Natives For Your Neighborhood
Conservation of rare plants, animals, and ecosystems

General Landscape Uses: Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.

Availability: Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida.

Description: Twining, high climbing herbaceous vine.

Dimensions: N/A; a twining vine with stems 15 feet or more in length. Often drapes over other vegetation forming large mats.

Growth Rate: Fast.

Range: Florida west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

 Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.

 Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.

Habitats: Hammocks and thickets.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.

Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.

Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.

Drought Tolerance: Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Pinkish violet changing to purple, 2-3" wide. Pinkish stripes radiate out from the floral tube. There is a white-flowered form in the Florida Keys.

Flower Characteristics: Showy.

Flowering Season: All year.

Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.

Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar source for Brazilian skipper (Calpodes ethlius), mangrove skipper (Phocides pigmalion), monk skipper (Asbolis capucinus) and other butterflies.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

Comments: Can become aggressive and dificult to control in the garden; caution is urged.