Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
From: Orlando, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Propagation, Seeds and Seeding, Vines
Title: Seed planting of Crossvine from Orlando FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford
From our Native Plant Database page on Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine):
Propagation Material: Root Cuttings , Seeds , Softwood Cuttings
Seed Collection: Collect the large, woody capsules from late summer through fall when they are light brown and beginning to dry. Seeds remain viable one year in sealed, refrigerated containers.
Seed Treatment: Seed requires no pretreatment.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Training to avoid crowding of stems will aid in the formation of flower shoots. Branches can be cut back in the spring to encourage flowering."
We noticed that you referred to "Tangerine Beauty." This may just be a trade name assigned by the growers to make the plant more attractive to buyers. Some of the information we found referred to it as a cultivar, which hopefully means that it has been selected for the color. If it were a hybridized plant, the seeds would not breed true to the color; in fact, they still might not. Since it will probably be two to three seasons after planting seeds before blooms appear, you might find that, after the plant is well established, you are not getting the color blooms you expect. A sure-fire way to get the same color is to go the root or softwood cuttings route for propagation, which will produce clones of the original plant. From North Carolina State University here are instructions on Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings (which includes softwood cuttings) as well as Plant Propagation by Leaf, Cane and Root Cuttings.
As you can see from the pictures below, there are several degrees of difference in the coloring of the primary plant.
Evergreen vine for Lake Jackson, Texas
March 06, 2009 - I have some lattice for privacy that I would like to cover with an evergreen vine or ivy. One is facing to the west, the other to the east. What would you suggest?
view the full question and answer
Native vine to cover brick column in Houston
October 28, 2009 - I have a brick column (~20ft tall) in the entry way to my house in Houston, TX. I am looking for a beautiful native vine that'll cover the column and soften the look of the house. I don't want to us...
view the full question and answer
Vines for a cliff in backyard
October 17, 2010 - I have a large (25 ft) cliff in my backyard. Its too large to
use a retaining wall and occasionally some of the caliche slides down. I'm planning on planting vines at the top and letting them drape...
view the full question and answer
Vine for lanai in St. Augustine FL
August 16, 2009 - What vine can I grow to attach to a screened in lanai around my pool? Will it damage my screen?
view the full question and answer
Sources for plants from Abingdon MD
August 02, 2012 - What stores or nursuries in Harford County sell already grown Coral honeysuckle, Purple passion flower, trumpet creeper, and crossvine?
view the full question and answer
![]() |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |