How to Grow and Care for Spanish Flag (Firecracker Vine)

Shooting up almost as quickly as one of its many nicknames, firecracker vine can grow close to 10 feet in a month, racing up trellises and fences and launching attractive red, banana-shaped flowers that gradually fade to a cream color.

Properly known as Ipomoea lobata, firecracker vine is also known by two former scientific names, Mina lobata and Quamoclit lobata and by a colorful array of other nicknames including Spanish flag and exotic love vine.

Its most recent Latin name, Ipomoea lobata, is particularly distasteful to many gardeners because while indeed being botanically related to Mexican morning glory (I. tricolor), common morning glory (I. purpurea), and others in the Ipomoea genus, firecracker vine’s flowers look nothing like morning glory flowers.

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Many gardeners simply call this plant “mina lobata.”

Let’s learn more about this glamorous dazzler.

Mina lobata is native to Central and South America. It made its way to Mexico where visiting Spaniards gave it one of its monikers and took it home to Europe.

A German seed house made the plant available in the United States in the late 19th century, and it has enjoyed varying degrees of popularity here ever since.

Grown as an annual in some climates, in others Spanish flag is actually characterized as an invasive plant – much like its cousin, morning glory – for its speedy and aggressive growth habit.

It typically flowers in late summer and well into autumn, making it an attractive addition to colorful fall landscapes.

In the south, this vine will overwinter quite well,