Ipomoea lobata
Ipomoea lobata, the fire vine, firecracker vine or Spanish flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, native to Mexico and Brazil.
Growing to tall, I. lobata is a perennial climber often cultivated in temperate regions as an annual. It has toothed and lobed leaves and one-sided racemes of flowers, opening red and fading to yellow, cream and white. These colours are graded down the length of the flower spike. The effect is like a firework, hence one of its popular names “firecracker vine”. The colours vaguely resemble the red and gold of the Spanish national flag, hence its other common name “Spanish flag”.
I. lobata requires a minimum temperature of, and a warm, sheltered spot in full sun. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
It is closely related to two other popular, award-winning climbing plants, Ipomoea indica and Ipomoea tricolor.
The name “Spanish flag” is also used for Lantana camara, an ornamental shrub.
