GREEN LEAFED MONSTER IN THE GARDEN
I bought this awesome tropical vine on a garden-centre in Rosenberg last spring. The flowers were exquisite and the leaves heart-shaped and felt velvet-like on touch.
But now it seems that I have bred a monster in my garden. I almost feel the tendrils teasingly snaps after my ankles when I pass it on my way. Mildly put its a very fast growing specimen.
In the start there where flowers, but now, it mostly grows with a scaring determination. I have to dig it up and move it from the place by the pool but to where? I’m afraid that if I put it down by the ugly old fence around the property that I initially had decided, it will just take over the neighbours gardens too. Or they probably will suddenly miss one of their kids or at least some of their smaller dogs.
Secretively I admire the vines healthy, happy ability to outgrow everything around it and the lovely, velvety shades of greens.
But I think gardeners demand at least one thing from their plants, and that is that the gardener has to be needed. I strongly feel that this lively green monster doesn’t need me anymore.
| NAME | Hawaiian sunset Vine, Hawaiian Bell, Braveheart Bell, Stictocardia beraviensis |
| DESCRIPTION | Evergreen, tropical climber. Stunning red, orange bell-shaped vaguely fragrant flowers. Velvety green decorative, heart-shaped leaves. Very fast growing. |
| HARDINESS | USDA zone 10 and 11. probably most of zone 9. Can take some freeze, and will grow back if the root is healthy. |
| GROWING LOCATION | Sun, partial shade. Grows in all types of soil. Easy. Need some regular moisture. Also a suitable container plant. |
| PRUNING AND CARE | The vine will outgrow the biggest trellis if not regularly pruned. If it stops flowering, but grows profoundly, cut back and/or stop fertilizing for a while. |
| DISEASES | Little. According to http://thegardengeeks.net/plant-guide/8711-stictocardia_beraviensis it’s prone to Spider Mites, especially as an indoor plant. |
| SUITABLE FOR | As a lush and lovely background plant climbing on walls and trellis. As container plant its probably easier to handle its vigorous growth. Awesome plant to cover up larger imperfections on your site. The plant’s expression as a tropical and exotic climber makes it a recommendable plant. But a really, really fast grower! |
