On Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:21:30 +0100, "Jeff Layman"
wrote:

bob wrote:
On Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:36:34 +0100, "Jeff Layman"
wrote:

Re the Campsis - I've only just twigged, there's a mature one of these
flowering in my garden right now a few feet away but this tiny thing,
only just come to my notice this year, hasn't flowered so far. I
didn't recognise it.

Is this a safe time to move it to another spot in the garden?

They seem to sulk a bit whenever you move them, but eventually recover.
It's a good plant to pot up for charity plant sales.

But the fact that this one has appeared a few feet from the parent should
start the warning flags flying. It is invasive, and spreads many feet
from the main plant, even pushing up in the gaps between paving stones.

Cripes, I hadn't thought of that! But maybe I understated the "few".
I'd say (guessing because I'm in the uk - garden in France) there's 6
feet of concrete followed by another 6 feet of earth between the two.
Could it have such a wide root system?

As Charlie has said, it can easily span that distance.

I am surprised that this is not mentioned by gardening books, which are
quick to point out that, eg, Rhus typhina spreads underground and is liable
to pop up all over the place. In my limited experience, Campsis is not
dissimilar.

Ok, well, thanks for the cautionary note. I'll just have to keep
vigilant and pull them up as needs be. If they break through the
concrete I'll have to think again.