We have just moved to the Isle of Wight and have a nice new garden with a few interesting plants and shrubs. However there is one that I cannot identify...any ideas anyone. It grows like a vine and has strange shaped fruits.
Gees... The thing looks fake hanging on there. I think you are right.. and the pulp may be edible.....cool
Thank you, after looking it up on Google it certainly does fit the description, having large sausage shaped fruits. the only thing is some people say that it is a rampant, invasive plant which needs a lot of cutting back so I wonder whether this is going to be a bit of a problem in my new garden
It is certainly a good grower, but it is dead easy to keep in check. Ours does a good job of holding up the trellis in front of the polytunnel.
Hi Eric, good to hear from you. So you have one of these odd plants, is the fruit edible and more to the point, palatable? When is the best time to prune it as I don't want it encroaching over next door's fence too much?
Never actually had fruit on ours, we are too cold for them to form, though it flowers well. Ours gets pruned whenever either of us walks past and sees the need. So that could be any time of the year. Officially the time to prune is after flowering.
What an interesting plant GG. I have been doing some reading about it. Why, do you know--I think I have a place for one of those. Thanks for writing this thread. That Eric knows a lot and has such a wonderful garden with a monumental array of flora.. I have often thought to myself that if he doesn't know it, probably no one does. It is natural then that I shall be looking closely to his comments here in the event that I manage to find one of those beauties. Thanks for starting this thread. I am so delighted to see you back on here.
Good to be back Sjoerd. We are loving it hear on the Isle of Wight. I think on the whole it is a more temperate climate here so we should be able to grow some interesting plants. It is amazing what I see around the neighbouring gardens still blooming, plants such as geraniums, roses, osteospermum (spelling?) and a couple of others that I have not put a name to yet. I hope to have plenty of photos to post in the spring.
There is a white flowered version of it too, but whenever we see it on sale, it is right out of our price range. Strange really as it is the easiest thing in the world to propagate, every piece which lies on the ground will root.
I saw this vine consuming a giant old barn once in southern Ohio. It was almost fully engulfed. I'd been wanting "chocolate vine" for years until seeing that, bigger than my entire yard. On par with kudzu.
