lI don't know how anyone else's A. tomentosa is but mine does best in partial shade and moderate watering. I live in Southern California. It does go dormant beginning in the fall, losing all its leaves by, oh, November or so, looking quite pathetic by December. ;) Soon, the leaves do start up again in early spring!

I've grown tomentosa in shade and sun. I think afternoon shade is probably best. It takes them about 3 years to really take off and be able to support caterpillars. I am learning that they do best when mulched. We use composted bark that we get from our local tree grinding operation started after our big ice storm in 2008. People bring their brush and tree limbs. They double grind it, let it compost a while, and give it away.

Leaves are the A tomentosas' natural mulch as you find the native A. tomentosa growing up the trunks in old tree stands usually intermingled with poison ivy. I dug up some of the suckers of the wild-growing tomentosas on the perimeter of our neighborhood, and the soil was very rich and humousy.

I don't think you can beat the plants you get from Mail Order Natives, or the price. You just had some bad luck last time. When I first started growing this plant, I lost several plants before I got one to take. Now I have a bunch of them. Spring is the absolute best time for planting these vines.

HTH,

Sandy

Thanks to you both for sharing your experiences in growing this vine. I'll keep what you said in mind and order a couple of them next spring.

Rod Angeroth appears on the forum from time to time, and it's about time for him to show up again. He sells the roots of A. serpentaria at very reasonable prices, as well as the seeds. I planted my roots in fall, and they did fine. This one needs shade, more than the other ones, and does well under trees and shrubs. It is also a native to Texas as well as most of the Eastern USA. It is not a vine, but rather a groundcover type pipevine like A. fimbriata. I think his e-mail address is in our FAQs if you're interested in getting roots from him.

Susan

Thanks Susan! I'll do that. I'm willing to try any and every variety to get enough to feed the caterpillars.

I'm new at PVSTs & purchased 2 A. tormentosas from Mail Order Natives & this is their second year. I planted both in partial shade & have not gotten any seeds off either of them. I fed them recently with some bloom booster to see if I can get them to bloom before they go dormant & they are sending out new shoots. They are bigger this year & could support cats but the females seem to lay their eggs only on the A.fimbriata. The A. fimbriata hasn't bloomed here either & the cats are keeping it eaten to the ground. I have A.clementitis & A.serpentaria but both aren't big enough to really support cats. When the A. fimbriata is eaten up, the cats migrate to the 2 A.tormentosas.
I am glad to hear about compost mulching them...I'll do it & maybe they will get even bigger!
I would love to get some A.durior or A.macrophylla...does anyone know where to get them?