I have enclosed a vine that suddenly appeared in my deck flower bed about three
years ago. It doesn’t start to grow until about July, then it starts to bloom in
late July or early August. I suspect the seeds were deposited by a little bird.
I hope you can tell me what it is. I’m saving seeds and plan to plant them in
hanging baskets.
The plant in question is commonly called cypress vine or cardinal vine. It has delicate ferny foliage, with bright red flowers. It is actually a member of the morning glory family. For best germination, nick the outer seed coat or soak the seed for 24 hours prior to planting. As you know they can also freely reseed themselves and they make a wonderful summer annual vine. Hummingbirds and butterflies flock to them.