So here it is, a photo of this beautiful climbing weed, with short-lived purple trumpet flowers and palmate leaves, taken at the undeveloped site between Bay East and the Marina Barrage.
In fact, this is the first plant species that I propagated when I was young. I literally took a cutting of it from my primary school and stuck it into the soil from one of my mother's potted plants and viola, it grew into a new plant. That was also when I learnt that the ephemeral flowers only last a day before it shrivel into a small inconspicuous mass that is best forgotten. Sadly, I guess part of the reason why this Ipomoea cairica is not a popular ornamental plant is because the leaves are a perfect nest bed for mealy bugs.
