Ipomoea coccinea aka Red Morning Glory

Ipomoea coccinea is a vine that lives for one year. It belongs to the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its names include scarlet creeper and red morning glory. Kew gives its home range as the central and eastern United States. NC State adds Mexico but notes debate about its US origins. It grows by streams and roads, in fields and thickets. Kew places it in a subtropical climate.

This vine has soft stems and grows fast. It can climb, creep, or spread through beds. It can also cover a fence or trellis. Its green leaves grow in turn along the stems. Each leaf is simple, smooth, and has no hairs. Most are broad and egg-shaped, with a deep, heart-shaped base. Some have smooth edges. Others have coarse teeth or lobes with sharp angles. NC State gives leaf lengths of about 0.17–0.33 feet [0.05–0.10 metres]. Its separate list of leaf sizes includes larger leaves.

The red petals join to form a funnel or trumpet. Many blooms have a yellow throat within a red rim. Small groups of flowers grow on long stalks. These rise from leaf axils, where leaves meet stems. Blooms last from August until frost, through late summer and fall. In that time, their nectar feeds pollinators. The flowers draw butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant feeds songbirds, too. Light brown seed pods, called capsules, follow the blooms. These fruits stay on show from September through December.

Give scarlet creeper full sun or some shade. It grows in clay, loam, and sand, even in poor soil. It accepts acid, neutral, and alkaline soils. Moist soil suits it, but it copes with dry spells. NC State lists USDA zones 6–10 and says it needs little care. Growers raise it from seed. Before sowing, nick the hard seed coat. Then soak the seed overnight. Its trailing stems suit pots and rock walls. The blooms suit gardens for butterflies and other pollinators.

NC State reports few major pest or disease problems. Its spread can cause more trouble than pests. Plants can escape gardens into damp ground and waste sites. In warm climates, they readily set seed. This may lead to unwanted seedlings. NC State rates its poison effects as low, not absent. Eating it can make you vomit. Large amounts of seed may cause hallucinations. Indole alkaloids cause these effects. It also poses a risk to cats, dogs, and horses. The source reports no contact dermatitis, a rash from touch.