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