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.