General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations.
Availability:
Grown by a few native plant nurseries in central and northern Florida.
Description: Twining, high climbing herbaceous vine.
Dimensions: N/A; a twining vine with stems 15 feet or more in length. Often drapes over other vegetation forming large mats.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Putnam, Alachua and Levy counties; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and Old World tropics.
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: Hammock and swamp edges.
Soils: Moist to seasonally inundated, well-drained to moderately well-drained sandy or limestone 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 to light shade.
Flower Color: White.
Flower Characteristics: Showy, but open mostly at night.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Frequently recruits in disturbed areas that have recently burned.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Comments: Can become aggressive and dificult to control in the garden; caution is urged.
