| | Fast-Growing Vines
by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com |
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A co-worker is getting married in October and wanted a vine that would
cover an arbor in one season. She doesn't particularly care about
flowers—she'll tack those in when the time comes—but wanted
a good coverage of nice foliage that would still look decent at a
time when most things are winding down. She finally settled on fiveleaf
akebia (or chocolate vine), buying two one-gallon container plants
in mid-April, and since then, the vines have put on about four feet
of growth. To hedge her bets, she's keeping them in containers (larger
ones) so that she can move them to a safe spot if frost threatens.
 | | Akebia can cover an arbor quickly but it needs frequent pruning to keep it in check. |
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For her purposes, akebia (Akebia quinata) is a great choice. A woody twining vine that's fast out of the starting gate, it can grow 20 to 40 feet in a single season. It's hardy in Zones 5 to 8 (iffy in Zone 4), deciduous but its leaves stay green until the first hard freeze, then most drop. In early spring, flowers appear with—and sometimes covered by—the five-leaflet leaves; in fall purple pods appear. It shrugs off a range of light and moisture conditions, so adaptable that you have to prune it regularly and often to keep it in bounds.
Keeping her akebias in containers is also good insurance for the bride-to-be.
Akebia is such a fast grower that it's considered an invasive species
by some. Sometimes there's a thin line between a fast-growing vine
and a weed out of control. See "The Invaders"
below for more information on plants you want to think twice about
introducing to your garden. If you want well-behaved fast growers,
however, here are some other vines that know how to stay on the good
side of vigor:
 | | The hyacinth bean vine was a favorite of gardener Thomas Jefferson. |
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Purple hyacinth bean. Every summer a friend brings back her favorite deck ornament—a vigorous skirting of Lablab purpurea (formerly Dolichos lablab). What keeps gardeners flocking to this annual are its pinkish-purple flowers, purple-green foliage, and in late summer, screaming-reddish-purple pods. Pair its ornamental value with the fact that the seeds germinate with almost 100 percent reliability, and you have a perfectly easy fast-growing vine. The tendrils twine, so provide a trellis, fence, string or other support, and the plant will do the rest. Grows 10 to 20 feet; does best in full sun.
Moonflower. Also called moonvine, this vigorous twining vine—a cousin of the morning glory—can provide enchantment on a summer evening when its five- to six-inch white trumpet-shaped flowers open. Large heart-shaped leaves give this vine a semi-tropical look. Soak seeds overnight or scratch with a file, and plant in full sun. You'll find this listed as either Ipomoea alba or Calonyction aculeatum. Twining stems. Grows 10 to 15 feet.
More great vines
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Let us help you get dressed for the garden:
Browse the HGTV online store, or call 800-448-8275.
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| The Invaders
Sometimes
wanting a plant that will give fast coverage can lead to grabbing
a cutting of the first candidate you spot—or letting a volunteer
keep growing in the chosen site because even though it's not the plant
you wanted, it seems to be doing the job. Okay, granted, you won't
reach for kudzu, Japanese honeysuckle, wild grape or poison ivy. But
here are some other bad boys you'll want to steer clear of:
 | | Air potato grows rapidly. These seedlings are only a few days old. |
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Air potato. Put one cutting of this baby in the ground, and you'll be regretting it ever after. This invasive vine can grow a foot per day. Its chief problem, though, are its small round fruits (round and brown, hence its name) that are produced in great abundance and seem to have a near 100 percent germination rate, even with scarce contact with poor soil. After a season's worth of growth, the little "potatoes" lie cheek to jowl on the ground, and every couple of days, you'll be pulling up dozens of six-inch plantlets. You'll have to keep at it until every last sucker is gone.
Multiflora rose. This exotic species was brought into the U.S. in the 19th century and used as a rootstock for cultivated roses. Besides this plant's knack for popping up in all the wrong (and right) places, it also serves as the host for rose rosette, a deadly virus that's transmitted by a tiny mite to the roses you've spent good money on.
Mimosa. This fast-growing tree is sometimes coveted by travelers on interstates who are not familiar with its bad-boy nature. What's not to like about a small- to mid-sized tree that has pink frou-frou blossoms in the summer? Well, the fact that it self-seeds like crazy, and the young seedlings have such a deep tap root that they're nearly impossible to pull up.
There are some 400 plants classified as seriously invasive species in the U.S. today. Invasiveness depends on climate—the cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida), for example, can grow out of control in Texas but not in Tennessee. Other invaders in some locations: Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), porcelain berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), wintercreeper euonymus (Euonymus fortunei), amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), empress tree or princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa), plus, Japanese honeysuckle and kudzu, of course.
Share your experiences with out-of-control plants on our general gardening message board.
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Cool
Plants |
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Plants that offer lots of detail seem to beg for close inspection.
Here are a couple that invite you to get up close and personal:
Yellow-rim
(Serissa foetida). It's hard to find a woody shrub that's this
dainty. Fine-textured in both leaf and flower, this tidy mound blooms
its tiny white star-shaped flowers in complete or partial shade in
late spring. Margins on its inch-long leaves are yellow, a further
refinement of detail. One of its cultivars, 'Cherry Blossom', has
white leaf margins and larger pink flowers. Averages three to four
feet high and wide. Zones (6) 7 to 9.
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Love-in-a-mist
(Nigella damascena). If you love romantic flowers and you're
not familiar with this dreamy annual, introduce yourself. Sky-blue
flowers that are each collared by the plant's fernlike foliage seem
to drift lazily through this 20-inch plant. 'Mulberry Rose' opens
creamy pink and ages to rose-pink. Miss Jekyll Series has white, rose
and blue flowers. There are several double-flower selections, including
the Persian Jewel Series. It takes three months to get from seed to
flower. If it's too late for you to plant now, plan for it next year.
Love-in-a-mist self-sows.
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Garden
Guru |
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If you're planning to use bark mulch in a sunny bed, make sure the
plants are heat tolerant. In very hot or sunny areas, heat radiated
from mulch can do a number on sensitive plants. On a summer day dark-bark
mulches can reach temperatures of 140 to 150 degrees F—hotter
than asphalt. Since heat rises, that means plants can shut down and
stop growing. The plants most prone to suffer are those with large
leaves and any that prefer partial shade or can't tolerate heat. Rock
mulches, except for lava, don't radiate as much heat.
Hummingbirds are highly territorial. If you're offering them an assortment
of their favorites such as verbena, geraniums, dianthus, salvias,
cardinal vine and small-flowered petunias—or if you're hanging
multiple feeders—try to space them at least 15 feet apart and
out of sight, if possible, of the other feeders. Plant brightly colored
annuals or put containers of their favorites in different places in
the garden. To make hummingbird food, bring four cups of water to
a boil, stir in a cup of sugar, let the mixture boil for five minutes,
then remove from heat, cover and let cool. The mixture will keep in
the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Don't add red food coloring.
In warm weather, the "nectar" spoils quickly; empty, clean
and refill feeders every few days or whenever it turns cloudy.
If you're unlucky
enough to have found a flush of too-vigorous, very thorny stems with
curled and crinkly red foliage coming up in a cultivated rose, you've
got rose rosette. This deadly virus doesn't respond to treatment;
dig out the affected plant, roots and all, to save other roses in
the garden.
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