum - might be in growth for longer in a glass house. I've never been able to find any rootstock or tuber which might indicate a perennial status. But John WATSON who has seen the species in the wild ( having an enormous developement ) was well inclined to think it might be more than an annual. I really don't know. This species is tricky to cultivate as seed germination is erratic and I don't know what triggers germination. To my own experience it has germinated only from july ( in Lyon / FRANCE ) and it seems best to sow the seeds evenly and wait for those which are going to germinate. Seed viability is of at least 5 years. I've been unable to take cuttings as when I tried all the stems were flowering ones.
Hope this is of help.
JP
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The area it comes from is hot subtropical. Rain falls from late spring to autumn, the rest of the year being a long dry "winter". Many plants from this reion are perennials, too short the rainy season to support the life of most annuals. I have found in my dormant /dying plants a thick white living underground stem but no signs of a tuber. Thanks for your observations, useful as always.
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Hi,
Another rare tropaeolum species grown from seed and settled at LYON's BG:
Tr Pentaphyllum ssp megapetalum
Only a few flowers at a time
Their shape is quite strange...
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Fantastic. Do you see in it any resemblance to T. pentaphyllum proper? This species in your image is from hot subtropical Bolivia and should therfore be dormant for a long frost free winter to resprout when the spring is well advanced or almost over.
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Hi Alberto,
This rare species seems to be less floriferous than the "classic" Tr Pentaphyllum. Leaves are quite similar. As are the seeds. I've grown one young plant last year and it stayed in vegetation during all the winter. But it had germinated in late summer. The young plant withstood temperatures as low as 0°C on my balcony with bubble wrap around its plastic pot. It had been kept along with all the Chileans :a balcony shelf protected by plastic cover and added fleece +bubble wrap in order to maintain a minimum 0°C around the pots. The young plant withered in early spring and re-sprouted in summer. It is now in full vegetation ( but still no flowers ).
This might be a strange report considering the species' origins. The plant might be hardier than expected.
JP
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We visited our friend Cathy in Macedon ( a lot cooler climate than ours) and she had this "volunteer" tropaeolum growing through a purple berberis making a lovely contrast. She's concerned that it's the weedy T. ciliatum and will rip it out before it sets seed if that's what it is.
I think it might be a T. brachyceras hybrid (I note the earlier comments about a short s[pur in the true species!)
What do others think?
cheers
fermi
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This is a typical Tropaeolum Ciliatum
Wonderful flowers! This is a shame some tropaeolum species are considered as weeds and being eradicated as such in some countries. Considering that many growers "struggle" to keep these just alive in their gardens...Tr Ciliatum & Tr Speciosum are two of those " weeds"...
JP
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Tropaeolum PELTOPHORUM beginning to flower on my balcony.
I assume this won't last for long as temperatures are now seriously colder...
JP
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Hi Jean-Patrick,
thanks for your help.
Unfortunately T. ciliatum behaves here like T. speciosum behaves in Scotland!
cheers
fermi
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This is the greetings season so I'd like to offer Tropaeolum seeds of which I have some stock:
- Tr Argentinum
- Tr Huigrense
The latter is an annual which can have a huge developement in warm conditions ( a glasshouse ). It is self fertile so one can expect a good harvest if flowers are produced. Picture of this species is attached.
Anyone interested please send me a message.
JP
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Here is Tropaeolum speciosum which I'm happy to have romping around various things in the garden; a huge pear tree which also has a large ivy climbing through it and over several camellias and rhododendrons. It is classed in New Zealand as a pest and it is, in fact, illegal to buy, sell or distribute it. Not illegal to GROW it and if it loves your conditions you can't get rid of it anyway. I'm OK with that.
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For over 20 years I have tried to grow this with absolutely no success. It barely lasts a year and then disappears. I bought another large plant from Logan gardens which is still in a large pot in the greenhouse and has now rooted through the bottom of the pot. Come Spring, I will have to think of a suitable place to plant it....fingers crossed ! It is most annoying to see it growing like a weed in other gardens. It SHOULD grow here but does not.
Conversely, my eccremocarpus grows outside with no problems. I see it in sheltered glasshouses and mine has taken two severe Winters in situ and races away when the days lengthen. It has been flooded, covered in snow and survived the ground being frozen to a depth of 30 cms for a couple of weeks and still sails through all weathers. I cut back all but one stem last Spring and it broke away from half way up the stem.
My seedlings yellow/red are like mustard and cress and still growing slowly in the unheated greenhouse.
I must be doing something right but I do not know what !
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Tom, maybe if your T. speciosum has rooted through the bottom of the pot, THAT'S where it wants to be and perhaps would be best left alone? The thin rhizomes will presumably creep along to come up somewhere nearby.
I at last have replaced (thanks to a gift of a few seeds from a friend) the true nasturtium (of course I don't mean the TRUE Nasturtium) (T. majus) 'Empress of India' and will have a picture in a day or two when a few more are out. For a number of years this form has been listed and distributed by a few seed firms but the plants which resulted were way too big, semi-climbing which the E of I isn't, with scarlet flowers but not the sort of sombre scarlet it should be with a darker centre, single instead of semi-double and with almost clear green leaves instead of the stunning blue-black foliage of the Empress. These do go a little toward green in the mature plants but always retain a dark, almost sinister look. I'm not a great grower of annuals but this one has always been a favourite until one year it got too dry and didn't set seeds which always come true, if the plant is true in the first place. T. majus is not an annual but because it is tender in its various forms, it is mostly grown as such and is so easy and quick to raise from seed that there's little point in protecting it from frosts. On Otago Peninsula which has a unique microclimate, especially on the inner harbour side, nasturtium grow rampantly on the cliff faces are are gorgeous almost all year round with several other annuals or monocarpic plants including some glorious Echiums. I have high hopes of gathering quite a lot of seed from the Empress and if so, will mention it here later on and anyone interested at that time.... The E of I grows as a swag and so is an excellent plant for hanging baskets or tubs where it can tumble over but it doesn't climb.
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Lesley, what I have as 'Empress of India' (from Chiltern Seeds some years ago, here (http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/item_1260L)) doesn't match either of your descriptions fully. Yes plants are small and non-trailing, with blue foliage, but flowers are clear scarlet-orange and single ??? Certainly very different from the reddish-brown of 'King Theodore' which also has blue foliage & compact habit.
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Hi Ashley, I was thinking of you on New Year's Eve as I listened on our local Concert radio programme to part 1 of 20 (!) from a 2013 chamber music festival held in County Cork? West port? Westbrook? something like that, and wondered if you had been to any of the performances. Is it an annual event?
Looking at my E of I I have to say it is the purest red imaginable so my description above of the colour was perhaps a bit out when I said "sombre" but I had that quick impression I think because of the almost black lines which radiate out from the centre, especially from the top two petals. I don't think it would be right to say it is orange-scarlet at all, just pure scarlet. And it is not FULLY semi-double I suppose, just with a couple of extra bits on the lower half and I hope these can be seen in the picture below. I like the Chiltern seeds one in your link but theirs certainly looks as if it has just the 5 petals and nothing extra. So who knows? I've no idea now where mine came from originally but it was a local rather then northern hemisphere source. I really like their 'Indian Chief' and 'Black Velvet.' They should be importable so I may write to Chiltern Seeds.
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Happy New Year Lesley! It could be either the West Cork Chamber Music Festival (http://www.westcorkmusic.ie/), mainly at Bantry House on Bantry Bay, or perhaps the Festival of Chamber Music (http://www.classicallinks.ie/projects2.asp?ID=54) in Westport, Co. Mayo up in the north-west. The one in Bantry is renowned, so happy listening.
Your plants do look like mine, although I've never noticed those extra petals before :-[ so resolve to be more observant next year ;) ;D
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Leslie,
I planted N. "Empress of India' about 5 years ago, (Seattle, Washington) and have never had to replant as it always seeds in situ with no assistance from me whatsoever. I'm amazed, as sometimes we can get a cold snap, usually in December , down to ,say,15Farenheit, and the silly things still germinate the next spring. I've raised 'Indian Chief' and 'Black Velvet' as well, and 'Empress' is the only one to return faithfully. Go figure.
I used to raise Trop. polyphyllus is my old garden, but my soil now is too rich, retains too much moisture, and not sandy enough for it.
Trop. speciosum I had to eradicate , as it was frighteningly happy in the garden.
Rick K in a so far mild winter in Seattle.
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Rick, I wondered how you were getting on, on the west coast of the States. We've been hearing a lot about the appalling conditions in the east and the middle. I'm glad you're not too bad but I suppose it's early days yet. I guess Seattle's climate would be ideal for T. speciosum. A picture below of the Empress as she is at present. There is plenty seed starting already but I also want to do some (very easy) cuttings as a precautionary measure. Dunedin's climate is also conducive to year-round blooming of the common nasturtium forms and on the Otago Peninsula in particular (part of the city) orange and yellow forms scramble over the cliffs even in winter and are a cheerful sight to see on a cold, blustery day with chilly white horses sending water over the inner coast road.
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Leslie,
Chuckling here. When the rest of the country gets slammed by record conditions, we , very often ,are the opposite. Of course, driven by affects of the Pacific, versus the Atlantic coast. It's often the difference between day and night. True, we're not out of the woods, weatherwise, but tomorrow it's going to be in the low 50's F. This is January!
Tropaeolum speciosum is no problem here in Seattle. Last year,Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum bloomed in november/ december for me. I put it in the greenhouse after it began to flower, as I wasn't taking any chances. Sadly , it left me shortly thereafter, but at least it did what it was supposed to.
If only I could get Bomareas to do more!
RickK
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Here's a brand new year and following the other topics, my first 2014 pics about my favourite plants.
Tr MORITZIANUM and Tr HUIGRENSE grown in pots to restricted dimensions at Lyon's BG
JP
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These are very nice Jean-Patrick.
Maggi, would it be possible to put other recent Tropaeolum post all together with that above, with a 2014 label? We're getting a bit over supplied. :)
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Tropaeolum ARGENTINUM is producing new flowering stems in Lyon's BG glass house.
The plant had completely stopped growing in october / november.
JP
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A wonderful hybrid Tropaeolum which has probably Tr BEUTHII in its parentage ( see the curved spur ).
Orange flowers are quite uncommon with the Chilean species.
Unfortunately the plants seems to be sterile...
JP
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Young Tr Sessilifolium seedlings
Last year's ones unfortunately didn't produce any tuber. Maybe this time they'll do?
Seeds have been sown early september and germinated in november. The pot have been kept outside on my balcony.
JP
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Hello everyone,
I have a few questions for you experienced Tropaeolum growers. Just wondering, first, has anyone ever heard of (or performed) a successful cross between some of the South American tropaeolums (such as tricolor, brachyceras, hookerianum, pentaphyllum) with the garden variety T, majus or T. minus? I wonder if it is even possible. (They may not have the same chromosome numbers, but I cannot seem to find any published chromosome counts, except for T. majus, which is 28.)
Second, my T. tricolor is growing so rambunctiously... I can't believe the speed with which it climbs! And it is forming teeny, tiny, wee little flowers. I realize that I have seen lots of photographs of the gorgeous blooms, but perhaps I overestimated their actual size. Will those little 3mm buds continue to swell and grow to larger size, or are the blossoms actually very petite? Just curious if anyone has a photo of the tricolor flowers next to a ruler or coin for size comparison?
Thanks very much, and hoping you are all enjoying beautiful days in your parts of the world... On this first day of spring, I THINK the nasty cold and snow of the so-called "polar vortex" are finally in retreat!
Clayton
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Our trop. tricolorum are just budding up right now, Clayton - but I estimate that a fully grown , open flower is around 3cm long and around 1cm at the widest point. So, not big - but with such a vivid colour banding, they don't need to be too big to be REALLY noticeable!
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And they flower in SHEETS of bloom so quite spectacular even if the individuals are not large. The colouring is so good too. I don't have it now though I know I brought it with me when we moved 13 months ago but there has been no sign of it. :'(
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Thanks Maggi and Lesley. I'm anxious for it to bloom... I know the flowers will be beautiful, regardless of their size. I was just so surprised when I saw such miniscule little buds forming. I'll keep an eye on them, but it will surprise me if they ever reach 3cm in size! Maybe because it is a young plant. Perhaps they will also be a little bigger next year, once it's better established. You mention the "sheets" of blooms, Lesley. In photos I've seen, they always remind me of schools of fish swimming together!
As for my other question, has anyone ever heard of a hybrid between T. majus and one of the more exotic varieties, such as T. tricolor?
Clayton
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Well great oaks from little buds grow Clayton, or something like that. ;D
I shouldn't be here, Have to be 40 mins away, in 20 mins :o
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I shouldn't be here, Have to be 40 mins away, in 20 mins :o
I hope Lesley has done what I would have done in those circumstances - leapt on my broomstick and made it in time for the appointment!! ;) ;) ;D[attachimg=3]
I took these quite awful photos of the most well-developed bud on a Trop. tricolorum here - it still has a bit of expanding to do before the flower is ready to open - you can see, even through my fuzzy pic that the mouth is tightly closed - but, they do give an idea of the size - which is pretty much exactly as I guessed before.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
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Thanks Maggi and Lesley. I'm anxious for it to bloom... I know the flowers will be beautiful, regardless of their size. I was just so surprised when I saw such miniscule little buds forming. I'll keep an eye on them, but it will surprise me if they ever reach 3cm in size! Maybe because it is a young plant. Perhaps they will also be a little bigger next year, once it's better established. You mention the "sheets" of blooms, Lesley. In photos I've seen, they always remind me of schools of fish swimming together!
As for my other question, has anyone ever heard of a hybrid between T. majus and one of the more exotic varieties, such as T. tricolor?
Clayton
I don't know of any such hybridization. Tr majus & Tr Minus are not chilean species. As you think they might not have the same genetic material. And they don't share similar leaf shape.
JP
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Here's another picture of a Hybrid Tr brachyceras.
The thin long spur is not part of the taxonomic description of Tr brachyceras. It is probably inherited from Tr tricolor or tr beuthii.
JP
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2nd flush of flowers for Tr HUIGRENSE at Lyon's BG
The flowers are strangely bigger and more widely open than the previous ones. This might be related to exceptionnal sunlight since the beginning of the month.
JP
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As for my other question, has anyone ever heard of a hybrid between T. majus and one of the more exotic varieties, such as T. tricolor?
Clayton
I've not heard of such a thing Clayton, but when I get T. tricolor again (which I'm hoping to do quite soon) I'll try it both as pollen and seed parent, with the majus form 'Empress of India' of which at present I have 1 cupful of seed. (Would you like some? Would anyone like some?) I can't imagine what it would be like but surely it would be spectacular if the pollination took successfully. :D
We grow the so-called "nasturtiums" as annuals generally because they are tender but they are, in the right place, perennial plants and this is evident here now because the plants which have seeded so well are all coming away at the base and growing bushy again with their lovely blue-black leaves. I hope to keep them going through the winter ahead, other circumstances permitting.
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A beautiful tropaeolum hybrid raised this year.
Seeds were labelled " gracilia yellow " hybrid. They were supposed to be spurless. No matter what happened, flowers are of a delicate yellow fading to whitish.
No pollen.
JP
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A beautiful tropaeolum hybrid raised this year.
Seeds were labelled " gracilia yellow " hybrid. They were supposed to be spurless. No matter what happened, flowers are of a delicate yellow fading to whitish.
No pollen.
JP
A most attractive flower with subtle colouring- very pretty.
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Thanks for the measurement photo, Maggi! I'm glad to have a concrete comparison. My tricolor is blooming now, and the flowers are definitely a bit smaller than that. Interestingly, mine are also much paler, more golden-orange color than the vibrant scarlet-red I've seen in pretty much any picture. I was surprised. Anyone have any clue what would cause that? Or just a natural variation? (I'll try to post a photo later.)
Jean-Patrick, that flower is gorgeous! Such an elegant, pale color--and that faint blush at the edge of the petals really sets them off!
Now that my tricolor is blooming... but none of my other ones are... how do I save pollen to make some experimental crosses when the other ones bloom? I wondered what any of you might have tried in the past. Refrigeration? Freeze? How long does it stay viable? Curious for any suggestions!
Clayton
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Clayton, I wonder if your plant may have some hybrid blood?
This site may be of interest to you : http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.mcfarlane/ (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.mcfarlane/)
It is the website of SRGC member Steven McFarlane - he is also a forum member so may appear to give his opinion too....
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Tropaeolum PENTAPHYLLUM is now blooming at lyon BG.
I took the pictures because of the very particular light and the last pic gives a small idea of the huge dimensions this species can reach within a few weeks.
The plant has been growing in a well exposed glass house for many years. It comes back in growth reliably every year.
JP
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Thanks for the measurement photo, Maggi! I'm glad to have a concrete comparison. My tricolor is blooming now, and the flowers are definitely a bit smaller than that. Interestingly, mine are also much paler, more golden-orange color than the vibrant scarlet-red I've seen in pretty much any picture. I was surprised. Anyone have any clue what would cause that? Or just a natural variation? (I'll try to post a photo later.)
Jean-Patrick, that flower is gorgeous! Such an elegant, pale color--and that faint blush at the edge of the petals really sets them off!
Now that my tricolor is blooming... but none of my other ones are... how do I save pollen to make some experimental crosses when the other ones bloom? I wondered what any of you might have tried in the past. Refrigeration? Freeze? How long does it stay viable? Curious for any suggestions!
Clayton
Clayton, we are longing for your pics!
JP
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How can I separate Tropaeolum hookerianum hookerianum from Tropaeolum brachyceras?
Both, one or the other (? ??? ?) have escaped into the plunge of my greenhouse and now I don't know which is which. One thing is for certain -all of these scrambling Tropaeolum grow better when they escape into the plunge than when they are grown in pots -I have them coming up in almost every plunge bed.
Any thoughts on which species the image below is?
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/13361080635_dda17bd258_z_d.jpg)
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Steve, It is my understanding that hookerianum has the purplish markings, and the brachyceras is a brighter yellow, with no markings. (From photos I've seen, it also looks like the brachyceras has wider/rounder leaf lobes than hookerianum). I'm assuming there can probably be some variation among both of these traits, though...
As for my T. tricolor, does this look unusually off-color to anyone else? As I mentioned, all the photos I've seen show tricolor as a very clear scarlet-red...
Clayton
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How can I separate Tropaeolum hookerianum hookerianum from Tropaeolum brachyceras?
Both, one or the other (? ??? ?) have escaped into the plunge of my greenhouse and now I don't know which is which. One thing is for certain -all of these scrambling Tropaeolum grow better when they escape into the plunge than when they are grown in pots -I have them coming up in almost every plunge bed.
Any thoughts on which species the image below is?
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/13361080635_dda17bd258_z_d.jpg)
Hi Steve,
Tr Hookerianum usually has slighter bigger flowers than Tr brachyceras. They are also of a light yellow.
Tr Brachyceras has stronger veinings on the upper petals in comparison with Tr Hookerianum.
There's also a characteristic feature on Tr Hookerianum & Tr Austropurpureum ( and, unfortunately on hybrids in which these 2 species are involved ): There are often several flower pedicels on many nodes ( like in "whorls" ). This is never the case with Tr brachyceras. So please check this particular point on your plant.
On your picture the spur clearly doesn't belong to Tr Brachyceras. But the petals are more likely to match with this species.
I don't pretend to get the truth as there are often hybrids very close to one species.
Your plant is NOT Tr Brachyceras. It may be Tr Hookerianum or a close hybrid ( which doesn't make a huge difference... )
Hope this is of help!
JP
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Hi
I have attached a few pictures of Trops growing in my greenhouse. They all clearly have T. tricolor in their parentage and one may even be the true species. One and two are clearly hybrids, three might be true and four is of a rather attractively coloured hybrid. While the hybrids are pretty I do wish that I could grow more of the species again but I find it increasingly difficult to get these to come true from seed. Sorry I seem to have messed up the attachments. I have not been on the forum for a while.
Steven
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
[attach=3
[attach=4]
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Hi Steven,
Your plants are really wonderful! Even if they are hybrids... This shows again how difficult it can be to find "true" species. In case we have them ( true to type ) hand pollination must be the rule to harvest seeds. Pollinators in the open air mix everything to their willing...
Here are:
Tr Brachyceras
Tr Hybrid brachyceras
JP
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Wow, Steven, :o
that cyclamen-pink T. tricolor hybrid is amazing! Can it be vegetatively propagated?
cheers
fermi
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Steve,
I agree the pink hybrid is stunning! ;)
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Hi
I am glad you like the pink hybrid. Vegetative propogation is very difficult. Cuttings of tropaeolums can sometimes work but getting large enough plants from these to make a tuber has always defeated me. The only other way is to wait for future years to produce more tubers naturally. I have never been able to keep hybrid tubers long enough for this to happen. Perhaps someone else has had more success. In the meantime here is another picture of the pink hybrid.
Steven
[attach=1]
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Steven,
I'm with the others--that pink hybrid is gorgeous! It is such a rich, bright color. Your third photo looks very similar to mine (posted above). I purchased it as a true T. tricolor, but as I mentioned, all the pictures I've seen are always a vivid, solid, scarlet... not splotchy yellow-orange. But again, is this perhaps a natural variation among the species? Not sure that it definitely indicates hybrid lineage.
Clayton
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Hi Steven,
This hybrid is really stunning. Could anyone try to recreate it by crossing Tr Tricolor with tr Austropurpureum? It seems to have something of it in its parentage...
Another way of experimentation would also be to cross Tr tricolor with tr Azureum as they are compatible ( according to J. Watson ). And see what happens...
JP
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Steve, It is my understanding that hookerianum has the purplish markings, and the brachyceras is a brighter yellow, with no markings. (From photos I've seen, it also looks like the brachyceras has wider/rounder leaf lobes than hookerianum). I'm assuming there can probably be some variation among both of these traits, though...
As for my T. tricolor, does this look unusually off-color to anyone else? As I mentioned, all the photos I've seen show tricolor as a very clear scarlet-red...
Clayton
Hi Clayton,
Tr TRICOLOR has some accepted variations in the wild. The spur can be orange-red or even yellow ( this has been recorded by J. WATSON ). So your plant could be within the limits of these variations. The spur can also be quite long and thin. But the yellow petals aren't usually much exserted from the calyx.
Here's a pic which might correspond to Tr x TENUIROSTRE.
JP
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I got this as Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum form the AGS seed distribution. It doesn't fit any photos on the web of this species. Any views as to its ID?
It has germinated and flowered in the space of 4 months.
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I got this as Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum form the AGS seed distribution. It doesn't fit any photos on the web of this species. Any views as to its ID?
It has germinated and flowered in the space of 4 months.
Hi Pete,
This young plant is clearly a hybrid. But a wonderful one with peach petals and a slight picotee line on the edges. So well worth growing!
Flowers of such hybrids often fade to different hues as they age. And this adds some interest in growing such hybrids.
JP
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Here's a hybrid with diferent tones of colour on the same plant:
First pic with newly open flowers
2nd pic with flowers of various stages of maturity
JP
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Thank you Jean-Patrick.
It has now faded as you said to a pale yellow.
A better photo here.
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Tropaeolum hybrids are flowering mostly in mauve / pink hues on my balcony this spring:
first pic is of a young one with huge leaves and flowers.
second pic shows a particularly floriferous young seedling
JP
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So my austropurpureum is now blooming, and I would like to save pollen to use on future crosses. I've heard you can freeze it for later use and it will remain viable for a year or 2. Has anyone done this? I'd appreciate any tips on how to collect/store/freeze/thaw it!
I haven't formed any strong conclusions about whether my tricolor is pure. It seems that there is some degree of variation, as described by Jean-Patrick. However, I did email the source where I purchased the tubers, as I know they sell various species... I was told that it could be a hybrid. They grow from seeds, and "can't control the hummingbirds." Well that may be true, but I don't think it is a very reputable practice to sell by name with no certainty at all whether it is what you're calling it!
I did find it interesting, JP, that the Tr x TENUIROSTRE picture has bright green calyx tips, rather than the dark purple you usually see on tricolor, though it looks very similar otherwise.
Pete, a lovely flower--both just opened as well as faded to a more yellow shade!
Clayton
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Here's now Tr TRICOLOR faithfully growing ( and flowering ) this year again
JP
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Clayton, I'm not sure if it's a good idea actually to FREEZE pollen, maybe just refrigerate it, in airtight small containers (plastic probably) at about 4 deg C. I heard a talk recently about breeding tall bearded irises and the speaker said that's what she did, the storing in a fridge I mean, in airtight containers and she said not to freeze it though. She exchanges pollen with iris breeders in the USA, now that we are not able to import plants and she and her US people store the pollen for the 6 months it takes until ready to be used on plants on the other side of the world. She scrapes the pollen from the anthers with a very fine scalpel blade and wipes it onto a small piece of waxed paper then puts that in the little container and tightens a lid over it.
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Hello,
A young Tr Azureum seedling with quite uncommon flowers
JP
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Hello,
A young Tr Azureum seedling with quite uncommon flowers
JP
Yes, a lot of green in the flower, eh?
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Tr SESSILIFOLIUM is now beginning to bloom in my "Andean " container. It grows there along with Tr POLYPHYLLUM and Tr INCISUM. But these 2 species don't perform as well...
JP
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Yes, a lot of green in the flower, eh?
Yes Maggi,
I don't know where the green markings come from. And I don't remember having seen Trops with mostly green petals...
JP
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Hello all,
Lesley, of course that sounds much more sensible! Freezing would certainly have the potential to damage the pollen. I've done a little online researching for "general" pollen storage tips, and it seems like an airtight container--possibly with some desiccant enclosed--stored in a refrigerator around 4 deg C (~40 deg F) should do the trick! I have some little 2.5 ml plastic tubes used in laboratories with snap down lids that should work perfectly. Seeing as how small the anthers are, I may just pluck the entire things, rather than try to scrape them, however.
As for the question of my possible "half-blood" tricolor, I had forgotten that there are 2 separate tubers in that pot. It would appear that the other has started blooming, and it looks exactly as I had expected. So whether the other is a true tricolor or not, at least one appears to be for certain.
Clayton
[attachimg=1]
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And also, my austropurpureum is now blooming. Although these flowers are all much tinier than I had imagined previously, they are so brightly colored and just beautiful!
Clayton
[attachimg=1]
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Hello,
Tr BEUTHII hasn't been shown or discussed much on this forum. Probably due to its relative rarity?
Here's a picture of my plant raised from seed 1 or 2 years ago.
JP
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I grew Tropaeolum beuthii from SRGC seed in 2010. It flowered the first year but I do not remember seeing it since. Two shoots appeared this winter and it is flowering now.
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A very lovely and floriferous plant Roma!
And really nicely grown.
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This year I've been lucky enough with Tr Sessilifolium seedlings.
They're just having a few flowers. These are really "huge" compared with the leaf size.
Don't know whether they'll produce a tuber...
JP
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Tropaeolum Smithii growing on my balcony in a small pot and offering a few ( wonderful ) flowers
JP
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Great plant J-P. 8)
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Well done J-P. I couldn't get this to germinate but must try again.
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Very beautiful , JP, I used to follow you in flicker. 8)
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Many thanks Maggi, Ashley & Baby2080...
This year will bring another great reward: after many trials and failures Tr CILIATUM & Tr SPECIOSUM have been established at LYON BG ( and on my balcony! ) This is mainly due to the very special weather we've had since last autumn. The plants are growing freely ( and are invading their unfortunate neighbours in my containers ). I only hope they'll withstand next summer...
Tr CILIATUM is the first in bloom
JP
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Another young Tropaeolum seedling. The very last one for this year. It bears strangely coloured flowers with a large tint of green.
This is a hybrid raised from the seed exchange ( labelled as Tr Beuthii ).
JP
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Hi
I thought that you might like to see a few pictures of T. pentaphyllum ssp. megapetalum. I have been trying to grow this plant for many, many years. Last year from seed it produced a few poor flowers and a large tuber.
[attach=1]
This year the tuber has produced a fine plant with many flowers.
[attach=4]
[attach=2]
[attach=3]
I am now hoping that it will produce some seed.
Steven
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Cracking flowers and the tuber is pretty impressive too. 8)
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I'm coming back to Tropaeolum now after a break; I had a few disappointments when my Tr. brachyceras, raised lovingly from seed and kept going for many years all rotted and I lost the tubers. I also lost my Tr. azureum, germinated the seed I collected last year and grew a couple of good sized tubers, kept those tubers healthy over autumn/winter in sand and had very nice plants growing and producing flower buds when a rogue cockatoo knocked the pot to the ground and smashed both plants off at ground level! So yes, I've had some bad luck. I think I've recovered from the shock of these disasters and I'm ready to start building the collection again.
Fermi, if you read this; your friend who has the beautiful ciliatum in her garden, she ought to consider keeping and handling the seedlings as they pop up. It's such a lovely thing I would love to have it here. If she ever does have seedlings or even tubers could you pass on my details to her and I would buy them from her.
Steven and J-P, is the Tr. pentaphyllum ssp. megapetalum going to be offered in the next SRGC Seed exchange? ;)
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I wonder if I'm Fermi's friend (yes) to whom you refer Jupiter, with the T. ciliatum in her garden (yes, but no). We moved house back in February 2013 and I was quite careful NOT to bring T. ciliatum. OK, so it is very pretty in bloom but is savagely rampant, or was for me, clambering over not only the fence where it was planted, but out into the wider world over perennials, rhodos and many other things, a disaster in the making really. I did bring some seed with me because a couple of people had requested it but that has gone now. While I admit it was attractive, I never want to see it again!
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You don't have to wonder, Lesley! ;D
Jamus,
I think you're referring to my friend Cathy in Macedon as I posted a pic from her garden - last year?
I'll ask her if she still has it,
cheers
fermi
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I'm coming back to Tropaeolum now after a break; I had a few disappointments when my Tr. brachyceras, raised lovingly from seed and kept going for many years all rotted and I lost the tubers. I also lost my Tr. azureum, germinated the seed I collected last year and grew a couple of good sized tubers, kept those tubers healthy over autumn/winter in sand and had very nice plants growing and producing flower buds when a rogue cockatoo knocked the pot to the ground and smashed both plants off at ground level! So yes, I've had some bad luck. I think I've recovered from the shock of these disasters and I'm ready to start building the collection again.
Fermi, if you read this; your friend who has the beautiful ciliatum in her garden, she ought to consider keeping and handling the seedlings as they pop up. It's such a lovely thing I would love to have it here. If she ever does have seedlings or even tubers could you pass on my details to her and I would buy them from her.
Steven and J-P, is the Tr. pentaphyllum ssp. megapetalum going to be offered in the next SRGC Seed exchange? ;)
Hi Jamus,
Yours is quite a sad story but it happened to me several times. I think one can never be sure to keep a Tropaeolum tuber forever. One day it rots and we wonder why, having done nothing special. This is a real catastrophy when it's a rare species which can't be replaced. I sow seeds each year in order to be able to face these unpredictable losses. But sometimes seeds don't grow or don't produce any tuber...and with rare ones seed stock is often limited. For instance the Tr Brachyceras I grew this year mostly had sterile flowers. So no seed to replace in case the tuber rots...
Referring to Tr Pentaphyllum ssp megapetalum: I also grow this one but my plant started later than Steven's one. And it's not in bloom yet. So I doubt I'll harvest any seed. And I don't know whether I'll take part to the seed exchange from now on.
JP
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Thanks fermi. Ciliatum looks like it might do well for me in my garden, and I'm young enough and fit enough (dumb enough?) to not be put off by the prospect of chasing seedlings all around the garden!
Lesley you sent me seeds once before but none germinated. Typical of tropaeolum, isn't it? Fickle mistresses.
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I would advise great caution with T.ciliatum, I very much regret ignoring the advice to keep it contained in a pot. Having planted it in the garden it is a complete thug here, perfectly hardy and with roots which form tubers growing at quite a depth underground making it impossible to get rid of. Shoots now come up about 5 metres away in all directions from the original plant.
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Apologies for not managing to take part in the forum for some time.
I am sowing some old seeds which I was given, among them is a packet labeled "Tropaeoleum pubescens var pubescens Aloag/ Tandepi 2600m. 29.7.93"
The seeds are quite angular with points on them. Can any one advise what the plant might be please?
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Kew plantlist syas that name is a synonym of :
Tropaeolaceae Tropaeolum pubescens Kunth publ. Nov. Gen. Sp. [H.B.K.] 5: 251 [quarto]. 1821
Distribution: Loja (Ecuador, Western South America, Southern America)
Collector(s): F.W.H.A.Humboldt 3325
....which I admit doesn't get us very far! I'm looking to see if the published paper is online.
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Thanks Maggie, Im really needing to know if it is an annual, woodlander or a screeplant, the seed is very old but it seems obscure enough to be interesting and might be worth sowing.
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Haven't even found that info yet, Peter! Are you rehydrating the seed? It'll be a tad on the dry side after all this time, I expect :)
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I am about to sow 80 pots of Alstroemeria, I'm in the middle of 120 pots of Allium seeds. then Tulips, Colchicums...... Unfortunately they will only be soaked when they are planted because of lack of time. I wish I could soak each lot and then plant but it is not practical. I hope that there will be time, before winter, for warmth to initiate germination.
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From an French paper from 1967 it appears it is perennia - it is said to be part of the Serrato-ciliata group (Hughes1922)
Part paper here :
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4113568?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21104660914737 (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4113568?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21104660914737)
Small pix of herb pages here :
http://plants.jstor.org/search?plantName=Tropaeolum+pubescens& (http://plants.jstor.org/search?plantName=Tropaeolum+pubescens&)
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Hi Peter,
Tropaeolum pubescens is probably annual ( as supposed in Sparre's & Andersson's monography ). It is pilose ( as indicated by its name ). Flowers are small ( 25-35 mm long ). The spur is orange-red. The calyx is greenish. Petals are ciliate and blackish blue. They are not much exceeding the calyx lobes.
This species has been in cultivation in the UK many years ago and has ( apparently ) disappeared.
Graham Buchanan-Dunlop who previously had the national UK tropaeolum collection grew it from seed ( got from J. Archibald ). He distributed cuttings but unfortunately lost the plant. Apparently no one has been able to give one back to him. I know he would be very interested in growing this species again ( I confess I also would... ). He took pictures of his plant. I have one but can't post it without permission. ( it has been published in the Tropaeolum newsletter n°14 / The Geraniaceae group publications ).
I don't have Graham's details. He lives in Scotland in a new house. I'm sure he would be pleased to tell what he knows about this rare species.
Maggi, maybe you know him?
JP
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He is an SRGC member- and Ian and I have had contact with him in the past- but only by post if I remember correctly.
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Thankyou for your research Maggie :) And thankyou Jean-Patrick for the information. I was going to sow them now but I assume that they will be better sown in the Spring?
Jean- Patrick, my packet has enough to share between three and is from Jim Archibalds seed room - with his own hand writing on it, I think. When I reach it again I will contact you. (It is in a box of seed packets ready to be sown.)
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I have now found a phone number for Graham Buchanan-Dunlop -so I may try to phone tomorrow to see if he will be willing for J-P to show his photo of the plant etc.
There is no mention of this plant in any of the Archibald seedlists, by the way so it does not seem to have been officially offered by Jim and Jenny .
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Good work Maggie!
I am sure that Jim could not offer every seed that came his way, small volume, poor quality, lackof time..... many seeds which he might have grown or received from his many contacts would never have enterd his sales list. I think that this packet (over 20 years old) contains about ten seeds.
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Hi Peter, following this thread it occurred to me that your seed may be barely viable after ten years. Perhaps a soak in 0.1% bleach and sown into something sterile would be advisable if they are as precious as I think they might be... You don't want to lose them to a common soil microbe if germination is sluggish and growth may be feeble. Please keep us posted, I too am interested in seeing pictures of this lesser known Trop.
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I have just had a chat with Graham B-D. He is going to send me some notes he has on the plant. He received five seeds of it in 1993: only one germinated. It is the same collection as Peter's packet, noted by Graham as being made at 8500ft in Ecuador.
It grew for some years into quite a robust plant and proved amenable to grow from cuttings, tho' Graham does not at the moment recall getting any seed.
Graham was kind enough to say he had no objections at all to J-P sharing his photo of the plant on the forum. 8)
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Here is a copy of Graham Buchanan-Dunlop's notes, as promised :
[attachimg=1]
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Hi Maggi,
You're really incredible!!!
As Graham Buchanan-Dunlop gave his authorization here are the 2 pics he sent for publication to the TN letter and which I've scanned.
In fact the serrato-ciliata section contains many species which are very close to one another. They are not well known to us . There are some pics posted on the internet from time to time but it's difficult to make a correct identification.
Peter,
Hope you'll find it nice enough for giving it a try -even if the seeds are very old...
JP
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Happy to help, J-P. :)
It does look an interesting plant. It would be quite a triumph if these old seeds were to germinate and grow well so we could enjoy fresh photos of it - I'll keep my fingers crossed!
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Amazing research Maggie, JP.
I shall do my best with it.
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Tropaeolum Hermine Grashoff & Margaret Long have flourished this year at LYON BG.
Good exposure & good soil have been the keys.
Wonderful carpets of flowers...
JP
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Hi
I have a small number of seeds of T. pentaphyllum ssp. megapetalum. If anyone would like a few please contact me in the next few days. After that they will go to the seed exchange.
Steven
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Hi
I have a small number of seeds of T. pentaphyllum ssp. megapetalum. If anyone would like a few please contact me in the next few days. After that they will go to the seed exchange.
Steven
That will be exciting news to tropaeolum lovers who marvelled at your super plant shown in Dunblane at the SRGc Summer Event and featured in Sandy Leven's report on the day : http://files.srgc.net/Showreports/SRGCSummerevent2014.pdf (http://files.srgc.net/Showreports/SRGCSummerevent2014.pdf) 8)
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Hi
Here are a couple of pictures of T. moritzianum.
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
This is my only plant this year. While it has obviously grown well as yet I have no seed and am unlikely to be able to bring it through the winter. I will soon bring it inside and perhaps get a few seeds that way. I have also got a small rooted cutting.
Steven
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A glorious plant with those very elaborate flowers - what a shame you're not getting seed. Good luck with the cuttings.
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Hello Steven,
Congratulations on a splendid (and very healthy-looking) plant of T. moritzianum. Those flowers are completely captivating and remind me of a miniature firework display. I used to grow it in the 1990's from seed collected in Venezuela by W.H.C.Ramsbottom. The main problem in cultivation I found was that, although seed germinated readily, in order to get it to flower and set seed by the end of the summer, I had to grow it under glass. Grown under glass, it was prone to attack by virus (presumably spread by aphids) and the whole plant was ruined and failed to flower. Although cuttings strike quite readily (as you have found) I used to have difficulty nursing them through the winter. I wonder where your original seed came from ? I gave all my material to the National Trust, but I am not sure that anything survives from that. Good luck with your efforts to keep it going. In my opinion, it is worth any amount of trouble to keep it in cultivation.
Graham
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Hello Graham
And welcome to the forum. My original seed of T. moritzianum came from Guy Sisson in 2002. Guy ran The Plantsman Nursery near Okehampton. He eventually moved the business to France but I do not think that the nursery has survived. Seed does not germinate reliably (sometimes only after a full year) and even when it does it can be difficult to get the plant to produce fresh seed in our cool and short summers. It is however a good plant with amazing flowers. I will keep trying.
Steven
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Yes, I remember Guy Sisson's nursery well. He had a wonderful selection of climbers there. In fact I gave him his original seed of T. moritzianum, so I am fairly sure that all plants of this species grown in the UK in recent years will have come from the Ramsbottom collection made at CUMANACOA, VENEZUELA, in February 1997.
This is a lesson to us all to distribute plant material as widely as possible, with the aim of keeping a particular species in cultivation and insuring against accidents. Heaven knows, the growing of Tropaeolums is constantly fraught with disaster ! It would be good if Guy Sisson was still growing things in France, but I have been unable to track him down. Sounds as though you might be the only person growing T. moritzianum in the UK now. Has anyone else anywhere got it ???
Good luck.
Graham
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I grew a nice plant of moritzianum here in adelaide two years ago, although not as spectacular as yours Steven. I sowed seed last season and didn't get a single germination. I think I have the pot somewhere as I don't usually throw them out for a couple of years at least. ???
My seed came to me through the generosity of Jean-Patrick.
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The wonderful Tr MINUS scrambling on my balcony...and still flowering!
JP
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That is a November treat.
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Tropaeolum PELTOPHORUM
This annual species is flowering for the 2nd time this year in one of LYON BG's glasshouses. Self seeding each year.
It has a huge developement.
JP
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Hi,
Tropaeolum TUBEROSUM beginnig to bloom at Lyon BG. The November weather is surpisingly fine here so we might expect some more...
JP
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These plants are making the most of the mild weather - quite right too!
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I think we might begin this new tropaeolum year with the warm colours of tropaeolum peltophorum. A sea of flowers...brightening the winter days!
This species is at its peak by now trying to reach the top of the glass house at Lyon's BG.
Enjoy!
JP
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A cheerful sight for January, JP!
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A question from a USA member : "One of the seeds I ordered ( from the Seed Ex. ) is Tropaeolum polyphyllum, which I have hopes will be hardy in the soil of my rock garden here in Boulder, Colorado.
I know it will establish a tuber up to 100 cm deep. Do you think I can stratify and start it outdoors in a deep (5”) seed plug cell, then transplant into ground next fall (or Spring 2016)? Or would I be best sowing seed at desired site with a gravel mulch and letting it start to establish its deep rooting structure there? "
Who can give Kevin advice on growing this Trop. on Colorado?
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I usually sow seeds of Tropaeolum polyphyllum[i] in deep pots (6 inches minimum or as deep as you like) with the seeds about an inch below the soil surface. I sit the pots outside for the winter, protected from birds and mice. On germination, the roots rush to the bottom of the pot and, with luck, form small tubers there. Sometimes the tubers form actually in the drainage holes of the pot, which can mean cutting up the pot to extract them. When the seedlings go dormant, these small tubers can be planted out or potted on into larger pots to grow on for a further season or two. I have never yet tried sowing seed directly into the open ground, but there is no reason why this should not work perfectly well as long as there is sufficient depth of soil for the roots to develop (yes, they can go down one metre) and it is well-drained. The important thing to remember is that, though this species can cope with conditions 10,000 feet up in the Andes, the tubers cannot tolerate frost, therefore tubers must be planted deeply and tubers grown in pots must be adequately protected through the winter. The seeds, however, seem to benefit by stratification. I hope this is helpful. T.polyphyllum is a wonderful species, so good luck. Graham.
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Tropaeolum pentaphyllum var megapetalum showing some flowers at Lyon BG.
...but not the same display as Steven's!
JP