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

General Landscape Uses: Accent vine in sunny dry locations.

Availability: Native plant nurseries. Available in in Boynton Beach at Sustainscape (561-245-5305).

Description: Climbing vine with tendrils.

Dimensions: N/A; a vine with stems 3-10 feet or more in length.

Growth Rate: Fast.

Range: Eastern and central United States west to Texas and south to Miami-Dade and Lee counties; also reported for Collier County. Apparently extirpated in Miami-Dade County; it was collected once in 1915 in pinelands near Arch Creek by John Kunkel Small, Charles Mosier and George Small. Very rare in Broward County and known only from the area around Pine Island Ridge.

 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: Thickets and disturbed sites.

Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with or without 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 flooding by salt or brackish water.

Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.

Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.

Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.

Flower Color: Purple.

Flower Characteristics: Showy.

Flowering Season: Spring-summer.

Fruit: Large berry, yellow at maturity. Edible.

Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius) butterflies. Attracts bee pollinators.

Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.

Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.