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id vine please

Posted by v1rtu0s1ty Zone 5a, Northern IL (My Page) on
Sun, Nov 14, 10 at 15:17

I went to the library today with my daughter. Near the entrance about 30 ft away, I saw a pergola. I looked at it to see how it was made. Upon closer inspection, I saw vines planted at each posts. It was woody. I think there were like 8 to 10 woody stems by the post. Each post was like 12 ft high. From my estimate, the total length of the vine is 15 ft.

Anyways, I saw dried pods and took them. :)

Here it is.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: id vine please

Just a wild guess but could it be scarlet runner bean vine?


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RE: id vine please

I'll look at the seed that was given to me 3 weeks ago. One variety was scarlet runner bean. If it matches the appearance, it could be. I'll get back with you tonight since I need to go now. :)


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RE: id vine please

looks like it's not scarlet runner beans

Here is a link that might be useful: Scarlet Runner Bean seeds


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by pvick z6B NYC (My Page) on
    Sun, Nov 14, 10 at 17:30

there were no leaves left on the vines? a description could help ....


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RE: id vine please

Before posting I Googled SRB and thought that might not be it but since I've never seen one with my own eyes, I took a chance. There's nothing in the photos for scale, like a dime or a quarter to show how large the beans are. The color is throwing me as well.


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RE: id vine please

I haven't left yet :)

Yes, there are no leaves anymore, just all the stems and pods. The stems look similar to wisteria.


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
    Sun, Nov 14, 10 at 18:04

Wisteria seed pods are not quite that shape, and the seeds a little more disk-ish than marble-ish.

Your photo looks more distinctly bean like. Is the pergola on library property...if you don't find an answer here (or on name that plant even though this isn't actually a plant), maybe ask next time you return to the library and someone there will know.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisteria seed/pods


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by pvick z6B NYC (My Page) on
    Sun, Nov 14, 10 at 18:10

not wisteria, though. they're flattish disc-type seeds. oh, this is a good puzzle!


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RE: id vine please

Castor Bean perhaps?


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RE: id vine please

I haven't seen any castor bean vine. I do have castor bean plants and the seeds are different. The castor bean seed's skin looks like a marble.

Yes, when I return the movie I borrowed, I'll ask someone there.

Thanks!


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RE: id vine please

it might be wisteria. i have seen two type of wisteria seeds before: one that is flat, and one that looks like the pictures here. American Wisteria has rounder seeds (like above) while the Chinese Wisteria has flat disc like seeds


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might be wisteria seeds

ok, let me search for pictures. :)

I'm going to call the Library tomorrow since I can't wait. LOL! :D hehehe


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it could really be wisteria

Look at this link. The seed pods looks exactly the same as mine, the tips, the body, the bulging, everything except the color, it's still green and mine is ready.

I'll take another picture of the seedpod with the same orientation.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisteria Seedpod


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RE: id vine please

Here is one of the seed pods I harvested. I placed it beside the seedpod picture shown on the link. I think it is really Wisteria.


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
    Sun, Nov 14, 10 at 21:30

American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) seeds do look more bean like - the photos I find don't have the stripes or marking like yours but I don't know that all of that type should not ....

Can we hope for you when you call that it is not wisteria? Here's the downer - Approx 10-12 years to flower, seed grown plants generally used for root stock for grafting only.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisteria frutescens seed


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wisteria

Yeah, that's what I heard that it takes a long time for them to bloom from seed. I just hope that what they have here is a Blue Moon Wisteria.

I'm ok since I've planted Clematis Ramona by the posts of my pergola recently. I'm thinking of training the wisteria as a tree. I saw a picture in google last week of a wisteria tree and a clematis climbing on the wisteria. It was simply gorgeous! :)


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macro shot

Here is a closer shot of the seed


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
    Mon, Nov 15, 10 at 1:56

They are stunning in bloom trained as tree form. How you for patience and diligence? I had one many years, purchased trained to the standard/tree form, I didn't do the initial training myself but I don't think it should be difficult - just don't think they stay that way without constant attention, mine wanted very much to be a vine...every week of its many yeared life. New shoots needed frequent pruning, from top, 'trunk', suckering roots. About the time I'd think I had it tamed and turned my back, it was crazy again.

I lost that section of garden (massive pine, storm) and haven't added a tree wisteria back. Three years later, I'm still pulling shoots from deep roots I missed, 6-8' away from where the original stem was.


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RE: id vine please

I'm very patient. :)

If this wisteria's racemes are shorter than 12 inches, I'll let go of it. I'll be able to see it in spring. I think they bloom in spring right?


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RE: id vine please

The wisteria is invassive around here like you explained morz. Such a small time frame of bloom that the invassiveness out weighs the desire of the plant.


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
    Mon, Nov 15, 10 at 10:31

Just so you are aware it isn't something to plant and forget :) May into June for bloom time here with a great fragrance. People walking by on the sidewalk used to stop and comment on how pretty it was - so maybe 4-5 weeks I appreciated it, the rest of the year, an added chore.


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RE: id vine please

I'm prepared. :)

I'm going to make a circular raised bed for this vine about 2-3 ft high about the ground. I was told that the suckers can be found between 3-5 inches below ground. I think, I'll be able to contain them that way. Volunteers should be easy to control.

I noticed since 2007 that every weekend, about 95%, I was in my garden doing work. I should be able to control her. I'll keep you posted. I'll also let you know what the people in the library would say.

Thanks.


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by remy 6WNY (My Page) on
    Tue, Nov 16, 10 at 12:12

The seed pod looks very much like Wisteria frutescens. If you go to dave's darden(can not link here) and look at plant files, Ohiobreezy's photo, you will see that except for color, you seeds look pretty much the same. Wisteria frutescens is the native American Wisteria and it is easier to control than the Asian kind that most people are familiar with. American wisteria is quite pretty, but the racemes are much shorter so they are considered not as showy are the Asian kinds. On the link below, there are some good pics that are definitely American Wisteria.

It is possible to train an Asian wisteria into a tree form and keep it under control. I have one in the middle of my yard. It is beautiful in the spring. Compared to many other things, I think it is easy to take care of. I've had for about 10 years now. I of course do not recommend growing it near a building. It could cause havoc then!
This is a photo of my "tree" from last year.

Remy

Here is a link that might be useful: American Wisteria


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RE: id vine please

I've read so many horror stories with the Chinese Wisterias specifically its runners/suckers. How is it in your area? Does it sucker a lot? How far from the base? Do also have an idea how deep the roots go?

Did you start your Chinese W. from seed? How old was it before it started blooming?

Thanks for sharing your pic. It's gorgeous.


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RE: id vine please

Hi all, know I haven't posted in awhile - though I want to share my pic of what I believe is a Japanese wisteria trained into tree form. Have to keep up with trimming throughout the summer or it will take over the porch and front window. This is the 1st year it has developed any seed pods (only got 2 - nice long velvet like texture - drying now). Learning how to prune it properly to increase flower production most likely helped.

Originally purchased in the mid 90s from an area nursery. So no idea how long for blooms from seed.

~StLGirl


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RE: id vine please

WOW, that was a long wait! So 10 years before it bloomed? Can you please email me regarding how you trained it as a tree? Did you just put a pipe so that it has something to climb on? How are the suckers? Is it manageable?

Thanks for sharing the pic. Gorgeous! :)


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RE: id vine please

Will have to check with my husband on the particular details. He had it trained into tree form before I met him in 2001. It is growing up some sort of metal pole. Only tends to put out a few sucker shoots at the base. Simple enough to cut with pruners.

In the meantime here is a link to a thread that talks about training wisteria into tree form.

~StLGirl

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisteria tree vs. Wisteria vine


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RE: id vine please

  • Posted by remy 6WNY (My Page) on
    Tue, Nov 23, 10 at 19:16

V,
Sorry I haven't been around to check the thread! Writing a note to someone made me remember. Anyway, I bought it as a small plant. It only too 3 years to bloom. There's a trick to it.
Wisterias like constricted roots to bloom. People have written about buying in pots in bloom only to plant in the garden and never see a bloom again. Or I've read of root pruning to promote bloom. So I did what would normally be completely wrong when gardening. I created a bathtub effect in my clay soil. I dug a big washtub size hole. I got rid of all the clay which was most of the soil. Then I planted the wisteria in the hole with good compost and soil. I figured it would cause a lot of root growth that would get constricted once it hit the clay. It seems to have worked.
My husband pounded a long solid pipe into the ground to use as a training stake. So I trained it myself removing lower growth and tying it up to make a trunk.
My pruning technique is not too professional. I cut off what grows out of bounds all season, and I remove new shoots/branches that I don't want. I tried a long time ago to read a pruning technique with pics, and I got confused, said the heck with it, and have just hacked at it ever since, lol.
You can see though, that I have lots of bloom. It also re-blooms in August. It is not as showy then being full of foliage, but it is still nice.
I do get suckers popping up around the base, but that is to be expected. I prune them out. Where the grass is gone around the tree is from my dogs running. around it. I unfortunately taught them to play chase around it, and they wear the grass out making it very unattractive. But I love my dogs. Point being nothing is going to pop out of that and if it did, it doesn't have a chance.
Remy


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RE: id vine please

Thanks Remy for the update. Someone from Ohio is going to send me young Japanese Wisteria vine in spring. He's going to dig it from one of the runners.

Here are my plans.
1. Plant it front of the house
2. Dig a circular 16 inch trench about 2" wide. The diameter will be around 3 feet. I will pour cement on the trench it's as if I'm making a concrete container or somewhat similar to drainage under the sidewalks.
3. plant one runner in the middle of the circle
4. backfill with soil

However, I have no idea how deep of wisteria the roots go. I remember reading a poster's experience about wisterias, he mentioned that the runners he found were 2 inches below the soil.

Thanks again!


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