Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Saturday - July 07, 2012
From: Medina, OH
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Invasive Plants, Non-Natives, Vines
Title: Hybrid Campsis radicans 'Madame Rosy' from Medina OH
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have a Madame Rosy Campsis that is not blooming. We purchased and planted it last year, mid-summer and it did well for the remainder of the season but this year...nothing but green leaves........what can I do?ANSWER:
From the Sooner Plant Farm, here is some information on this cultivar, which is a cross between Ohio native Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper) and Campsis grandiflora, which is native to China and Japan. Since Campsis grandiflora will not appear in our Native Plant Database and we have no idea what effect the hybridization would have on the resulting plant, we will just make a couple of educated guesses.
If you follow the plant link Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper) to our webpage on this plant it will help understand what growing needs the native has, at least. According to that page it needs full sun (6 or more hours a day of sunlight) to bloom well, and has red, orange or yellow flowers from June to September. It is possible that in your cooler hardiness zone, they may not start blooming until later in the summer. Another possibility is that the plant you purchased in the nursery had blooms that had been forced for better sales, and the plant is not yet quite mature enough to bloom normally. A third possibility is that the plant is being fertilized too heavily, especially with high nitrogen fertilizers. These are intended for grass, and stimulate green leaf growth. An over-supply of nitrogen can inhibit blooming. And,in fact, most native plants need little or no fertilizing, but since your plant is not totally native, we couldn't be sure about that.
Please also note that the Trumpet Creepers are all etremely aggressive and can become invasive. Don't let it get away from you, keep it clipped and trimmed and in check, or you'll have vines coming in your bedroom window.
Pictures of Campsis grandiflora
From the Image Gallery
More Non-Natives Questions
Non-native gardenias in Southampton Ontario
July 31, 2012 - I purchased 3 gardenias this year for the garden. Now I'm told that I can't leave them out all year round here in mid/western Ontario.
Is this true, and if so, how do I keep them over the winter i...
view the full question and answer
Camellia seeds
September 21, 2008 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants;
I have a Camellia plant that has bulbs that look like they could be fruit. And when this bulb opened, four or five little nuts came out. Are they fruit or nuts and can they be e...
view the full question and answer
Shriveling agave from Miami Florida
August 23, 2013 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Most upset - My beautiful agave (wish I could have submitted an image) has stared to misbehave. The once first liquid filled leaves, are starting to look more like the skin ...
view the full question and answer
Yellow bands around edges of leaves in Whitney TX
July 20, 2009 - How can you tell whether esperanzas are getting too much water or not enough - ours have a small yellow band around the edges of the leaves - crape myrtles - same question
view the full question and answer
Native Species List for Ponca OK
June 24, 2011 - I planted daylilies in my Austin garden and did not do well. I moved these daylilies to my garden in Ponca City Oklahoma and have done outstanding relying only on mother nature's rain. My garden in ...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |