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General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: Low climbing herbaceous vine.
Dimensions: N/A; a vine with stems to 6 feet or more in length.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Eastern North America west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys and very rare or absent in the middle Keys.
Soils: Wet to moist, moderately-drained sandy, limestone, or organic 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.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy, but quickly turns ratty.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous achene. All year.
Wildlife and Ecology: Sometimes a larval host for little metalmark (Calephelis virginiensis) butterflies. Nectar plant for little metalmark butterflies.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed. Sprinkle on surface of soil.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's Flower Friday page.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of suggested ZIP codes from South Florida north to southern Brevard, Osceola, Polk, and Pasco counties.
