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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Tip of the Week — 6/8/09

Posted in Gardening Tips on June 8 2009, by Sonia Uyterhoeven

Reaching New Heights: Tropical Vines

Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education. Join her each weekend for home gardening demonstrations on a variety of topics in the Home Gardening Center.

Passion FlowerVines are an important part of any tropical display. Many of them are fast-growing and can be grown successfully as annuals. Others should be overwintered in a sunny location in the home and moved outside in late spring.

Vines have different ways of climbing. Understanding how they hold onto and climb over structures will help you choose the right type of support. Mandevilla vines (Mandevilla) have twinning stems that wrap themselves around their structure; passionflowers (Passiflora) possess stem tendrils that hook onto and tighten around their support; while cup and saucer vines (Cobaea) have leaf petioles that wrap around their support.

Another important consideration when deciding on trellising for vines is to understand the ultimate size, height, and spread. Some vines such as hyacinth beans (Dolichos) are vigorous growers while others such as cypress vines (Ipomoea quamoclit) are well-behaved accent points. Sometimes information on size reflects their growth habit in warmer climates so that you can expect them to vary (be smaller) in northern climes. 

The black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia), morning glories (Ipomoea), cup and saucer vine, Spanish flag (Mina), and hyacinth bean are all fast-growing annuals. Start them indoors from seed 3–6 weeks before the last frost date. Grow in 4-inch pots with an 18-inch bamboo stake to provide initial support. Do not start them too early; otherwise you will end up with a tangled mess.

The passionflower can be brought inside over the winter and will flower if placed by a sunny window. The mandevilla vine can either be brought indoors with the passion flower or it can be cut down to its base. You will be left with a pot full of tubers that require the same care for winter dormancy as bananas.

To care for your vines, patiently wind them around a tripod or vertical structure to achieve a fuller display and prevent them from climbing straight up to the top of the structure. Some more vigorous vines will need to be pruned or cut back to maintain their shape.

Good container maintenance is important to keep a healthy display:

  • Always use potting soil with good drainage (any standard mix will do).
  • Do not overcrowd your plants—give them space to grow.
  • Trim plants back when they get too large so they do not take over the space.
  • Do not mix moisture-loving plants with drought-tolerant ones—they make bad companions.
  • Find a good watering routine that suits the requirements of your plants. Do not supersaturate the container or let it dry out completely.
  • Remember that most potting soils contain fertilizer. Supplement that with additional fertilizer starting in mid-summer. Some fast-growing plants such as passionflower, mandevilla, and angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia) may need to be fertilized every other week.