Red's Cutting

As we put up the new fence I wanted to do my best to make sure the plant at the corner was saved.  It was given to us by Missy Ann's father; a man with a green thumb if there ever was one.
This plant though fought him tooth and nail. Every time he'd get a cutting to start a new plant it would send out a few stringy roots and then die.  He spent a couple years trying different methods of re-propagation and nothing worked.  Finally he got the right rooting hormone and achieved success. 
When he gave it to us it was only a stick and there were quite a few times I thought it was going to die.  But it hung on until it reached the top of the fence and then it took off in earnest. Red died several years ago but I think he looks down and smiles when he sees that bush.