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I recently got into gardening and one of my favorite plants is Mexican flamevine (Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides). Recently the leaves have been changing color from green to red/brown/black and I don't know what is causing it and how to fix it. If anyone could give a new gardener some tips, I would greatly appreciate it!

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VividD
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Clueless
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  • Where are you in the world? – Bamboo Dec 11 '17 at 20:56
  • Tucson, AZ. I've read the Flame Vine has a hardiness to about 20F and the coldest its gotten here is 36F last week – Clueless Dec 11 '17 at 21:02
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    Now I:m confused - 36F appears to be just above zero C, ,which is pretty chilly for Zone 9, isn't it, or maybe I;m wrong, find it difficult to work in fahrenheit. Are you in USDA zone 9? I only ask because these plants are annual in colder areas – Bamboo Dec 11 '17 at 21:11
  • I am in USDA zone 9b, and temperatures drop here to about 10F(-12C) in the heart of winter during nights and mornings. So based off what you said, and please educate me on the topic, when I plant has a hardiness to 20F, does that mean it can survive on its own (not trimming it back) to 20F? – Clueless Dec 11 '17 at 21:20
  • In theory, yes, although 20F does seem a bit extreme to me... it will certainly completely disappear below ground, but see answer below – Bamboo Dec 11 '17 at 21:31
  • I love this question; 6 degree F can also be said to be 26 degrees below freezing. On the Fahrenheit scale. If the coldest @Clueless has recorded is 36 degrees that would be 4 degrees above freezing! Way way too cold. That would explain the 'scorch' look on those leaves. No worry, this plant will come back from major freezes as long as it is not planted in a pot. – stormy Dec 12 '17 at 03:35
  • I see someone's inserted the newest Latin name for this plant - what an unlovely mouthful... I deliberately stuck to the older name, its easier to spell! – Bamboo Dec 12 '17 at 16:25

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This is most likely cold damage - Senecio confusus, or Mexican Flame Vine, dies completely in Zones 8 or below, and is grown as an annual rather than a perennial there - optimum low zone would be 9a. It is grown in colder areas, and can be kept over winter if it's brought into a warmer environment during the cold season. If you had a temperature of 36degF, there would have been frost,and that could be the damage you're seeing. If it gets colder than that, your plant will likely die back to the ground, but if you are in Zone 9 or above, it should regrow next spring. https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/butterfly-plants/mexican-flame-vine/

Bamboo
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