Ipomoea cairica seeds grow into the Cairo morning glory, mile-a-minute vine or Messina creeper a vigorous climbing tuberous geophyte native to the seasonally dry tropical biome of Tropical Africa. Described by (L.) Sweet. The epithet cairica means ‘from Cairo’ the city in Egypt where this species was first collected for science, though its native range is sub-Saharan Africa. One of the world’s most aggressive invasive vines: widely naturalised across Asia, the Americas and Oceania, covering other vegetation at remarkable speed. Multi-use plant (animal food, poison, medicine, environmental, food). Palmate five-lobed leaves; pale lavender to pink-purple funnel flowers. Family Convolvulaceae.

Full sun; well-drained soils; warm tropical conditions; extremely vigorous. CAUTION: highly invasive outside its native range check local regulations before planting.

• ‘Cairica’ = from Cairo (first collected there); (L.) Sweet; mile-a-minute vine; Messina creeper; invasive worldwide
• Multi-use: animal food, poison, medicine, environmental; highly invasive banned/restricted in many regions
• Tropical Africa (native) seasonally dry tropical biome; climbing tuberous geophyte; widely naturalised
• Genus Ipomoea: ~700 species; Tropical & Subtropical; morning glories; Family Convolvulaceae; Order Solanales
• Full sun; well-drained soils; warm tropical; CAUTION highly invasive check local regulations; Convolvulaceae

Ipomoea cairica the Cairo morning glory is one of the world’s most successful plant colonisers: a vigorous African geophyte that has escaped from its native sub-Saharan homeland to become a significant invasive plant across tropical Asia, Oceania and the Americas, its lavendery flowers belying the aggressive growing habit behind its common name ‘mile-a-minute vine’.

IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.