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Lophospermum scandens is a sprawling or climbing herbaceous perennial from south central Mexico, grown for its red-violet and white tubular flowers. It needs a sunny spot, free-draining soil, and protection of its roots from frost.
Lophospermum scandens is a scambling or climbing herbaceous perennial native to south central Mexico, with red-violet and white tubular flowers and toothed heart-shaped leaves. It grows at elevations between 1,400 and 2,400 m (4,600 and 7,900 ft) in dry habitats, including deciduous oak forests and recent lava flows. The long-tubed flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds. It has been used in gardens as an ornamental plant since the mid-19th century. Its roots require protection from frost in regions where this occurs in the winter. Hybrids of L. scandens are also grown.
Lophospermum scandens has been confused with Lophospermum erubescens, partly because the earliest illustration of L. erubescens was labelled as L. scandens. Among other differences, L. scandens has a less climbing habit than L.
Lophospermum scandens was described in cultivation in the Liverpool Botanic Garden in 1836, where it was trained against a south wall. Its roots were protected over the winter by being covered with dry peaty soil. It was described as a "truly magnificent" climbing plant with the advantage of producing a succession of flowers over the summer. In 1839, it was described as "easily cultivated, either in the open air or in the greenhouse".
In horticulture, it is often given names in the genus Maurandya, as listed for example in the RHS Horticultural Database. Lophospermum and Maurandya are now regarded as distinct. Maurandya has smooth rather than hairy leaves with entire rather than toothed margins, and smaller flowers with a tube at most about 30 mm (1.2 in) long. As noted above, the name Maurandya scandens is a source of confusion, since M. scandens (D.Don) A.Gray is a synonym of Lophospermum scandens, whereas M. scandens (Cav.) Pers. is an entirely different plant. Thus if the authority is not given, the identity of a plant described as "Maurandya scandens" is unclear.
Lophospermum scandens is native to south central Mexico, in the states of Mexico, Morelos and Guerrero, where it is found at elevations between 1,400 and 2,400 m (4,600 and 7,900 ft), often on soils of volcanic origin. It grows in deciduous oak forests and scrub, on cliffs, canyon walls, and rocky outcrops, including recent lava flows, in dry habitats.
Lophospermum breedlovei · Lophospermum chiapense · Mexican twist · Lophospermum purpurascens · Lophospermum purpusii · Lophospermum turneri · Creeping Gloxinia
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lophospermum scandens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
