Name:  Cardinal vine or cardinal creeper aka Ipomoea x multifida

Type of Plant: An annual vine for full sun to grow on small trellises or other supports. Lacy green foliage and delicate red flowers make this an attractive climber that doesn’t overwhelm a support.

Why I love this: There are many people who want to grow a flowering vine on a rather small trellis, obelisk or other upright structure. Most vines will eat such a support for breakfast and tear it down for lunch! Not so with the cardinal creeper.

Add to this smaller, gentler growth habit the attraction for hummingbirds, and you have a winning plant.

 A Word to the Wise:  If you are growing this plant from seed, soak the seeds overnight, and/or nick them carefully with a sharp knife so that they are able to sprout.

This vine needs at least 4 hours of direct sun that include the noon hour in order to flower well. It’s never covered with bloom…if you want a showy vine for sun choose a Mandevilla instead. But if you appreciate elegant and sweet, have I got a vine for you!

This photo – taken in August, shows that sometimes the flowering of cardinal creeper can be sparse. But the hummingbirds find these flowers quickly and don’t seem to care that there aren’t hundreds of them. If you grow this in a larger container or the ground you’ll have more flowers, in my experience.

This photo shows that Ipomoea x multifida is a perfect plant for small structures. This wire tower was about four feet high and here is how the planter looked in August.