General Landscape Uses:
Accent vine. Also buffer plantings and kitchen gardens.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts and occasionally by native plant nurseries.
Description: High climbing woody vine.
Dimensions: N/A; vine with stems to 50 feet or more in length.
Growth Rate: Fast to moderate.
Range:
Southeastern United States west to Texas and south to the Monroe County Keys; Bahamas. Very rare in the Monroe County Keys south of Key Largo and perhaps absent from the middle Keys.
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: Moist forests and pinelands.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate to low; it prefers soils with organic content, but will still grow reasonably well in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate lonog-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance: Moderate to high; plants growing in extremely dry soils may die during extended periods of drought.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade or moderate shade.
Flower Color: Green.
Flower Characteristics: Inconspicuous.
Flowering Season: Spring.
Fruit: Purple berry. Edible.
Wildlife and Ecology: Larval host plant for nessus sphinx (
Amphion floridensis) and mournful sphinx (
Enyo lugubris) moths. Attracts bee pollinators. Animals eat the berries.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from de-pulped seed, and from cuttings with difficulty.
References: Miami-Dade County Landscape Manual
(2005).
Comments: An excellent source of native grapes. But this fast growing vine can be very aggressive.
