PlantFiles: Mexican Flame Vine, Orange Glow Vine
Senecio confusus

wonderful vine full of color and vitality. Its so great to see so many posts here. In a world full of so many catastrophes and terrible things it is inspiring to know that many people care for plants. In a world inclined so much in sex, violence and madness, it is comforting to see humans that put aside nightmares, worries and defeats and put their attention and care to the marvelous world of plants, flowers and trees.

I live in Canada and the Mexican Flame Vine is just an annual here. I've only been able to find it here once and loved it. I understand it can become invasive - not a problem here where we get -29C; and I've purchased seeds with no success. Now I'd like someone just to send me a handful of stems and I'll root them myself. I understand they are more successful than with seeds. Thanks to anyone who is willing.

According to Top Tropicals, new synonyms for Senecio confusus are Pseudogynoxus confusus, or P. chenopodiodes. Only this web site seems to have Pericalis as a new genus assignment for it ...

Ver-r-r-ry pretty. But take care...notice the posts about how easy it is to propagate. I know first-hand why it's considered invasive in many areas. Came up between the porch floorboards after a long trip under the house. Still, 4 years after thinking I'd banished it from the yard forever, I find it lurking in the grass on the other side of the yard, far from it's original location. Be warned....

I bought two of these vines in San Antonio at the Texas Master Gardener Convention, brought them home to dry west Texas. I planted one on the south side of my garden cottage and kept one in the pot. The one in the pot has not bloomed again (was blooming when I bought it). The one I planted in the ground is on a drip system and is blooming like crazy and just beautiful. The flowers are so bright. It has not been fazed in the least by the 110 degree temps this week even though I have only run the drip one time. I just hope I can get it to come back after our west Texas winter. Will keep the other in it's pot to take indoors in the winter and see how it does.

I too have had this beautiful vine for several years. Gave it Osmocote each year, and water regularly like my other potted plants. No blooms at all...
My daughter bought one last year at Lowe's that was in bloom, and it has bloomed again this year. I think that must be the secret... to buy one in bloom.

The person that wrote that they had no flowers of their Mexican Flame Vine is encouraging growth of the plant, but discouraging flowers by their fertilization. This is a desert plant and it likes neglect (water only when ground is very, very dry - do not fertilize or add organic matter when planting, the plant likes sandy well draining soil). As with other desert plants, like lantana, fertilization actually inhibits flowering. My vines are in full south Texas sun, very windy conditions (we live on a hill near the gulf) and I rarely water them. They are the one thing that absolutely did not show stress from the lack of rain this past year, near freezing temperatures and they bloom all winter and summer. I plan on planting a lot more of this vine.

We have grown this flame vine for 3 years now. I was purchased at USF Botanical Garden sale. It was planted in supplemented soil with Black Cow, top soil and perlite. It has a large trellis and is in full sun on the west side. It has been fed regularly throughout each spring & summer. This year we scaled back on the nitrogen and gave it 10-50-10 to encourage blooms. We have yet to see a bloom. Ready to dig it out and plant something else. Anyone have any ideas.

Moved into my house almost 6 years ago and found a small fern growing in an inconvenient place. After mowing the fern down all these years, decided to let it grow and discovered a Mexican flame vine growing in the middle of it. Apparently it has been there all this time, unnoticed. It's now growing vigorously on a cattle panel trellis; I'm waiting for blooms.

I was very intrigued by this plant having seen one in bloom in a conservatory in Madison, WI, that I bought one from an Internet seller from GA. It can't stand our cold WI winters, but I grow it in a large pot with a trellis that I put out in the warm season. It comes into our sunroom for the winter and I hack the foliage back and it comes back again the next year. I have something pretty unique that you don't normally see in WI. This year I am going to propagate it to give away to friends.

We live outside of Houston and planted ours last Spring. It is growing up a Washingtonian Palm. It was in constant bloom until our recent freezes. According to what I have read on this board, it appears that if I cut it back (after the last guaranteed frost) it should sprout from the roots again. If my understanding is incorrect, please let me know at da.buckmaster@comcast.net

Thanks

I live near Austin and this is the second year for my flame vine. It grows beautifully (tumbles over a stone wall) but I am not getting any blooms!! As the heat is so intense here, I have one vine in dappled light and another in full sun, but neither is producing any flowers. Last year I got about 5 blooms...that was it, so I know that it does flower! Any ideas?

I plants several of these plants along my driveway in April. They bloomed until June. They receive full sun from morning until early afternoon. the vines are growing like crazy, but no blooms. Any ideas?

This is a wonderful vine for the Houston area. Last winter was unusually cold and I lost the species plant. But, the cultivar Senecio confusus 'Sao Paulo' came through unharmed. I was amazed, especially as it had been planted in May 2009 so hadn't really had enough time to put down a strong root system. The species plant had been in the ground for 4 or 5 years (can't find the invoice to verify) so it definitely had put down a strong root system. I would've expected 'Sao Paulo' to have been more susceptible to cold temps. Go figure.
Leslie

In lahore Pakistan, this vine is evergreen and blooms from February till october. In march i counted 200+ blooms on it with butterflies all around it. Flowers have mild perfume too. Mine started wilting in May and almost became dead, then in july it has started coming back.

I have my vine growing on a dead holly bush. I'm too lazy to cut the holly down, so I'm letting the vine grow over the dead branches. It hasn't bloomed for me yet, but it's growing like gangbusters!

Always provides a riot of blooms. The Queen butterflies love this stuff!!!

Have found it very easy to root. I take tip cuttings, dip them into hormone powder and push the stem down into small blocks of wet floral foam. It helps to use a skewer or something thin to make a hole in the wet floral foam first as most tip cuttings are easily bent. I keep the wet floral foam moist and within a few days the roots start growing out it. Plant the cutting in the block of wet floral foam directly into the soil or a pot.

See photo in the plant files.

~ Cat

In the new Flora of North America this is listed as Pseudogynoxys chenopodiodes (2006 Vol. 20 pg. 608)

Got mine from simple cuttings from my mother's vine - and has already grown to about one foot in a month. So very easy to propagate! I am experimenting with mingling vines on a lattice work fence that we're trying to completely cover for privacy. (I got this idea thanks to a post I saw in the vines forum.) I'm blending this with confederate jasmine. I'll post photos when they grow a bit.

Described well by others--mine blooms in about six flushes a year. I trim it back slightly after each flush has finished to get rid of the seed pods and tidy it up. I severly prune it in the spring---I have not had mine freeze back, but I know those who are more susceptible to freeze here, have--but it comes right back. I cut mine way back a month ago and it is starting to bloom now. Very fast growing, I have started a few from cuttings. I grow it on a trellis that shields my a/c and water treatment stuff. Wide variety of butterflies, bees, dragonflies nectar on it.
I got mine three years ago at Florida Native Plant--it is not a Florida Native but is Florida friendly. --never seen it at Home Depot--It does show up at the butterfly club and my garden club at plant sales and raffles.
I don't think it requires extra water but mine gets it as I have my tomatoes and herb garden at its feet.

Dear,

Please take note that this plant changed of genus.
Now for the moment(!!) you have to call them Pericalis.
Greetings,
Albert

I planted it, so I can't compain too much that now I have LOTS of this plant. It is pretty easy to pull up from where I don't want it, and if when we get a freeze (none in the last two years) that will control it as well! I let it climb into some of my live oaks and sour orange trees, and it looks great peeking out. I have seen it take over tree canopies in Miami, but I just don't think that is possible this far north.

We live in Dade City in Central Florida. Bought my Flame Vine at Home Depot in April 2003, in a one inch pot. It's planted at the base of a chain link fence in a mostly shady spot. The soil is sandy and the plant has had to compete for space with my passion plants. ( I have 9 variety's)

I watered very little, never fertilized and let the Flame Vine alone. This area is sub-tropical, very hot and humid. It grew up the fence and into my Live-oak.
Their is now a big patch of bright flowers thirty feet up the Live Oak Tree

San Antonio, Tx.
This is fast growing Mexico native perennial vine that produces blooms until the first hard freeze. The arrowhead- shaped succulent-like deep green leaves are serrated on the edges and are similar to German Ivy. The brilliant bright orange 1 inch in diameter flowers appear in small clusters. As they age and after pollination, the blooms change to almost red. The seedheads resemble smaller versions of dandelion seedheads.

It has high heat tolerance, low water requirements and is seldom bothered by pests. This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. Senecio confusus means "confused old man" which probably refers to the vine's growth habit - it needs to be provided with some sort of support or it will grow into a tangled mass where it supports itself.

It can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or layering. The vine naturally forms roots where it touches the ground. Because the seeds require light to germinate, they need to be kept at the surface of the soil.

I call this my HAPPY PLANT! It grows quickly here and is covered with bright orange flowers! I have it growing on an 18ftX 10ft wrought iron trellis with allamanda and between both plants, the trellis is covered in a patchwork of yellow and oranges!

Dies to the ground in mild frost, but comes back fast from roots. Twines to 8-10 ft. Light green, rather fleshy leaves are 1-4 in. long, 1/2-1 in. wide, coarsely toothed, large clusters of startling, orange-red blooms with golden centers appear at branch ends. Will bloom all year where winters are mild. Provide light soil, regular water. Full sun, or very light shade. Use on trellis or collumn, let cascade over bank, wall, or plant in hanging basket. Propagation by cutting or seed.