Which Bloom to Deadhead in a Cypress Vine

In a recent entry, I wrote about the importance of deadheading the Cypress Vine and the best time to deadhead. Obviously, the flowers to deadhead are the spent ones. But if you're not careful, it's easy to mistake the spent blooms for those blooms just about to open. And what a shame if you cut them by mistake!

So which are the spent blooms? The photo below a side by side comparison between a spent bloom and a new one.


The spent bloom is the one on the left. Here are the telltale signs of a spent bloom:

1. Encircled in red is the seed pod or fruit. It appears to be more rounded and bulbous.
   
2. The seed pod is more exposed and the bloom appears pushed out.
   
3. Encircled in light blue is the spent bloom. It looks shriveled.
   
4. The tip of the spent bloom is withered and rough.

Compared to the spent bloom, the new bloom looks fresh, smooth and still closed with the tip rounded.