Common name: Chilean flame vine

Family name: Tropaeolaceae

Description: This vine is a slender climber with delicate-looking foliage and bright red flowers. It spreads via long, fleshy rhizomes.

Flower: Long spurred, showy, bright scarlet flowers followed by bright blue fruit held in red bracts.

Foliage: Delicate rounded leaves composed of 5-7 obovate leaflets.

Growing conditions: Prefers cool, moist conditions in summer; plant roots in the shade where the plant can grow into the sunlight. Likes cool, moist, humus-rich soil.

Height and spread: 2.5-4m by 0.5-1m.

Limitations: This plant can be tricky to establish, but is fairly easy to maintain from that point on.

Landscape uses: Can be planted to climb evergreen hedges, trellises, the side of a building. This plant is overall just very attractive, from the foliage, to the flower and fruit, which give it multi-season interest. The red flowers would look great combined with purple-blue flowers, as long as they match in intensity of colour.