How to Grow Spanish Flag Vine (Mini Lobata)

About Growing Spanish Flag Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Mini Lobata plants, popularly called Spanish Flag flowers, is a perennial vining plant. It is often grown as an annual in colder regions. Native to Central and South America, Spanish Flag vines are a member of the Morning Glory family. It is one of the most popular climbing vines. And, growing Spanish Flag vines is easy.

Mina Lobata is very popular The showy flowers of this fast climber, will bloom all year round, in tropical regions. The tubular flowers change color. Blooms start out a scarlet red, turn orange, and finish up a creamy yellow after blooming.

Spanish Flag plants can be grown in containers indoors or out. However, this vining plant needs a large container and can take up too much space. Also, its long vines makes the plant less popular indoors.

Mina Lobata’s nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Spanish Flag Fower Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: Vibrant flower colors include blue, pink, purple, red, and white.

Flowers Bloom: Summer to Fall.

Plant height: The vines grow up to eighteen feet long.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 9 – 11

Light Needs: Bright, full sunlight.

Toxic Plant?: Yes.

Deer Resistant? Yes. The plants are not on the menu of deer, rabbits, and other foraging animals.

Plant Type: Perennial.

Native To: Mexico, Central and South America.

Botanical Name: Ipomoea Lobata

Other Names: Spanish Flag, Exotic Love Vine, Fire Vine, Firecracker Vine

Are Spanish Flag or Mini Lobata Plants Eidible?

NO!!

Mini Lobata plants are toxic to humans, pets, and farm animals.

Keep this poisonous plant away from children and pets.

Medicinal Uses for Spanish Flag Plants

Despite being a toxic plant, there are a number of herbal and home remedy uses for Spanish Flag flowers. Here are some of them:

Use it as an anti-inflammatory. As a topical ointment, it lowers pain from inflammation.
Treatment for a variety of skin ailments.
It reduces fevers.

Important Note: This is a toxic plant. As a result, we strongly recommend you do not use this plant in home medical applications without the proper education how to properly prepare and use this plant.

Light Requirements

Spanish Flag flowers grow best in full sunlight. For the best performance, select a growing location where they will receive at least six to eight hours of bright, direct sunlight.

In hotter regions of the country, grow them in partial sunlight. Look for a location where they will receive morning sunlight and offers shade protection from the hot, afternoon sun.

Important Note: Too little sunlight affects the health and production of flowers. It results in fewer and smaller blooms. Also, in low light levels Mini Lobata plants are more susceptible to plant diseases.

Perennial Spanish Flag Plant Propagation

Mina Lobata plants are grown from seeds. Directly sow Spanish Flag seeds outdoors after danger of frost has passed, and the soil has warmed up. You can start plants indoors, 4-6 weeks before the last frost in your area.

The young plants are frost tender. Transplant seedling outdoors after the low temperatures exceed 40-45 degrees.

Garden Tip: Nick Spanish Flag seeds, or soak overnight, to improve germination.

Spanish Flag can also be propagated by rooting stem cuttings.

Days to Germination: seeds sprout in 10 – 15 days.

Final Plant Spacing: Plant seedling transplants twelve inches apart in your flower garden.

How to Grow Spanish Flag Flower Plants

Planting and soil needs:

These vining plants are easy to grow and fast-growing. Grow Mina Lobata plants where they will receive full, direct sunlight.

Plants grow best in a rich, humus soil that is well-drained. Mix plenty of compost and manure into the planting site.

Fertilizer needs:

Do not overfeed nitrogen-rich fertilizer, or you will end up with lots of leaves and long vines, but few flowers. Begin the season with a high nitrogen fertilizer formula at the beginning of the season. Then, switch to a high phosphorous formula before the blooming period.

Water needs:

Spanish Flag vines are heat and drought tolerant. However, for maximum growth and flower production, keep the soil moist, water as needed, and especially during hot, dry periods. Allow the top of the soil to dry out between waterings.

Other steps:

Mulch around plants to keep weeds down, and for a neat and tidy appearance.

Provide a trellis, fence, or arbor for the vines to climb. Then, train the vines to go in the direction you want them to go.

Garden Tip: Compost bananas or bury them around your plants. They are rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium which are essential minerals for your plants. Also, they repel aphids, snails, and other insect pests.

How to Grow Mini Lobata Plants in Flowerpots and Containers

There are a number of reasons why this plant is not often grown in flowerpots and containers indoors or out. First of all, a very large flowerpot is required. Patios and balconies, as well as your living room, are space-limited. Another big reason is the long vines may grow too long for decks and inside of homes.

With this said, some people choose to take up the challenge and grow Mii Lobata in containers vines grow very long.

In addition to normal plant care (above), here’s how to grow Spanish Flag flowers in containers:

Select a sunny location on your balcony or deck.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Keep the soil moist, but not wet. They prefer dry soil. So, allow the top of the soil begin to dry between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.
Also, it is important to provide something for the plant to climb along. Outdoors, you can train it to grow along a deck railing. Or, grow it down from a balcony. Finding things for the vine to grasp and climb on indoors is more problematic.

Pruning Spanish Flag Plants

Pruning Mini Lobata plants promotes a healthy and shapely plant. It helps to grow the vines where you want them to be, and to fill in empty spaces.

Begin your pruning regimen in early spring. Remove any dead or damaged vines. You should also remove dead, damaged or diseased leaves and vines at any time of the year as soon as you spot them.

At any time of the year, cut or pinch the growing tips of vines to limit their growth, as needed. And, prune them to create a more shapely plant.

Removing spent Spanish Flag flowers can help to promote new buds to develop.