A little different......pepper vine

[Joe Dupre']

Pepper vines grow everywhere around here. They normally climb in trees but you can find quite a few that grow up unsupported into an interesting leggy bush. This is the start of the second growing season for this one. It's not any classic bonsai shape, for sure, but I like it's snaky shape and unusual foliage. It's in one of my homemade concrete pots.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Do you have a scientific name for it? I'm not clear on what it is. My guess would be

Nekemias arborea formerly known as Ampelopsis arborea

Am I guessing right?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

The trunk has a long "dead arrow" straight run as it descends to the low apex. While I like cascades, the trunk should wiggle and change direction a few times. I would either wire dome movement in, or prune back to the first branch, and let new growth extend, then prune or wire or both to either clip and grow movement, or wire in movement. Or some blend of both.

I do like the idea of this as a cascade, so I would wire & prune & grow to create a long, low cascade.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Do you have a scientific name for it? I'm not clear on what it is. My guess would be

Nekemias arborea formerly known as Ampelopsis arborea

Am I guessing right?

According to what I've found, that seems to be the right name.

From what little experience I've had with them, you get what you get. Backbudding on the main trunk, and even the secondary branches is a crap shoot. I wouldn't try to wire it either. The wood is punky and dry even when in perfect health. I have a hunch it wouldn't take kindly to wiring. Also, as you can see, new shoots want to grow straight off the top of the trunk and branches. I'll play around with it for another couple of years to see what happens.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

A friend of mine in Milwaukee has one, an old, variegated variety with nice white to pink to blue berries in autumn. The slightly matte finish to the berries, and the subtle colors do look like they are porcelain ceramic beads, hence the common name we use here, "porcelain berry". I'll ask Steve C about how his back buds and about wiring. I'll get back to you when / if he has suggestions.

I would think you could wire movement into these, but I don't know.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Leo, I'd like to hear what Steve C. has to say. The wood has a strange texture. If you would come across this vine with no leaves on it, you would swear it was dead. The wood is corky and dry with peeling, loose bark...........exactly what you would expect if it was dead.

 

[karlsplants]

Do you have a scientific name for it? I'm not clear on what it is. My guess would be

Nekemias arborea formerly known as Ampelopsis arborea

Am I guessing right?

I believe you have the wrong name for the plant. What do you have there is trumpet vine Campisis radicans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campsis_radicans

 

[Joe Dupre']

I’ve since come to the same conclusion. It’s put out 20-25 flowers this year. Yep…, trumpet flowers.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I’ve since come to the same conclusion. It’s put out 20-25 flowers this year. Yep…, trumpet flowers.

So cool, is getting some ramification?

 

[Joe Dupre']

So cool, is getting some ramification?

Not so much. It wants to be a vine

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Yeah I supposed it xD they are cool though, I like the yellow flower cultivar

 

[Joe Dupre']

I’ve since come to the same conclusion. It’s put out 20-25 flowers this year. Yep…, trumpet flowers.

Oops! I thought I was responding to my other thread on a bigger trumpet plant. IT was the one with 20-25 flowers. I cleaned house a bit this spring and this one went back into the wild. It just didn't move me as much when compared to the bigger, better plant I kept.