This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
St.James's Park - Plant ID
1634 Racine
Posts: 568
in Plants
Any ideas? I really want one of these next year!
0
Posts
Firecracker Vine (Mina Lobata), I think these days it's called Ipomoea Lobata, also called Spanish Flag.
It's a tender Mexican annual and the seeds are quite easy to find. Sow under cover, bring on the plants and then put them out after the last frosts in May. The flowers can last well into October so a good one for late interest.
Thanks KL. Firecracker is the most suitabe name by far - that's exactly what I was thinking of when I first saw this.
Any idea whether this is perennial/annual and whether it will grow in my cold, wet clay
It looks way too tropical
Cheers OB. I think I might give this a go next year. My sweet peas might have to move aside! Is it a self-climber or would it need tieing-in?
It also looks like there are some Thumbergia ( black eye susie) planted as well.
I don't think they like clay soil - too heavy and rich. They're better off in sandy or chalky soil with good drainage. There was and RHS trial at Wisley where they di very poorly because of a wet summer and rich, heavy soil.
You could work in plenty of leaf mould and grit to a patch of your garden and feed with tomato or rose food but not nitrogen rich feeds as you want flowers, not foliage.
Well spotted Chrissy - definitely Thunbergia as well - that makes a good combination doesn't it
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I grew Thunbergia up a willow wigwam in a large terracotta pot on our front porch last summer - it took a fair bit of watering, but got lots of admiring comments.
If they're growing Thunbergia with Firecracker Vine they obviously like the same conditions, so it'll be worth trying in a big container.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If anyone is interested, my Spanish flag produced myriads of seeds, and I
keep them in my fridge for eventual "new dads".
Racine, that is an absoluter stunner! I've got a little one this year, and am quietly pleased with it, but 'next year will be better'. I shall try again, will use a much larger pot, and will sow the seed earlier than the end of March. You asked if it was an annual - yes, it is, and it will curl around and up any support you give it, no need to tie it in.