seeds of Ipomoea nil- Red picotee, Japanese Morning Glory

Red picotee is a cultivar of the tropical plant species Ipomoea nil. The plant is also referred to using several synonyms. Such synonyms include Convolvulus hederaceus, and Ipomoea scabra and Pharbitis nil. Red picotee is indigenous to China where it was grown for many years before its seeds made their way to Japan. The arrival of the plant in Japan was met with great interest and extensive cultivation. The plant is currently widely grown globally with most of the cultivation happening in tropical locations. Red picotee is a climbing herb that produces numerous leaves that have the same kind of aesthetic appeal present in their colourful flowers. The leaves are between 3cm and 8 cm in length while the flowers are 12 cm wide and star-shaped. The inner part of the corolla is bright red while the outer part is slightly pink. Red picotee’s vines are capable of reaching a length of 3 to 4.5 m. Red picotee is mostly used for ornamental purposes. One can expect to find them grown over fences, in flower gardens, around pillars and on the front yard of houses. The bright flowers will also attract butterflies which has the consequence of improving the ornamental effect. Given the plant is annual, It will grow fast early in the summer and produce flowers for the rest of the season all the way to fall. Red picotee prefers soils that are moist and well drained. Preferable soil types are heavy clay, medium loamy or slightly sandy. The pH of the soils should either be slightly alkaline or slightly acidic. Something in between would also be preferable. Red picotee thrives in sunlight but not so much in frost. The sunlight hastens the plant’s growth and makes it bloom much quicker. Frost, on the other hand, is fatal to the plant. One can achieve a much greater decorative effect if one grows Red picotee with other cultivars present in the Ipomoea nil species.