Question
QUESTION: My apologies if this question has already been answered. I have a hummingbird vine that re-seeds itself beautifully.   A friend would like some for her garden.  Are the seed pods a viable option or does she need a cutting?

ANSWER: Hi Barbara,
Thanx for your question.  I have attached a link to the hummingbird vine Ipomoea quamoclit.  It's a member of the morning glory family and it reseeds itself readily in gardens throughout most of the Southern half of the United States from the Ohio river south and the lower Midwest and south.  The seeds are black bits inside of a roundish capsule.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/i/ipom_qua.cfm  You want to use the seeds and not the cuttings on this plant.  It grows as an annual.  If this is not the plant you're talking about, let me know and I'll look for something else.
thx,
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually, my vine has 2-3 inch long orange type trumpet flowers.  Is it also a form of hummingbird vine?   Thanks again for checking.  

Answer
Hi Barbara,
Thanx for the additional information.  Some folks refer to the vine you're speaking of as a humingbird vine.  Most people refer to it as trumpet vine or trumpet creeper.  The plant is horticulturally known as Campsis radicans and it is considered invasive in many parts of the U.S.  Check with your local County Extension Horticultural Agent about growing this plant in your area.  If you give me your state and county, I'll give you contact info.  Below is a link to Duke University that shows pix of the plant.  Let me know if this is it.

http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/cara.html

The plant can be grown by taking the seeds after they've ripened, wrap in moist paper towel and store in the fridge for 3 months and then plant in a warm environment or you can dig up some of the roots 4-6 inches long and replant those.  Some plants will have suckers or new plants growing up out of the ground near the base of the plants.  These can be dug up and severed from the mother plant and replanted, or you can take softwood cuttings in the spring, about 6 inches long and remove all of the leaves but the last two or three.  Dip in rooting hormone and place one inch deep in warm wet sand.  Keep inside a clear plastic baggie to maintain humidity.  Rooting should start or be started by 8 weeks.  When new leaf growth appears, check for root growth.  That would be the time to carefully dig out of the growing medium and transplant into a separate pot until the plant is substantially strong enough to be planted outdoors.

I hope this helps.
Tom