Tropaeolum Tricolor

Doing well ... Added to GoYpedia...

This is such a pretty one , I have the Tropaeolum speciosum its in a large pot outside with a covering of fleece but I can see the foliage peeping out of the top canes are still green which is unusual as it normally dies right back ... it goes to show how much milder its been ...

Terra should be a whole lot nicer in flower.

Amy have had no success with growing speciosum.came across an alpine grower some years ago that had a lot of speciosum growing in his alpine house but the roots were deep down in the ground outside the greenhouse,he reconed the tubers were 2/3 feet down in the soil that way the tuber does not get frosted .Similar in the wild of south america.

I have not seen this plant before. Is it rare?

Klahanie
Not particularly rare it is a wild form of the Nasturtium we grow in gardens in the summer.with much smaller flowers they do set some seed but flower when there are no Bees or moths to pollinate have set a few seed by hand but found them reluctant to germinate,they grow thread like from Tubers and separating these when dormant is the best option I have found to increase them.Green growth is frost hardy but the tubers are not
sorry if I went on a bit.

That actually sounds a better idea Brian as the roots are always at risk of frost in a pot ....

This as lovely Brian. I have speciosum too. It grows up a Rose against the house. This year it hasn't died back. I have tried cuttings from a friend but failed. Eventually I bought it as an established plant.

Linda don't think they would grow from cuttings the growth is to soft.

Thanks all for the info. It is new to me.

Very interesting. So to grow speciosum you think it needs to be planted very very deep Brian....or in a very sheltered spot protected from frost like Lindas?

Karen tricky one as I grow them these days in a couple of deep clay pots plunged in sand in the glass house and although mine are similar to speciosum there is a difference.If i lift the pots in spring after they die down I have to be very careful as tubers will have escaped from the bottom drain hole still attached by a string like thread to the main tuber and growing on down into the sand,they are very brittle so best way forward I have found is to snip them off with scissors and hope there is a growing point for the following autumn.

I lost all my stock in the winter of 2010 and they were inside, my new stock is only just getting up to speed after 3 years

Hmm...very tricksy! I might try one day.