Quote:
Originally Posted by Roger Van Loon
Hi all,
More than 10 years ago, I bought a plant of Tropaeolum ciliatum in a
well-reputed nursery in the South of the UK. It was then a very new
plant - at least, I had never heard of it. The owner said it was a
climber like Tropaeolum speciosum (Scottish flame flower), with
identical habit and leaves, but with yellow flowers instead of red
ones, and not as difficult in cultivation. What self-respecting
plantsman could resist that? I certainly couldn't.
The plant did not prove very floriferous (took a few years to flower),
and the flowers were not that spectacular - but it was certainly easy
to cultivate. In fact, it gradually took over the corner of my front
yard where I planted it - and some other places, apparently carried
there with the soil when I transplanted other things. And it has now
proven itself to be the worst possible kind of weed.
It forms thin running roots with small tubers (or whatever they are
called). Those intermingle with the roots of rhododendrons and other
shrubs, totally covering the shrubs; digging up is not an option. And
when digging a hole for planting something else, I found those tubers
more than 40 cm. deep. Last year, workmen came to do some work on the
pavement in front of my garden. They found those tubers under the
pavement, almost at the other side, clearly on the way to colonize the
new frontier over there.
So, last year, I tried to clear a spot by using round-up (glyfonet),
carefully trying to protect the other plants. It did seem to help a
bit for a few months. But now the plant has come back with a
vengeance, almost as if I used a slow-acting fertilizer.
When comparing weeds - I have experience with things like Japanese
knotweed and Goutweed, but those are clearly not in the same league.
And now, I think, my wordt fear has come true. For more than fifteen
years I have been growing the splendid but difficult Tropaeolum
speciosum itself. It has kept to itself, even spread out the slightest
bit. Now, I see, an identical shoot coming up close to it.
Is that Tropaeolum speciosum itself - or T. ciliatum? Without flowers,
I can't see the difference. And T. speciosum certainly can't compete.
And yet, I see T. ciliatum and its seed still being offered as "an
interesting and easy climber". At least over here.
Do others have the same experience with it as I have? Has someone
found a way to keep it in bounds or eradicate it? Or, at least, to
distinguish it from T. speciosum?
Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Roger.
|
I'd just like to confirm that Tropaeolum ciliatum really is as bad as everyone is saying, and I'd like to add my voices to those saying the plant should be banned. My evidence? It took over my small London front garden -- which is to say it smothered two vigorous rambling roses (Wedding Day), outcompeted a honeysuckle (Halliana, very strong), smothered an entire flowerbed, went over the roof of my house and my neighbour's, got tangled with their satellite dish, and worst of all started throwing long strands of growth out through the skirting boards inside and even, more than once, through the mains sockets. I decided enough was enough and that a radical solution was called for. Glyphosate, used at 1.5 times concentration, has done the trick, although almost everything else has died too, but it's wonderful just to be rid of this awful weed. Pretty, yes, up to a point, and would work as cover for anything unsightly, but it's rampant, a choker, a take-no-prisoners monster, completely frost hardy and propagating / spreading by means of small nut-like underground tubers. Never ever plant this anywhere except a pot, with 24/7 security. Really, the Royal Horticultural Society or Defra should take action on this one -- and at least oblige nurseries and seedsmen to sell with a caveat. Would you plant convolvulus in your garden, or japanese knotweed? Let's say never to Tropaeolum ciliatum (by the way, I was growing it on London clay, so it appears to do well in that medium as well as in sand).
18-05-2012, 05:51 PM
Similar Threads
Linear Mode
