General Landscape Uses:
Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and rock gardens.
Ecological Restoration Notes: It can be used as one of many understory herbs in pine rocklands.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Creeping or twining vine.
Dimensions: N/A; a vine with stems to 5 feet or more in length.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Miami-Dade County; Cuba, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico (Mona Island only).
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.
Map of ZIP codes with habitat recommendations from the Monroe County Keys north to Martin and Charlotte counties.
Habitats: Pine rocklands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Red.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: All year; peak spring-summer.
Fruit: Inconspicuous capsule.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides food for birds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: Can become dormant aboveground for extended lengths of time. It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. See also Florida Natural Areas Inventory's
Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida page (Chafin 2000).
