General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Twining, high climbing herbaceous vine.
Dimensions: N/A; a twining vine with stems 15 feet or more in length.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe and Miami-Dade counties north along the west coast to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; Texas, West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Old World tropics.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Coastal hammock edges 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: Moderate; tolerates brackish water or occasional inundation by salt 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: White in South Florida.
Flower Characteristics: Showy, but open mostly at night.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule. All year.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Comments: A highly variable species widely cultivated outside of South Florida; local sources should be used. Can become aggressive and dificult to control in the garden; caution is urged.
