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Cardinal Climber

Ipomoea (eye-poh-MEE-a mul-TIH-fid-ah)

Family: Convolvulaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

This unusual Morning glory, known commonly as Cardinal creeper or Hearts and honey vine, is a natural hybrid of Ipomoea coccinea and Ipomoea quamoclit. It is descended from a single plant and reproduces true from seed. This annual prefers moist, well-drained soil, but will tolerate dry soil if watered regularly. Unless the soil is very poor, it does not require fertilizer. It can be trained as a vine, used as ground cover, or grown in containers. It can be attractive to rabbits and deer. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: More information on Ipomoea .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 55 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Ipomoea quamoclit
Native alternatives Ipomoea pandurata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Vine
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
USDA zones
10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, 12a
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Deltoid; Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Emerald green palm leaf-shaped.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Trumpet
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Five fused petals forming a trumpet shape; bright red with white or yellow throats
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Central and South America
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Vertical Spaces
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy
Garden tags
#red flowers #well-drained soil #hummingbird friendly #groundcover #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #bee friendly #container plant #vine #annual #twining
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Seeds
Poison symptoms
Vomiting, large amounts of seeds may cause hallucinations
Toxic principle
Indole alkaloids (Lysergic acid, lysergamide, elymoclavine and chanoclavine)
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Seeds

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.