Plant Library

Other Names:  syn. Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides

Description:

An attractive evergreen vine producing fleshy, arrowhead shaped green leaves with small teeth, and large clusters of brilliant orange-red daisy-like flowers from late spring to fall; great for trellises, hanging baskets, or cascading over a wall

Ornamental Features

Mexican Flame Vine features showy clusters of scarlet daisy flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the branches from late spring to late fall. It has green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The serrated pointy leaves remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Mexican Flame Vine is a multi-stemmed evergreen woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance woody vine, and can be pruned at anytime. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Invasive

Mexican Flame Vine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Mexican Flame Vine will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.

Mexican Flame Vine makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.