"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...
JennyC wrote:

How frost hardy are Cobaea David?
I've cut mine down, but left the roots in place.

It is fully hardy down to around minus 3C. retaining all but the
thinnest of stems and some of the foliage at those temperatures.
However, this is a vine that you don't really want to have hanging
over from one year to the next in its entirety, since it is
exceptionally rampant and can become very untidy if not controlled.
Much better to cut it back to around 60 - 100cms. and mulch the roots
thickly.

With a good mulch it will withstand short periods at minus 5C,

Oh dear, then it will probably not survive. It can get a lot colder than that
here, and the forecast is for a 'hard' winter. Perhaps I should dig up the
rootball and bring into the GH........

re-appearing from below the mulch when the weather improves. Growth
may not resume until May or even early June in colder localities, but
it will rapidly scramble up to 5 - 6 metres or even more. In very
mild regions of the UK it can easily hit 12m. in a good summer and
will gently sow itself about in most years - Eccremocarpus fashion.

Mine was RAMPANT - at least 10mt in one year from seed :~))

Jenny