Ipomoea quamoclit “Cardinal”
Cardinal climber, cypress vine, hummingbird vine, feathered quamoclit: its foliage, so finely divided that it resembles fern lace, has earned it these poetic nicknames. Against this airy, misty foliage stand out small, perfectly formed scarlet stars—a contrast few annual climbers can match.
Characteristics:
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Fast-growing climber: up to 3 meters in a single season, ideal for covering trellises, pergolas, and fences.
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Star-shaped flowers: bright scarlet red, all summer until the first frosts.
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Lace-like foliage: very finely divided, light, and airy.
Precautions:
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Morning glory seeds are toxic if ingested: they contain alkaloids and must never be eaten. Keep them out of reach of children and pets.
- Frost-tender plant, destroyed by the first frosts: it is an annual in our climates.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun; it needs warmth to flower well.
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Soil: light, well-drained, poor to moderately fertile. Important point: in soil that is too rich, it produces abundant foliage at the expense of flowers. Do not fertilize.
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Method: no stratification is necessary, but soak the seeds in lukewarm water for 12 to 24 hours before sowing to soften their hard seed coat and significantly improve germination. Sow indoors from March or directly in the ground after the last frosts (April–May), 0.5–1 cm deep. Germination in 10 to 20 days at 20–25 °C. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Place it at the foot of a support when planting: the plant climbs by twining its stems and quickly seeks something to cling to.
Care advice:
- Water regularly but moderately. Guide the young stems onto their support during the first few weeks.
Beneficial combinations:
- It combines well with other annual climbers such as nasturtium, and can provide light shade for plants sensitive to direct sunlight.
Biodiversity benefits:
- Its red tubular flowers are designed for long-tongued pollinators: in our climates, butterflies and hawk moths benefit from them, especially the hummingbird hawk moth.
- Its dense foliage on a support provides shelter appreciated by beneficial insects. See combining flowers with the vegetable garden.
Uses:
- For adorning fences, wire fencing, trellises, and arbors; ideal in a cottage garden or in a pot on a balcony with a support.
Symbolism:
The cardinal climber symbolizes vibrant passion and fleeting beauty: each flower lasts only one day, but they follow one another continuously throughout the summer.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Allow a few flowers to form their small capsules, then harvest them once they are brown and dry, before they open. Clearly label the packet, given the toxicity of the seeds. See storing your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
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