Japanese name: ミナ ロバータ Scientific name:Ipomoea lobata
[Overview]
A climbing perennial, but because it is sensitive to cold it is treated as an annual in Japan.
The stems grow long, up to about 5 m.
The leaves are alternate and often 3-lobed, but rarely they are undivided and simple.
Racemes arising from the leaf axils bear flowers on one side only, beginning to open from the base of the inflorescence.
The flowers are urn-shaped; the buds and newly opened flowers are red, and as they open further they change to orange, yellow and white, so the whole flower spike forms a gradation.
The stamens and pistil are long and protrude out of the flower.
The fruit is a capsule.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Seeds do not germinate when it is cold, so sow them from May onward, when temperatures rise above 20 °C.
After germination, plant out when 3–4 true leaves have appeared.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated soil rich in organic matter.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Place slow-release fertilizer on the soil regularly.
Pests include aphids and spider mites.
[Notes]
The commercial name is the reading of a scientific name from a former classification.
