Florida Vines

Vines Galleries 1 2 3

The vine galleries have pictures & descriptions of Florida native and exotic vines with the habitats where they can be found.

Click pictures to see full sized image

Pictures - Poison Ivy on pine tree, close-up of leaflets with notched margins, close-up of ovate leaflets with entire margins.

Name - Eastern Poison Ivy

(Toxicodendron radicans spp. radicans)

Family - Anacardiaceae

Habitat - Pine Flatwoods, Hammocks, Hardwood Swamps and forests statewide.

Description - Native Florida vine. Perennial. Contact with any part of plant can cause rashes and blisters that may require medical treatment.

Leaf appearance is somewhat varied, generally palmately compound with three ovate leaflets that are shiny green when young, becoming dull green as they mature and may have a reddish tinge and black specks, turning red in the fall.

Flower - Clusters of tiny white flowers at leaf axils, fruit is a small white berry-like waxy drupe.

Picture - Virginia Creeper

Name - Virginia Creeper

(Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Hammocks, Floodplain forests, Coastal areas, Flatwoods.

Description - Native, deciduous perennial vine. Leaves are palmately compound with five toothed leaflets. Foliage turns red in fall before dropping. Often confused with Poison Ivy which has 3 palmately arranged leaflets.

Flower - Inconspicuous, fruits a black or bluish-black berry.

Pictures - Bitter Melon vine and flower, close-up of mature fruit.

Name - Balsam apple, Bitter melon, Balsam pear

(Momordica charantia L.)

Family - Cucurbitaceae

Habitat - Ruderal, fence-lines, Hammocks, Orange groves.

Description - Introduced annual creeping or climbing herbaceous vine. Leaves alternate, deeply palmately cut with five to seven lobes, may be hairy or smooth, margins usually toothed. Often appears as a yard weed and can be quite persistent if allowed to self seed. A related specie, Momordica balsamina L. is sometimes cultivated.

Flower - A solitary yellow flower is produced on stalks, produces an egg shaped, ribbed fruit with a bumpy surface, 3-4 inches long, golden yellow to bright orange, splitting open when mature to reveal bright red arils which contain seeds.

Picture - Lovevine with inset of fruit.

Name - Lovevine, Devils Gut

(Cassytha filiformis)

Family - Lauraceae

Habitat - Sandhill, Scrub, Pinelands, Hammocks

Description - Common native herbaceous vine is frequently seen growing on oaks, a true parasitic plant. Once it has attached itself to a host plant it detaches from its root and will eventually kill the host. It is seldom invasive as it is generally selective to certain host species. Leaves are small scales, not noticeable to the naked eye.

Flower - Tiny white flowers clustered on short spikes. Fruit is a 1/4 in. diameter, round fleshy berry.

Picture - Laurel Greenbriar with fruit.

Name - Laurel Greenbriar, Bamboo Vine

(Smilax laurifolia L.)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Pine Flatwoods, margins of ponds, lakes and creek banks, usually on moist sandy soils.

Description - Native, evergreen climbing vine with many small thorns on the stems. Leaves are simple, alternate, lanceolate with entire margins, mid-vein raised on lower leaf surfaces.

Flower - Clusters of pale greenish-white flowers followed by green berries that are shiny black when mature.

Picture - Greenbriar vine with fruit.

Name - Catbrier, Common Greenbrier

(Smilax auriculata Walt.)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Oak Scrub, Flatwoods, Coastal Strand, Hammocks

Description - Native evergreen vine, climbing by tendrils with somewhat sparse, small thorns on stem. Alternate leaves are primarily oblong, sometimes ovate to lanceolate, entire margins with veins on lower leaf surface raised.

Flower - Clusters of green to yellowish-green flowers, year-round in S. Florida. Fruit is a glaucous reddish berry that turns deep purple when mature.

Pictures - (L) Saw greenbrier leaf, (R) Saw greenbrier thorns

Name - Saw greenbrier

(Smilax bona-nox)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Wet to dry Flatwoods, Hammocks, Scrub throughout the state.

Description - Florida native vine, distinguished from other Similax sp. by leaves having prominent prickles along margins. Leaves are variable in shape and may or may not have lighter yellowish splotches on surface. Stems to over 20 feet with numerous sharp thorns to 1/4 inch long.

Picture - Muscadine Grape vine

Name - Muscadine Grape

(Vitis rotundifolia Michx.)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Dry to moist flatwoods, floodplains and bottomland forests.

Description - Native climbing vine to over 60 feet long. Leaves are alternate, simple, cordate with dentate margins. Can be distinguished from other native grapes by the un-branched tendrils with which it climbs.

Flower - 1 1/4 to 3 inch clusters of green flowers from spring to early summer. Fruit is a 3/8 inch or slightly larger berry, reddish to black.

Picture - Calusa Grape vine

Name - Calusa Grape

(Vitis shuttleworthii House)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Moist Hammocks, bottomland forests

Description - Native climbing vine with alternate simple leaves, occasionally with 3-5 lobes, margins entire or bluntly toothed. Lower surfaces of leaves are white to rusty brown pubescent.

Flower - Clusters of small greenish flowers, followed by deep red to purplish-black rounded berry.

Picture - Rosary Pea with inset of flower.

Name - Rosary pea, Crab's Eye

(Abrus precatorius L.)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Ruderal, Flatwoods, Hammocks

Description - Introduced, category 1 invasive species. Extremely poisonous, the distinctive red and black seeds of this vine can be fatal if eaten. Climbing, twining or trailing vine with alternate, compound leaves having 5-15 pairs of oval to oblong leaflets with entire margins.

Flower - Pea-like white to reddish flowers in dense clusters at leaf axils. Fruit is a short oblong pod which splits open at maturity to reveal the scarlet and black seeds.

Picture - Baybean with inset of flower close-up.

Name - Baybean, Seaside Jack-Bean

(Canavalia rosea)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Coastal strand and rear of dunes

Description - Native sprawling or climbing herbaceous vine with stems to 50 feet long. Leaves are compound with 3 rounded leaflets, 3-4 inches long.

Flower - Purplish to pinkish-rose colored typical pea-like flowers on long, erect spikes, fruit is a flat pod 4 to 6 inches long. Flowers throughout the year.

Flower - Yellow bachelor button

Flower - Climbing Aster

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Florida wildflower accent picture

Florida Vines

Vines Galleries 1 2 3

The vine galleries have pictures & descriptions of Florida native and exotic vines with the habitats where they can be found.

Click pictures to see full sized image

Pictures - Poison Ivy on pine tree, close-up of leaflets with notched margins, close-up of ovate leaflets with entire margins.

Name - Eastern Poison Ivy

(Toxicodendron radicans spp. radicans)

Family - Anacardiaceae

Habitat - Pine Flatwoods, Hammocks, Hardwood Swamps and forests statewide.

Description - Native Florida vine. Perennial. Contact with any part of plant can cause rashes and blisters that may require medical treatment.

Leaf appearance is somewhat varied, generally palmately compound with three ovate leaflets that are shiny green when young, becoming dull green as they mature and may have a reddish tinge and black specks, turning red in the fall.

Flower - Clusters of tiny white flowers at leaf axils, fruit is a small white berry-like waxy drupe.

Picture - Virginia Creeper

Name - Virginia Creeper

(Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Hammocks, Floodplain forests, Coastal areas, Flatwoods.

Description - Native, deciduous perennial vine. Leaves are palmately compound with five toothed leaflets. Foliage turns red in fall before dropping. Often confused with Poison Ivy which has 3 palmately arranged leaflets.

Flower - Inconspicuous, fruits a black or bluish-black berry.

Pictures - Bitter Melon vine and flower, close-up of mature fruit.

Name - Balsam apple, Bitter melon, Balsam pear

(Momordica charantia L.)

Family - Cucurbitaceae

Habitat - Ruderal, fence-lines, Hammocks, Orange groves.

Flower - A solitary yellow flower is produced on stalks, produces an egg shaped, ribbed fruit with a bumpy surface, 3-4 inches long, golden yellow to bright orange, splitting open when mature to reveal bright red arils which contain seeds.

Picture - Lovevine with inset of fruit.

Name - Lovevine, Devils Gut

(Cassytha filiformis)

Family - Lauraceae

Habitat - Sandhill, Scrub, Pinelands, Hammocks

Flower - Tiny white flowers clustered on short spikes. Fruit is a 1/4 in. diameter, round fleshy berry.

Picture - Laurel Greenbriar with fruit.

Name - Laurel Greenbriar, Bamboo Vine

(Smilax laurifolia L.)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Pine Flatwoods, margins of ponds, lakes and creek banks, usually on moist sandy soils.

Description - Native, evergreen climbing vine with many small thorns on the stems. Leaves are simple, alternate, lanceolate with entire margins, mid-vein raised on lower leaf surfaces.

Flower - Clusters of pale greenish-white flowers followed by green berries that are shiny black when mature.

Picture - Greenbriar vine with fruit.

Name - Catbrier, Common Greenbrier

(Smilax auriculata Walt.)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Oak Scrub, Flatwoods, Coastal Strand, Hammocks

Description - Native evergreen vine, climbing by tendrils with somewhat sparse, small thorns on stem. Alternate leaves are primarily oblong, sometimes ovate to lanceolate, entire margins with veins on lower leaf surface raised.

Flower - Clusters of green to yellowish-green flowers, year-round in S. Florida. Fruit is a glaucous reddish berry that turns deep purple when mature.

Pictures - (L) Saw greenbrier leaf, (R) Saw greenbrier thorns

Name - Saw greenbrier

(Smilax bona-nox)

Family - Smilacaceae

Habitat - Wet to dry Flatwoods, Hammocks, Scrub throughout the state.

Description - Florida native vine, distinguished from other Similax sp. by leaves having prominent prickles along margins. Leaves are variable in shape and may or may not have lighter yellowish splotches on surface. Stems to over 20 feet with numerous sharp thorns to 1/4 inch long.

Picture - Muscadine Grape vine

Name - Muscadine Grape

(Vitis rotundifolia Michx.)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Dry to moist flatwoods, floodplains and bottomland forests.

Description - Native climbing vine to over 60 feet long. Leaves are alternate, simple, cordate with dentate margins. Can be distinguished from other native grapes by the un-branched tendrils with which it climbs.

Flower - 1 1/4 to 3 inch clusters of green flowers from spring to early summer. Fruit is a 3/8 inch or slightly larger berry, reddish to black.

Picture - Calusa Grape vine

Name - Calusa Grape

(Vitis shuttleworthii House)

Family - Vitaceae

Habitat - Moist Hammocks, bottomland forests

Description - Native climbing vine with alternate simple leaves, occasionally with 3-5 lobes, margins entire or bluntly toothed. Lower surfaces of leaves are white to rusty brown pubescent.

Flower - Clusters of small greenish flowers, followed by deep red to purplish-black rounded berry.

Picture - Rosary Pea with inset of flower.

Name - Rosary pea, Crab's Eye

(Abrus precatorius L.)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Ruderal, Flatwoods, Hammocks

Description - Introduced, category 1 invasive species. Extremely poisonous, the distinctive red and black seeds of this vine can be fatal if eaten. Climbing, twining or trailing vine with alternate, compound leaves having 5-15 pairs of oval to oblong leaflets with entire margins.

Flower - Pea-like white to reddish flowers in dense clusters at leaf axils. Fruit is a short oblong pod which splits open at maturity to reveal the scarlet and black seeds.

Picture - Baybean with inset of flower close-up.

Name - Baybean, Seaside Jack-Bean

(Canavalia rosea)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Coastal strand and rear of dunes

Description - Native sprawling or climbing herbaceous vine with stems to 50 feet long. Leaves are compound with 3 rounded leaflets, 3-4 inches long.

Flower - Purplish to pinkish-rose colored typical pea-like flowers on long, erect spikes, fruit is a flat pod 4 to 6 inches long. Flowers throughout the year.

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