PlantFiles: Chilean Glory Flower, Glory Vine
Eccremocarpus scaber

I live in zone 3a and started this plant from seed March 22 in my north facing bedroom window and it germinated in about 2 weeks. It started climbing the screen { screen is on the inside of the window} and by the middle of May it was about 12 inches high. I put it out in large 30 inch pots in full sun the beggining of June and it started to flower the end of July. Now the first of September it has about 300 blossums and is very attractive to the humminbirds. I will definitely grow this again next year.

I've planted seedlings out during summer 2004. It has bloomed only a little in that summer. During winter with temps down to -18 C occasionally (they've measured the lowest temps in march ever) it died back to return mid spring with new growth. It is flowering better now in its second year but stil not enough for me. We had a long cold spring with nightfrosts untill end of june. It needs warmth to flower so that might be the reason. But still....overhere it is rare to have it grow.

bought some seed at a local garden center...came up rather easily.
looking foward to growing it here in zone 8b and will update later with more info.

started the seed in jiffy mix, outside under carport. came up withing two weeks, misting surface everyday with a very dilute fertilizer solution. seedlings are very delicate looking.

This nice Chilean Native perennial vine can reach 5 m height and blooms during Spring and Summer.

This climber loves neutral to slightly acidic, nutrient rich, well drained soil. It is even happier growing through rocks and stones. Requires regular watering and full sun exposure.

Propagation from seeds: stratified sowing in Autumn, in a mix of two portions sand, two portions compost and one portion regular garden soil. Barely cover the seeds. Seeds can also be sowed directly in Spring.

The local hummingbirds and I like this plant a lot. It's not particularly picky about fertilizer or soil, and seems to be pretty tough for a tropical plant. The first year I grew it in a pot. After flowering and fruiting, it died to the ground. I thought I'd killed it; but, after sitting for a while without much water, it started growing again. I've moved it a couple times since and it seems to bounce back without too much trouble. It does develop somewhat tuberous roots, which it must use to get started again after dormancy. No notable pests or pathogens. The vine itself is fairly delicate and probably looks better in combination with something else or growing up a bush or tree. Doesn't seem to respond too well to pruning or pinching.

E. scaber is the commonest of 5 species of Eccremocarpus. It is a tendril climber, useful for walls and fences or for scrambling through shrubs and small trees. A perennial, it will flower in its first year from seed. It requires a neutral to slightly acid soil and flowers most profusely if grown in full sun. This sub-tropical native of Chile and Peru will survive short periods of low temperature (down to -5C) and although it may die back to soil level will come again with new growth from the base. Propagation is usually by seed, but leaf bud and soft tip cuttings can also be taken.

In addition to the standard orange, there are also yellow, pink and red varieties.

The picture of the orange variety below was taken of a two year old seedling, planted out in the Summer 2000, growing up through some old cupressus leylandii that got over-pruned. It survived the Winter in that location (temperatures down to -5C for short periods); it's only protection beings LOTS of root mulch of leaves etc..

Pictures of the yellow and red varieties were taken in a neighbours garden (but I aim to trade some seed !)