Description
If you enjoy adding uncommon natives to your garden, Allegheny vine (Adlumia fungosa) is definitely worth considering. Also known as climbing fumitory, this biennial species produces a corydalis-like clump of dainty, pinnately compound, light green leaves the first year. The second spring, the overwintered clump shoots upward, reaching 10 feet or more if it has something that tall to climb on. It holds on with its petioles, so it needs something fine-textured to climb, like netting or wire mesh or a companion shrub or tree. (This year, I had some of my plants growing up a row of arborvitae and some on bird netting.) As they climb, the stems produce clusters of pink to nearly white, bleeding heart-like blooms, mostly in early to late summer. Now, to be fair, this plant has one drawback as an ornamental: The spent flowers turn brown and cling to the vine, detracting from the show after a few weeks. You may want to clip them off so the plant looks better, but do leave some if you want them to produce seed. The plant declines and dies later in the growing season but can self-sow freely.
Allegheny vine generally grows best in partial shade (light all-day shade or morning sun and afternoon shade); in cool areas, it may take full sun. It can grow in somewhat poor, dryish soil but is much more vigorous in rich, moist soil. It’s native to parts of the northeastern and north-central US but not particularly abundant anywhere.
Collected in mid to late June 2023. At least 20 seeds per packet. Unknown ecotype. Shipping to US addresses only.
Please read the germination information as well before ordering.
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