Groundnut
Apios americana
Fabaceae


Landscape Uses:

Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

An occasional element in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by one or two native plant nurseries in South Florida.
Description:
A twining, high climbing vine. Leaves compound.
Height:
N/A; a climbing vine with 8 feet in length or more.
Growth Rate:
Moderate.
Range:
Eastern and central North America south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties.
Habitats:
Wet to moist hammocks and floodplain forests.
Soils:
Wet to moist, poorly-drained to moderately well-drained organic soils.
Nutritional Requirements:
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance:
Low; requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought.
Light Requirements:
Light shade to moderate shade.
Flower Color:
Reddish-brown.
Flower Characteristics:
Semi-showy. Fragrant.
Flowering Season:
Summer-fall.
Fruit:
Inconspicous pod (legume).
Wildlife and Ecology:
Larval host plant for northern cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) and silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators.
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed.
Comments:
See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.


Shirley Denton