General Landscape Uses:
Not native. Long cultivated for its colorful flowers and sometimes naturalizing in South Florida.
Ecological Restoration Notes: This should be controlled whenever encountered in conservation areas.
Availability:
Widely cultivated.
Description: A high climbing vine.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Nonnative and naturalized in peninsular Florida. Native to Mexico.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Open, disturbed sites and forest edges.
Wildlife and Ecology: Nectar plant for Brazilian skipper (
Calpodes ethlius ), dorantes longtail (
Urbanus dorantes ), field skipper (
Atalopedes campestris ), Florida duskywing (
Ephyriades brunnea floridensis ), giant swallowtail (
Papilio cresphontes ), hammock skipper (
Polygonus leo ), large orange sulpher (
Phoebis agarithe ), long-tailed skipper (
Urbanus proteus ), mangrove skipper (
Phocides pigmalion ), monk skipper (
Asbolis capucinus ), southern broken-dash (
Wallengrenia otho ), twin-spot skipper (
Oligorio maculata ), zestos skipper (
Epargyreus zestos ) and other butterflies.