Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  syn. Merremia dissecta, Noyau Vine

Description:

A perennial, low climbing native vine presenting large white blooms with fuchsia centers from spring to fall; dark green foliage in intricately divided; climbs by twining to quickly cover a fence, trellis or wall; very drought tolerant

Ornamental Features

Alamo Vine features bold white trumpet-shaped flowers with fuchsia throats along the stems from mid spring to late fall. Its attractive large deeply cut lobed leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season. It features abundant showy chartreuse capsules with rose blush from mid summer to early winter, which fade to brown over time. The dark red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Alamo Vine is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading
• Self-Seeding

Alamo Vine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Alamo Vine will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it should either be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America..

Alamo Vine is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.