This is one of the best of our climbing annuals, on account of its rapid
and luxuriant growth, attractive foliage and large bell-shaped flowers.
Under favorable circumstances they will grow to the height of twenty and
even thirty feet in a summer. They commence to bloom when quite young,
and continue in bloom until destroyed by frost. Some people remove them
from the border to the house for winter blooming, but the change from
out-door to indoor life, often retards their growth and mars their
beauty. They are too cumbersome for window plants after having grown
during the season, and it is better to sow seed in August, and get in
this way plants for the house. They are hard to germinate, and need to
be started in pots or in a hot bed. Place them in moist earth _edge
down_, and do not water until the young plants appear above the surface,
unless the earth becomes very dry.
For out-door blooming sow in March or April. As soon as the plants are
strong enough, transplant to three-inch pots; keep them shaded from the
sun for a few days, gradually expose to the open air, and plant out when
all danger from frost is over. The soil should be well stirred to the
depth of nearly two feet, and well rotted manure worked in. In dry
weather they need liberal watering as often as once a week, and liquid
manure water occasionally is of great benefit to them.
The Coboea can be propagated by layers at almost any season of the year.
It is done in this way: Cut a notch near a joint, place in a pot and
fill with soil, and keep the soil moist. It takes from two weeks to a
month for them to root.
A writer says of this plant: "The Coboea is an old favorite and it is
worthy of remark that but few of the novelties introduced of late years
can equal some of the old favorites that we have been accustomed to
grow. The Coboea is a native of Mexico, from which country it was
introduced in 1792. It was named in honor of Bernandez Cobo, a Spanish
priest and botanist. The growth of the vine is very luxuriant, and it is
equally easy of cultivation, the only essentials to success being
warmth, a rich, light soil, and sufficient water. If allowed to become
very dry, it will soon wither away. It requires sun and a warm room to
grow it to perfection; yet it is not a tender plant, that is, it will
live anywhere, provided the frost does not touch it, and is one of the
few plants which will flourish luxuriantly in parlors lighted with gas
and kept almost at fever heat. If grown in a hanging basket or pot, it
must be large and the roots allowed plenty of room to spread out in. In
the summer the pots can be removed from the interior room to a balcony
or piazza, or plunged until they are again wanted. Then clip off the
growth of branches and leaves, place the pot back again in a sunny
window, where it will soon start afresh, with new arms and leaves to
cover the window. It is one of the best vines for parlor decoration, as
it will drape and festoon the window, and stretch forth its tendrils,
running up even to the ceiling. The tendrils are so clinging in their
nature that they will attach themselves to anything which comes within
their reach--curtain cords, branches of other plants, brackets,
etc.,--throwing out new branches everywhere.
"I advise all who adopt the plan of plunging the plant in the pot in the
open air during the summer, either to shift into a pot two sizes larger,
or else to take it out of the pot and reduce the ball of earth nearly
one-half, and repot it in fresh compost before removing it to the house.
This should be done not later than September 10th. The plants will amply
repay this little attention by an increased luxuriance of both foliage
and flowers during the winter months, while plants not so treated will
become sickly and unhealthy before spring, and beside, when pot-bound,
they soon become the prey of numerous insects."
There are several varieties of the Coboea, though _scandens_ is the most
generally known. The large bell-shaped flowers are greenish at first,
but rapidly change to a dull purple. Coboea Scandens _Alba_ has greenish
white flowers. Coboea _variegata_ is one of the most magnificent
ornamental climbers, the leaves being broadly margined with yellowish
white, the variegated foliage forming a beautiful contrast with its
large purple flowers. It is of strong habit, a rapid grower, attaining
frequently the height of fifty feet in a short time. It is, however,
difficult of propagation, rooting with difficulty. The seeds vegetate as
readily as the common sort, but the plants are apt to die off soon after
attaining their seed leaves. Layering in the manner already specified,
is the best method of increase.
Coboea scandens _argentea_ is another variegated leaved variety,
differing from _variegata_ in that its leaves are of a purer white. It
is described by some as being identical with Coboea scandens, Schuerens
Seedling, but by Messrs. Leeds & Co., of Richmond, Indiana, as being "a
great improvement on the old variegated variety. Leaves large, green,
bordered with creamy white; calyx of the flowers variegated like the
leaves."