The Colorful Flower To Plant In May For Beautiful Blooms All Summer Long

"Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." While "The Devil Wears Prada"'s Miranda Priestly's wry, iconic quote drips with sarcasm, if you're a gardener rather than a fashion tastemaker, spring — and May in particular — is never out of style for breaking ground for annual flowers. One potential selection that will deliver brilliant scarlet blooms all through summer and into the fall is cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit). When you start this deer-resistant climbing vine from seed, you may see flowers in as little as 30 days, though the foliage itself is fern-like and lovely on its own. Like some other members of the morning glory family, cypress vine is a climber, requiring some sort of vertical support to twine around. It also shies away from the sunniest part of the day, preferring to unfurl its leaves in the evening.

A tropical plant native to South America, this vine is only winter-hardy in USDA Zones 11 through 12, so it's typically grown as an annual. However, in zones 6 through 10, it's likely to come back year after year due to its self-seeding behavior. Although not generally considered invasive, it does wear out its welcome with some gardeners who would prefer not to see it come back uninvited. Keep that in mind before you plant it if you want to avoid getting rid of unwanted cypress vines later. It's also potentially toxic to plant-nibbling pets.

Cypress vine is actually very easy to start from seed, though it's best if you do a bit of prep work beforehand. Because the seeds have a tough outer coat, it's best to scarify, or give them a little nick, then soak them in water overnight or up to 24 hours. After that, find a spot with well-draining soil in full sun to plant them; they'll grow with some shade, but you'll see better flowers if they get ample light. You can start them inside six to eight weeks before transplanting the seedlings outdoors, or plant them directly in the garden. Just keep in mind that if you start them indoors, the seedlings are quite fragile, so you'll need to take care when transferring them.

Once this fast-growing climbing plant is on its way up a trellis or other support, it's a low-lift, unfussy choice that doesn't need much in the way of fertilizer. The vine tolerates a little drought, though it will appreciate a regular drink in especially dry weather. If it's happy in the provided growing conditions, cypress vine will grow rapidly, sometimes achieving as much as 15 feet of growth in a season. Enjoy watching the hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators that will visit for a snack!