Amaryllis, Another Blooming Houseplant

With giant, trumpet-shaped flowers facing outward around a central stalk, a blooming amaryllis makes an eye-catching houseplant. Colors range from white through pink to red (and even almost black), as well as salmon-orange. Stripes or contracting edges are common. “African” amaryllis have more compact forms suited to indoor cultivation. Dwarf amaryllis are smaller in size but can produce more blooms.

Not surprisingly, these striking, easy-to-grow bulbs are popular holiday gifts; perhaps you received one this year. There’s even a bright red variety named “Merry Christmas”!

 

Trumpet Vine – Campsis radicans

APPEARANCE

Tropical vines with huge, brilliantly colored flowers don’t normally grow in Colorado, but Trumpet Vine is an enjoyable exception. A vigorous grower, Trumpet Vine can reach 30 feet, with dark green compound leaves that drop in fall to reveal the vine’s light brown papery bark. From mid-summer to frost, three-inch long vase-shaped flowers of fiery orange-red grow in clusters of four or more. In fall, hundreds of papery seeds develop in five-inch long capsules.

CULTIVATION

Locate Trumpet Vine in full sun in well-drained, amended soil, and water just enough to keep ground slightly moist. Be sure to provide a sturdy support and plenty of room. The vine spreads by underground runners and can become invasive. (This is more of a problem in warmer climates.) Bloom is on new growth; prune while dormant to keep vine manageable. The plants are hardy to -30 degrees.

LANDSCAPE USE

Use this southeast native as a patio cover or to screen an unappealing view. The flowers attract hummingbirds. While not completely deer resistant, Trumpet Vine is not their favorite food.

Contributed by Leslie Holzmann, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 520-7684 or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann.