It's probably safe here in Pittsburgh, although I am astonished this one even survived unattended!

Being as invasive as this is in warmer climes, I'm not really surprised. It seems the more invasive something is, the less attention it requires. Anyone else notice this or am I just crazy? Er. Than usual.

ShadyGreenThumb said:Funny, Sandy. Mine open up around 6 pm. I wonder what time zone they are on?? The flowers smell divine! The plant forms huuuuuge bulbs, some larger than a cantaloupe! My seeds self-germinate and I am constantly pulling up volunteers.

A CANTALOUPE???????
How long does it take these things to form?

tried to search the db for a pic, but no luck.
Link me if you can....
But I'm still looking.

critter, here is a tuber I just dug up. It was a 2 yr. old tuber.

Wow.
Two years from seed?

That's correct.

COOL!

Well, now let me see. We closed on this place March 2103. Unpacking etc.... so I probably didn't plant the seeds until June, maybe July. They had to germinate, grow some, got potted up to grow some more then planted in the garden. So actually, I was wrong about 2 years. It's really 1 year & 3 months more or less.

VERY cool!

critter,
I goofed. We bought this place in March of 2012 not 2013 so the tuber is 2 years old. Just thought I would set the record straight since I boggled it in the first place.

Still sounds quicker than I imagined!

To answer the seed size question - the ones I've collected here start out fairly large, and as they continue drying they shrink to maybe about a third of their original size.
My fuchsia colored plants are still happily blooming away - despite 40 degree weather, cold rain and hail. I'm surprised, but pleased; I never expected them to be tough enough to last this long.

Mine lasted up until we had a killing frost. I'm curious to see how M. longiflora stands up to the cold. So far, so good. We've had temps as low as 38° and they didn't even flinch.

chelle said:To answer the seed size question - the ones I've collected here start out fairly large, and as they continue drying they shrink to maybe about a third of their original size.
My fuchsia colored plants are still happily blooming away - despite 40 degree weather, cold rain and hail. I'm surprised, but pleased; I never expected them to be tough enough to last this long.

Thanks about the drying and WOW about thelasting!

I'm still wondering how it has lived so well at least one zone lower than rated, on a northern exposed wall at the edge of a large dropoff to the north....

Seed that sprouted this spring I'd venture to guess.

Whatever it is, I'm GLAD it is!!