Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Green cover
|
A climbing `campsis' looks stunning with its bright red flowers
|
CREEPERS ALWAYS lend elegance to the surroundings. Campsis grandiflora and Campsis radicans are common favourites of the garden lovers. They are both vigorous, deciduous climbers up to six metres or more belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, and the origin of the name comes from the Greek `Kampe' (bent) referring to the curved stamens. They are found mainly in woodland in China and North America. These climbers, usually climbing by aerial roots have opposite, pinnate, leaves with mid to dark green ovate leaflets of 30 cms long.
Showy, funnel-shaped or trumpet shaped orange-red inflorescences are borne in terminal panicles in late summer. Each five-lobed flower measure six cms across.
Trumpet creeper is trained to cover walls, fences, pillars or on trees. It may take two to threeseasons to establish the main frame-work, train and tie-in the shoots until aerial roots take hold.
They can be grown in any moderately fertile loose soil, best grown in full sun or at least well-lit places. In warmer climates, they will tolerate a more exposed and shady site. Propagation is by seeds or cuttings, root leaf bud or ripe cuttings in summer.
Campsis radicans is a vigorous creeper with ovate, pinnate, dark green leaves, 2-8 cms long, composed of 7-11 ovate toothed leaflets, bears cymes of 4-12 slender, tubular shaped orange-red flowers in summer.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
