Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_43.gif)
Wednesday - August 27, 2008
From: Rosenberg, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Vines
Title: Inducing flowering on vines
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
My daughter presented me with a lovely Passiflora coccinea a few months ago. It is growing marvelously in full sun at the base of a pine tree. I'm wondering, though, if I were to limit the amount of new growth, would it bloom more? The same applies to a. . . I forgot the scientific name; a Sky Vine? Thank you for your help. Love the site!!!!ANSWER:
Rampant plant growth and limited flowering are often signs of excessive nitrogen. Try cutting back on feeding or stop feeding altogether for awhile. Sometimes, allowing the vine to dry to wilting between waterings (not to the point of hurting the plant) will also induce more flowering. Finally, sometimes flowering is a matter of timing and the plant will simply flower only when the time is right.
Your Sky Vine is probably Thurbergia grandiflora, a native of the Indian subcontinent.
More Vines Questions
Will Crossvine damage stucco walls?
June 17, 2015 - The Crossvine I planted about a month ago is doing well. It is growing up a stucco wall and its little tendrils are sticking to (or into?) the stucco. Is this going to grow into the stucco and damage ...
view the full question and answer
Non-native pothos ivy from Houston
May 30, 2013 - My pothos devils ivy is about 5 years old and grows outside. A couple of years ago its leaves became spectacularly large, like 12" wide and its stalk about 1 - 2" wide. A couple of years ago i gui...
view the full question and answer
Evergreen vine for San Diego, California
July 11, 2010 - I am looking for an evergreen (San Diego) vine to grow on a newly constructed trellis. Its 12' tall by 8' wide and is on the North side of the house. That area seems to only get sun June and July ...
view the full question and answer
Identity of milkweed vine with smooth seedpod
November 23, 2012 - I believe the vine I am curious about may be Matelea reticulata. However, most of the pictures I have seen of that vine show bumps on the exterior of the seed pod, and the pod I have is green and smo...
view the full question and answer
Identity of a thorny vine in Florida
June 02, 2009 - Area: panhandle of FL Problem: thorny vine with large potato like roots, rapid growing and very invasive. grows in summer time.
thanks
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |