The scientific name for Scarletcreeper is Ipomoea hederifolia. The genus (Ipomoea) is from Greek: ips meaning worm and homois meaning similar to; referring to the sprawling growth habit of this vine. The species (hederifolia) comes from the Latin word for Ivy which is Hedera and the Latin word for leaf which is folia. It should be noted that not all the leaves on the same plant resemble those of the Ivy. Some leaves are heart shaped and others are Ivy shaped on the same plant.
I found this patch of Scarletcreeper growing on the edge of Pine forest thriving even without rain for the prior two months. The vine was growing amongst a thick patch of Maidencane (Panicum hemitomon) whose ditch was dry. It's vibrant red tubular flowers attract many butterflies for feeding and I imagine that hummingbirds might even be attracted to these due to the flower's shape.
The seed of Morning-Glory are said to be toxic if ingested. I collected some seeds to check viability and I harvested some vegetative material for cuttings. I am going to try and grow this plant in a 3 gallon pot with a trellis and see how it looks then. I'm sure that this native species of Morning-glory would make a beautiful privacy screen in your yard or cover a trellis you have over a bench to create a thick shade.
Above is a picture of a seedling at about 2 weeks after sowing. The primary leaves have an interesting shape to them and I also like the reddish foliage.
