Creeping Gloxinia is perfect for hanging pots or window boxes

If you sneak around, you might be said to be creeping, and a sneak is, in fact, known as a creep. Being around a sneak can make you feel creepy, but not all creeping is bad. Take the trailing flowers of the Creeping Gloxinia (Lophospermum hybrid). These come in many colors, most notably shades of red. The tubular flowers hang from the trailing vine from early summer until fall. This is an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance vine that is in full bloom all season long. Best of all, you do not have to pinch off dead flowers (deadheading) for continuous blooms. The flowers themselves are quite large, often three inches long. Creeping Gloxinia is perfect for hanging pots or window boxes where it will cascade over the lip of the pot.

The giant flowers are three inches long and two inches wide, and they contrast beautifully with the large, green, toothed leaves. Creeping Gloxinia is also great paired with other trailing flowers such as trailing geraniums and purple lobelia.

Like all tubular flowers, Creeping Gloxinia is a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies. Place this everbloomer in full to partial sunlight and you will have flowers right up until frost. Creeping Gloxinia is nontoxic and safe around children and pets. A native of Mexico, this is a vigorous grower, so you may want to fertilize it regularly with an organic fertilizer specifically made for flowering plants.

This trailing vine can also be trained to grow up a trellis, or try weaving it through a fence or lattice. It is unaffected by heat as long as you keep it watered. The vines can climb or cascade up to eight feet long in a single season. They can cover a fence or wall, or just be happy in a pot. Plant Creeping Gloxinia in rich potting soil with additional compost. Water regularly, but never let the soil stay soggy, or the roots can die. Too much water can also bring disease.

Creeping Gloxinia is easily propagated by leaf cuttings, which root easiest when taken while the plant is vigorously growing from spring to early summer. Select a large, healthy leaf. Be sure to include the petiole, or area where the leaf meets the stem. Always use a clean, sharp knife so you do not crush the stem. Dip the cut end of the leaf immediately into rooting powder so the end is completely covered. Pot the leaf cutting in damp sphagnum moss or a mix of potting soil and sand. Cover the pot loosely with a plastic bag to retain humidity. Place the cutting in bright light but avoid hot, direct sun. In a few weeks, your leaf cutting should begin to root.

For continuous bloom, few plants can rival Creeping Gloxinia. Sadly, it is usually a short-lived annual that will die with the first frost, and that can be downright creepy.