Re: various vining climbers, Clitoria ternata...
Dear all
We've been very quiet recently having our second child (and first girl), who we've called Francesca,
but now we're back, and trying to deal with a garden devastated by the Italian heat and drought this
year, though the plants which survived are now growing apace.
We hope we're not going to offend anyone, but we couldn't help wondering where on earth the plant
Clitoria ternata got such a genus name from - can anyone shed light? As it is so very similar to the
name for a part of the female anatomy that is taboo to many and causes blushes to more than one or two
others (hence the risk of causing offence), was it a botanist with a wry sense of humour, or a similar
sounding surname, or are we just being puerile?? (We imagine from the beautiful image that the origin
is anatomical!)
Having it in the garden would certainly liven up tours for friends, and we're sure that's one plant
none of them would ever forget!
Anthony & Marina
susannah@cyber-dyne.com wrote:
> Hi Julie --
> Sorry for the delay in answering! Hmm... the Clematis armandii is very
> tempting, although I am trying to avoid ~sweet~ fragrances. The others I
> have elsewhere in the garden. Perhaps I should have mentioned that I'm
> looking for something a bit unusual? For example, can anyone here comment
> on the possible shade or drought tolerance of Clitoria ternata? I haven't
> seen it in real life, but I saw this picture on the web and couldn't get
> that fantastic shade of purple out of my mind.
>
> http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/cli_ter.jpg
>
> -- S.
>
> At 12:37 PM 11/24/00 -0800, Julie wrote:
> >How about evergreen climatis (Clematis armandii)? Or star jasmine
> >(Trachelospermum)? Both are evergreen & have fragrant flowers. The star
> >jasmine might be marginally hardy for your zone. Honeysuckle or grape are
> >easy but not evergreen.
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: susannah@cyber-dyne.com <susannah@cyber-dyne.com>
> >To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> >Date: Friday, November 24, 2000 11:59 PM
> >Subject: Care to recommend me a vine?
> >
> >
> >Hello, all --
> >
> >I’m looking for a vine to cover a large storage box in my front yard. If
> >I’ve ever seen something that needed to be covered with vegetation, this is
> >it! I originally planned on a Passiflora, but I’m told they tend to spread
> >by roots, which would be a problem in that area. For temporary cover, I’ve
> >tried nasturtiums and stalks of a nearby old climbing rose, but it’s a bit
> >too shady for both of them. Maybe an Akebia? Any suggestions will be
> >gratefully investigated.
> >
> >Here are the specs:
> >
> >Climate -- Western Oregon, USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 6, cool Mediterranean,
> >a few summer days over 100F, winter lows regularly 20F, with 10F every five
> >years or so. (Our wet winters are hard on some Med plants, but this vine
> >will be under the eaves of my house, which is moderately dry all winter, so
> >that shouldn’t be a problem.)
> >
> >Size -- Stems need to be 10-12 feet (2-3 meters) to cover the box. There
> >won’t be room for it to get much bigger.
> >
> >Shade tolerance -- Lots of light, but very little direct sun. Bright,
> >essentially full shade when it’s young, then a few hours of sun on parts of
> >it as it grows farther.
> >
> >Drought tolerance -- Very, but not extremely, drought tolerant. Shade will
> >decrease transpiration (as recently discussed), and, once the vine is
> >established, I’ll give it a deep soak every 3-4 weeks, but a nearby
> >Liquidamber tree has dense surface roots which offer stiff competition for
> >water. Plants that can go two weeks in full sun between waterings (and
> >tolerate shade) do well in this area.
> >
> >Flexibility -- The box opens like a clam shell, so the stems of the vine
> >must flex a bit. This shouldn’t be a problem as long as it’s not an
> >especially brittle sort.
> >
> >Other desirable characteristics -- Evergreen! Edible or decorative fruit;
> >fragrance (preferably spicy or herbal rather than sweet). Medium or large
> >leaves, but not leathery ones -- commercial plantings around here tend
> >heavily toward rhododendrons (Sorry, Loretta!) and what my mother calls
> >‘Landlord Laurel’, and I’m they’re tiresome.
> >
> >Thanks for any and all suggestions, and, for those readers in the U.S., a
> >happy holiday weekend with friends and family.
> >
> >
> >
> >-- Susannah
> >
