Elivs, these are the instructions I use to germinate my seed.I'm not saying xeolyte way does not work I have never tried them that way. I do cut a sliver of the seed off, soak in hand hot water overnight, place seed in wet paper towel in ziploc bag, place bag in a warm area with light but not direct sun light. It usually takes 3 to 5 days for seed to sprout, plant sprout down and do NOT cover other end of seed. If I have a couple that has not sprouted I cut off another sliver and start process over. I do agree that I think yours do not get enough sun and thats why they are not blooming. I am in Louisiana we have a much hotter, humid and longer summer than you do in zone 3/4. Good Luck!! Hope this works as easy for you as it did me. Sherri

Vigna caracalla or contorted corkscrew vine is a vine that Thomas Jefferson grew at Monticello and has flowers that start out white, turn purpley-lavender, and then finish off a golden yellow color. I have had this plant that I overwinter in my garage for three years and the plants I have were started from seed. The flowers are highly fragrant up close but not something that you would smell from across the lawn. Here are pictures of my plant. Pictures of the seed pod and seeds of Vigna caracalla There is another one plant out there that is often confused with Vigna caracalla which has blooms that are smaller than Vigna caracalla and the blooms remain purple in color all the time. This one is sometimes called Phaseolous caracalla or snail vine and its flowers are not fragrant at all.

Helen, just found this. I asked about it on one of your pictures threads. Mine blooms up high too, but because it is at the foundation of the porch that puts me up in the 'smelling' zone when sitting on the swing. Mine doesn't look nearly as lush as theirs. I want to go sometime and find someone working that knows about it. Mark didn't. They must winter it over somewhere or start it early in a greeenhouse. Did you notice if it was planted in a pot or the ground?

I found out it takes the big fat 'Bumble Bee',that I use to have up in the Northeast, to fert. this flower. The regular honeybee isn't big enough to get into the flower and get the pollen on its body to fert. the flower.To do it by hand is the answer. The ants do not do it. Someone else mentioned that they are just eating all the nectar that is in the flower. So when/if I get flowers...I am going to tear the blooms apart and fert. them myself with a small artist paint brush,and see if it works. Every site I go to says it makes so many seeds! Yet us plain ol' people that grow it say that there are next to no seeds! And most sites also say it can become like the Kudzu vine, and take over other yards! I hope! I need a super fast growing vine and one that grows that fast is fine by me. This area need some flowers! Get rid of the weed vines and replace it with my Snail Vine:) hehehehe.