Washington's Wild Plants

For our April 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine reader contest, we asked entrants to tell us “what plant you have that needs caging.” Here is a sampling of some of the responses:

"My philodendron needs caging, several of them. They are growing up and down and over and across. Always giving away cuttings."

~ Jeavonna Chapman, Baltimore, MD 

"I would plant my ginger plant in the cage."
~ Joan Richards, Fairfax, VA 

" I have a night blooming Cereus plant that seriously needs caging."
~ Gloria June Sherman, Silver Spring, MD

"I need to cage my passion flower that I just bought from a local Farmers' Market."

~ Mary Valentine-Boutte, Hedgesville, WV

"Would love to try Up Cage for my Thunbergia alata (Black-eyed Susan vine) on the deck. So tired of the upside down tomato cage or the bamboo sticks that fall over.  Keeping fingers crossed!"

~  Michele Bitters, Sterling VA 2

"I have tall zinnias that desperately need caging - they are just too tall and they lean toward the sun and start to fall over. I also needed to cage my brussel sprouts because as the sun gets lower in the fall, they also bend just enough to fall before they get really stiff."

~ Barbara Elkin, Alexandria VA

Many responded with that sprawling vine, the tomato.

What wild plants do you grow that need caging?

The winner of our April 2013 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest chosen at random from the entries submitted is Katie Rapp. She wins the Ultimate Plant Cage (prize value: $17.95). It’s the first-ever fully adjustable plant cage. The Ultimate Plant Cage’s unique, patented design opens up your plants to the sun and lets those nourishing rays penetrate from the fruit to the root.