Red Cardinal Climber – 5 Seeds

Red Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea sloteri) is a tender annual vine with red, trumpet-like flowers. This frost tender annual heirloom vine in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) has been grown as an ornamental for over 100 years both for its attractive foliage and prolific flowers. Cardinal climber is a hybrid plant, created by Logan Sloter of Columbus, Ohio who in 1897 crossed (by hand) red morning glory (Ipomoea coccinea) and cypress vine (I. quamoclit, as the pollen parent). Unlike most hybrids, you can save the seeds and sow them the following year in your garden and they will come true.

This twining vine of the morning glory family can grow between 0.91–3.05 m tall and it is grown for its attractive scarlet flowers.  Very small Scarlet red flowers bloom from early summer until the plant is killed by frost. The leaves are triangular with deep lobes that look like palm leaves.Although this plant is part of the morning glory family, the flowers are very tiny in comparison. They are only about 15 mm long and 10 mm in diameter. Each tubular flower is star-shaped, flaring open at the mouth into five pointed lobes. Flowers are attractive to butterflies. Can be grown in containers.

Growing Red Cypress Vine

Indoor Sowing: Late Winter and Early Spring.

Direct Sowing: Spring.

• Nick or file the seed coat and then soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours prior to sowing.
• Sow in pots about 4 weeks before the last frost or direct sow about two weeks after the last frost, when the soil has warmed.
• Germination takes 5-14 days
• Plant the vine near a fence or trellis for climbing where the vine can attach and thrive as it grows.