Are you looking for something that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden? Consider planting Mina lobata, an annual vine with brightly colored flowers that resemble exploding fireworks.
What is Mina Lobata?
Mina lobata (Ipomoea lobata) is a vine native to Mexico and Brazil. It is related to the morning glory, but unlike its morning glory cousins, its flowers remain open throughout the day.
Mina lobata vines are hardy in zones 10 – 11 where they are grown as a perennial. The rest of us grow them as annuals.
The vines grow 6 to 10 feet tall in one season. The leaves are deeply lobed and shaped like a lily. This is the origin of the “lobata” part of their name. Lopata means cloves. Leaves grow 2 to 6 inches long.
Mina lobata is grown for its gorgeous flowers. Not only is it colorful, but it is also unique in its appearance. Flowers grow on racemes. Ethnicity is a flower that has individual flowers on a central stem. What makes Mina lobata flowers unique is that the individual flowers grow on only one side of the main stem.
Racemes reach 6 inches tall with tubular flowers growing side by side. The flowers bloom red and turn orange, yellow and cream as they mature. Since the flowers open one after the other, they form a gradient on each vein.
The multicolored gradient contains the colors found on the flag of Spain, giving the grape its nickname, the Spanish flag. Other gardeners see the flowers as fireworks and call the vines firecrackers.
Flowering time is from mid-autumn to late summer. The vines die at the first frost in the fall.
How to Grow Mina Lobata
Mina lobata vines should be planted in full sun, which means 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. If you try to grow vines in partial shade, they won’t flower as well.
Vines should be planted 12 inches apart in well-drained soil that is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. You will need to provide something for them to climb on, such as a trellis. Mina lobata can be grown in containers, but requires some sort of support to climb.
Make sure your vines get at least one inch of water per week. When they start to form buds, fertilize them with a fertilizer designed for flowering plants. This will encourage more flowering. Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen, which encourage foliage rather than flowers.
Mina lobata vines lose their leaves from the bottom of the vines during the growing season. Plant some low-growing plants around the base of your vines to cover the loss of leaves.
How to Grow Mina Lobata From Seed
Mina lobata seeds have a hard outer layer. You will need to either carefully slit the layer with a sharp knife, being careful not to damage the embryo inside, or gently sand the layer with fine sandpaper or a nail file to remove the layer.
Soak the crushed or sandy seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting.
Outdoors
The easiest way to grow Mina lobata from seed is to sow it directly into your garden. Wait at least two weeks after the last frost for the soil to warm before you can plant the treated seeds. Warm soil is key. If you plant tropical seeds in cold soil, they will not germinate.
In my zone 6 garden in New Jersey, the last frost is in April, but I don’t plant my seeds and tropical plants until late May because the soil has not warmed by then.
Sow the treated seeds ½ inch deep and 12 inches apart. Germination will occur in 5 to 14 days.
Make sure to climb up your trellis or whatever you like before planting your seeds. If you wait until your seeds germinate and your vines begin to grow, you could damage the tender new roots when installing trellises or other supports.
Indoors
If you want to get a jump on the season, start by planting Mina lobata seeds indoors. Treat your seeds and plant them indoors 6 weeks before the last frost. Plant them ½ inch deep in peat pots or other biodegradable containers. Use a heat mat to keep the soil temperature at 65°F to 70°F. Germination should occur within 5-14 days.
You can plant your plants outside in your garden two weeks after the last frost and the soil has warmed. Warm soil is key. Your plants will not grow in cold soil and may die. You may have to wait more than two weeks for the soil to warm after the last frost.
Place your trellis or other support before planting your vines. Plant your plants in biodegradable containers in your garden so as not to disturb the sensitive new roots. The distance between them is 12 inches.
