Q: My neighbor has a pretty, delicate vine growing in her yard. The vine has fine, feathery leaves and a bright red flower. It is blooming now. Do you have any idea what it is?

A: Normally, it would be very difficult to identify this type of plant without bringing in a specimen to the office but I have had this question more than once this week. One of the questions was from my husband, as this same vine is growing in my neighborhood. The vine is known by several common names such as Cypressvine, Star glory or Cardinal climber, Ipomoea quamoclit. Cypressvine is in the Convolvulaceae or morning glory Family. The beautiful red flower has five points which resembles the star we drew in elementary art class as children. Cypressvine probably originated from Mexico but is now readily established throughout most of the Southern U.S. It is not an aggressive vine therefore it is not considered an invasive pest here in the northeast part of Florida. However, there are some plants in the genus Ipomoea which have been found on the invasive list for some parts of Florida. Cypressvine generally prefers partial sun to shade, therefore this is not a vine to grow in full, afternoon sun sites. It can be propagated by seed but you may have some difficulty finding this vine at local nurseries. The seeds germinate quickly (within one week). http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=IPQU

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