September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks. 

First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine (Schinensis chinensis), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice. 

I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor. 

The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese legend says that the most prominent flavor is the one your body needs the most. Of course, I was keen on trying one. Horrendous! I'm not sure what flavor I tasted but there was something about it that reminded me of Chinese food (which I usually love). The berries can be dried and used in teas, a route I would definitely take in the future.

This is a shade-loving vine that is growing well in our garden. It gets a bit of morning and mid-day sun and is shaded the remainder of the day. 

Another One Green World find was the Tasmanian Trailing Tea Vine (Lepstostermum ruspestre).  Planted in August of 2022, it has been a slow grower and one that I kept expecting would probably kick the bucket. Due to Michael's diligence in watering, it has taken hold and doing nicely. The surprise is the flowers, not many, in fact only four or five, but fun to see. 

Finally, the surprise with Hyacinth Bean Vine (Lablab purpleus) is that it finally did something. This was a favorite vine when I gardened in Alabama. I suspected that it is  better suited for hotter climates, but it is doing well.  Now that I think about it, I believe it was always late in the south too. Like Spanish Flag (Ipomoea lobata), it needs time to do its thing.

I grew it by seed in two planters that flank the bench in the lower garden, along with some petunias, African daisy and Potato Vine. I thought the purple flowers and beans would look nice on the tuteurs in the pots. Too late for the best show, and not dense enough. Perhaps next year, I will grow it on the entrance gate in front. I do love the combination of the hyacinth bean with Mary Rose, that grows behind the bench. 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy