If you have a 'coral vine' from Nelson, please read

20 years ago

This past spring I ordered a coral vine from a very reputable mail-order company. What arrived labeled as such was staked and semi-dormant. I trained what was staked to my trellis and waited for it to grow, which it did by leaps and bounds. As summer progressed I learned that cuttings rooted extremely easily. I took many and offered them as trades/freebies at the recent Oak Mtn. swap. Now the bad news...

As it turns out what I received was not a coral vine (antigonon leptus), but 'climbing boneset' (Mikania scandens), a native perennial vine (OK, weed!) that probably should not be introduced to your garden.

This is extremely embarrassing for me, but I planted exactly what I received thinking it was a coral vine. Not having grown this particular vine before, I didn't suspect that it was instead a weed until talking with Tony this weekend and then discussing it with another friend upon my return home. Prior to today my vine was bursting forth with blooms - just not the nice, pink ones I'd imagined it would have. What once was an exciting addition to my yard has now been snipped into a trillion little pieces and lays dying on the ground beneath the trellis :-(

If I gave you one please accept my apologies and do know that I will make up for it at the spring swap with something . I will be contacting the company that sent the vine tomorrow to see about a replacement or credit. I won't give their name or discredit them yet because I've had great luck with them in the past, and they deserve a chance to correct their error (I just wish it hadn't caused me such embarrassment!).

Please let me know how I can make up for "sharing" such a terrible weed :-) Believe me, I'll be very careful to not let this happen in the future.

Nelson

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Comments (8)

roseyp8255
20 years ago
Hi Nelson - we forgive you! Mistakes do happen, and you did let us know about it, which is what counts.

I am still tickled about the night-blooming jasmine - and could kick myself for not taking those Black EEs you had before we all went down to eat - I think the heat and/or the excitement from all the plants was getting to me! I don't have the reg black ones, just those that I brought Paulette (you know, from dumpster diving a couple of weeks ago).

Better run finish paperwork for the state - don't beat yourself up over the vine.
mws366
20 years ago
nelson- thanks for the information
on boneset-hempweed-hempvine. i
have destroyed mine.

wayne
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fernaly
20 years ago
Nelson, I have a vine growing in one of my flower beds, that until your post, I was unable to identify. I now know that I need to rip that rascal out before it takes my yard over. Thanks a million!!
Nigella
20 years ago
Nelson, it just so happens that I have a lovely coral vine that whispered to me that it wants to go live with you. It'll be along shortly. :)
melee_AL
20 years ago
FWIW, I've had a Mikania scandens volunteer growing on a trellis for several years in full sun and fairly fertile soil. It hasn't been thuggish, maxes out at 10' or so, and hasn't seeded around. The blooms certainly aren't spectacular, but it's blooming now when lots of other plants are done for the year. The blooms are visited by butterflies, bees and wasps so you might consider it a valuable addition to a butterfly or wildlife garden. I'm sure it is on invasive lists for a good reason, but it doesn't seem all that bad to me :)
browneyedsusan_gw
20 years ago
Nelson,

On the USDA site (http://plants.usda.gov) Mikania scandens is only listed as an invasive species in Hawaii. It is considered an endangered species in two states.

At the swap I did wonder why your coral vine didn't look like the Antigonon leptus that I remember growing wild in India. It is treated as a weed there!

Susan.
ourhighlandhome
Original Author
20 years ago
An endangered SPECIES ??? Well...I guess more than a few people owe me an apology then, huh Susan?! (LMAO!)

Ya'll can bring me something special yourselves at the next swap, where I anticipate having enough rooted kudzu to share with everyone, along with a newly introduced ornamental crabgrass.

Seriously though, thanks for the info, Susan and melee. The fact that this vine is a "pollinator magnet" didn't go unnoticed while it was still amongst the living.

Nelson ;-)
tweetypye
20 years ago
With all this talk about the "mistaken vine", I just had to do some research on them. :)

Now, after checking out photos of both Coral Vine and Climbing Bonset vine, I can see how you could get them mixed up. The leaves are very similar, so until they bloom, it would be difficult to tell them apart, I think.

Hey, Nelson, if you do get the "real" Coral vine, I would love a piece at next year's swap!!! LOL Just teasing you a bit......shame on me!!!!!

Jan