Balloonvine, Heartseed
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Cardiospermum corindum var. corindum
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Sapindaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also butterfly gardens in the upper Florida Keys. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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Grows along the edges of coastal hammocks, but may become too aggressive during early stages of restoration. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. Available in Key West at Key West Botanical Garden, and in Miami-Dade County at Dade Florida Native Plant Society. |
Description: |
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Climbing vine with tendrils. |
Height: |
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N/A; a vine with stems to 10 ft or more in length. |
Growth Rate: |
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Fast. |
Range: |
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Monroe and Miami-Dade counties; West Indies, Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America. In the Monroe County Keys, very rare or extirpated south of Plantation Key and apparently absent from the lower Keys. |
Habitats: |
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Coastal hammocks. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained limestone soils, with humusy top layer. |
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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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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White. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Inflated, papery capsule; seeds with a heart-shaped hilum. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Larval host plant for Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) and silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis) butterflies; occasional larval host for gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) butterflies. |
Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. |
Comments: |
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Recruits readily in the garden from seed. |
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Kristen Finch Cultivated plant, Palm Beach County, Florida, 2013
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George D. Gann in habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida, 2013
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