About Tropaeolum speciosum Poepp. & Endl.
Tropaeolum speciosum Poepp. & Endl. is a hardy herbaceous tuberous perennial, with wiry stems that reach up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height. It climbs through or over other plants to reach a sunlit location, where it blooms profusely. Its leaves are palmately lobed, bearing five to seven obovate leaflets. The flowers are scarlet, funnel-shaped, spurred, and grow on long stalks from the leaf axils. The plant’s petals are widely separated and clawed. After flowers fade, the red calyces remain, curling back to expose three blue berries. This species, commonly known as the flame flower, is not considered easy to cultivate. It thrives in some areas but fails completely in others, growing particularly well in New Zealand and Scotland. It has been nicknamed the "Scottish flame flower" and the "glory of the Highlands". It can grow in full sun or partial sun, but it prefers a cool, moist root run and grows well in acid or neutral soils. It can be propagated from seed or by division. It cannot tolerate long periods of snow cover, but it is hardy down to approximately −12 °C (10 °F), placing it in USDA Hardiness Zone 8. This hardiness rating holds because the plant retreats to a small underground tuber during dormancy, where frost usually does not reach. Tropaeolum speciosum has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
