My wife, Gerrie and I were on a summer excursion for a few days this past week and when we left this vine was only a few inches out of the ground. When we returned, the vine had rapidly grown, consuming much of our deck railing with dark red, star shaped flowers.

This lacy-leafed vine is the cypress vine morning glory, also known as a hummingbird vine. A fast growing annual, it is a member of the morning glory (Ipomoea) family native to Central and South America. Its family also includes one of my favorite vegetables, the sweet potato.
The vine itself is easy to grow as an annual flowering vine which includes many flowering and leaf shapes. There are many different leaf and flower colors and textures available from commercial seed companies.
This morning glory also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The vine needs full sun and some type of vertical support or trellis, so the vine can expand and bloom often reaching 15 feet in length during the summer growing season.
The vine will reseed itself during the growing season — which can be both a blessing and a curse as the finely leafed vines seem to pop up everywhere, including flower beds, shrubs and gardens.