firecracker vine

[flowerlover]

Do any of you know anything about what is called a firecracker vine in Woman's Day magazine? It sounds perfect for our area, but I have never heard of it, and did not recognize the picture. I don't know if it has another name or not. It is supposed to be low maintenance, grows to 10 ft. in one season, and is "everblooming" (red and yellowish two-tone blooms). It is recommended for hiding chain link fences.

[Leslie Finical Halleck]

Fire cracker vine,Mina lobata,is member of the morning glory family and produces masses of dazzling 1.5 inch tubular flowers that mature from soft lemon yellow, through orange and deep rusty red. This vine grows in much the same manner as morning glories and cypress vine. In fact, it's a close relative of cypress vine, Ipomoea quamoclit. Grow firecracker vine in full sun or at least a half-day of good sunlight. Provide a trellis, fence or other structure for the vines to climb. The plants will twine just like morning glories and cypress vine.

[flowerlover]

So I guess it grows well here. Is it susceptible to any diseases? Do the blooms have any fragrance? Do you know if it is easy to find at local nurseries/home improvement centers?

Thank you so much!

[Leslie Finical Halleck]

Yes, it is pretty easy to grow. It will need supplemental watering, just like any other fast growing annual vine, but other than that, no special requirements out of the ordinary. Just make sure it gets a good amount of sun. The humming birds love them. No strong fragrance that I can remember (it's been a few years since I've grown any). I don't know how much luck you'll have finding plants at the local nurseries - most folks end up growing them from seed, which are pretty easy to come by. They are not frost hardy, so you'll need to keep seeds and restart early each spring.