The names Cypress Vine and Cardinal Climbers are commonly used interchangeably for Ipomoea quamoclit and I. multifida/sloteri. Most commercially available seed packets you buy at a place like Canadian Tire will be I. Sloteri. If you specifically want one or the other, you're best off identifing them by the botannical name. The two are very similar, and grow in the same manner, but in my yard, I have found that I. quamoclit does not do nearly as well as I. sloteri. In my experience, neither of the two will 'trail' in a hanging basket, they will both climb. If you want a somewhat related plant that hangs down, then you might want to look for something like an ornamental sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). BP

Great suggestion, Penny, but a lot will have to go right for that to happen. The pot is made, but needs to be bisque-fired, dipped in glaze, and then fired again at a higher temperature. If all goes well, the pot should be ready towards the end of May. Sometimes things get warped in firing, so I'm hoping it will fit into the corner of the house as I designed it to. If the pot survives, then the plants have to do well enough that I won't be ashamed to show them to all of you! Finally, I don't have a digital camera, so will have to take a conventional photo and scan it. I've never posted a picture before, so will have to figure out how to do it. That, of course, should be the least of my problems. There are so many "ifs!" I'm almost afraid to promise that I'll post a photo, because it feels sort of like counting my cardinal climbers before they've climbed! Jenny, you are right about their intolerance to wind and harsh conditions. I actually killed one of the younger ones because it got buffeted around too much sitting out on the porch roof, plus temperatures have been brutally cold for mid May, and I carelessly left it out when I should have brought it in. It was nowhere near freezing, and the plant was used to being outside in the sun, it just didn't like overnight temperatures in the upper 40's. The older plants are doing better, but are also sulking a bit. That's why I planted some backups last week, in case the remaining 3 don't do well.

I have lots of it. Send porcelin berry vine? email me. :) Arum

i have just about that many of my, Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea x multifida) and would like to trade you for your Merremia sibirica if possible Here is a link that might be useful: what my flower looks like