Lophospermum erubescens

Lophospermum erubescens

This warmth-loving creeper from the Plantaginaceae family of plants is (ht 3 m) is sometimes known as the climbing gloxinia and hails from Mexico. Its pink flowers are rather like foxgloves, held amidst downy, heart-shaped leaves and appear from late spring into summer. It enjoys full sun and reasonable soil. It grows well on a fence or could be allowed to ramble through a shrub or tree. It could also possibly be grown in a hanging basket. It sometimes will self-seed. It may become deciduous in suburbs with cold winters. It is related to Maurandya barclayana, which has dainty pink, purple or white tubular blooms.

Postscript: Eventually, I got tired of this plant and got rid of it because it rambled too far and smothered other plants! It also self-seeds far more than I anticipated. Several years later, seedlings still appear!