Garden Clippings
Allamandas announce their presence
By RUTH DAVIES
Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006  |
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| Photo by RUTH DAVIES |
| Bush allamanda blooms unabashedly most of the year. |
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Allamanda left, allamanda right, allamanda up and down. This is not about square dancing, but the trumpet flowered plant. It grows up, down and sideways. To be specific, there is a bush and a vining variety.
All allamandas are tender and will go down to the ground at first frost. My experience, and I may have been fortunate, is that it comes back up if it is just a light frost and the temperatures don’t stay at the freezing mark too many hours. All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten. Sometimes the milky sap is an irritant much like the oleander, which is the same family.
The plant will grow in any soil, but when first planted, it needs a lot of water in the hot weather. Once it is established in the sun or part shade, it manages on its own if mulched.
The yellow bush Allamanda schottii blooms 10 months of the year when it reaches 3 feet. It hibernates in December and January. It doesn’t grow more than 4 feet in height, although after five years, its spread is 6 feet.
The vine, Allamanda cathartica, will vie with Jack and the Beanstalk to grow tall enough to reach the giant. When it reached 25 feet up the guy wire for the utility pole, I decided to cut it down before it moved into a neighbor’s house. I think it would have clung onto the wires and covered the town.
Is this a kudzu? No, it’s beautiful looking skyward and seeing bright yellow flowers against an azure background. In landscaping a bank that is difficult to mow, this allamanda would be good as a ground cover.
Now the odd ball – Allamanda blanchetti is purple, sort of mottled. It loosely vines and looks lovely around a mailbox post. The flowers are large and sometimes double. This one prefers full sun, but as with the others, water it when it droops in the heat.
Sashay down to the nursery and allamanda any way you wish.
Events for garden enthusiasts
• The Florida West Coast Orchid Society will meet on Thursday, Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m., at Pinellas County Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. An educational class is at 7, followed by a speaker from Featherstone Orchids, an orchid sale, raffle and refreshments. Call 725-1719.
• Safety Harbor Garden Club will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 9:30 a.m., at the library, 101 Second St. N. The speaker will be Alan Cordell, horticulturist with Pinellas County Extension, and the topic is vegetable gardening. Call Marilyn Mabe at 726-3794.
• The Tampa Bay Gesneriad Society meeting will be on Saturday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m., at 402 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Tampa. Dale Martens will speak on rhizomatous gesneriads. For reservations, call Corinne at 447-2898.
Ruth Davies is a Pinellas County Master Gardener. Questions can be sent to her at editorial@TBNweekly.com.
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Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006
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