Key Features
- Cardinal Climber produces vivid red, trumpet-shaped flowers with contrasting pale throats.
- Fast-growing annual vine with attractive, finely divided green foliage.
- Naturally twining growth makes it ideal for trellises, fences, arches, and vertical gardens.
- Bright summer-to-frost blooms create striking color and vertical interest outdoors.
- Attractive to pollinators and hummingbirds, making it useful for wildlife-friendly gardens.
Growing Benefits
- Adds vibrant red color to vertical garden displays.
- Makes excellent use of trellises, fences, and other garden supports.
- Creates a lush leafy backdrop for colorful trumpet-shaped flowers.
- Works well in containers when provided with suitable climbing support.
- Helps bring pollinators and hummingbirds into flowering garden spaces.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Cardinal Climber, Red Climber
- Botanical Name: Ipomoea sloteri
- Plant Type: Annual flowering vine; climbing plant
- Colors: Bright red flowers with white or yellow throats; green foliage
- Height: Long, vigorous twining vine; commonly trained vertically
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil with good moisture retention
- Water: Regular watering; maintain even moisture without waterlogging
- Germination Time: Usually about one to three weeks under suitable conditions
- Sowing Depth: Shallow sowing, approximately half an inch deep
- Spacing: Allow about one foot between plants or planting groups
- Growing Zones: Best suited to warm climates; commonly grown as an annual in cooler areas
- Flowering/Maturity: Summer through frost under suitable growing conditions
- Uses: Trellises, fences, arches, containers, vertical gardens, pollinator gardens, and screens
Growing Tips
- Provide a trellis, fence, or other support soon after seedlings begin climbing.
- Keep young seedlings evenly moist while their roots become established.
- Choose a sunny location for stronger flowering and vigorous vine growth.
- Give the vine enough vertical space to twine naturally without overcrowding.
Seed Storage
Keep unused seeds in their original packet or an airtight container. Store them in a cool, dry, dark location away from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Avoid storing seeds in humid areas.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Cardinal Climber is botanically known as Ipomoea sloteri and belongs to the morning glory family.
- Its bright red flowers have a tubular, trumpet-like form and contrasting throat.
- The plant uses twining growth to climb naturally around nearby supports.
- The flowers can attract hummingbirds and other pollinators during the blooming season.