Wild Florida Vines

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Vines on this page - Coral Vine Golden Pothos  Hairy Pod Cowpea American Groundnut Rubber Vine Mangrove Rubbervine Salt Marsh Morning-glory Downy Milkpea Elliott's Milkpea Climbing Aster Bay bean Railroad Vine

Pictures - (L) Coral Vine & flowers (R) Coral vine overtaking native plants.

Name - Coral Vine

(Antigonon leptopus)

Family - Polygonaceae

Habitat - Disturbed areas, roadsides, hammocks.

Description - Introduced category 2 invasive species, reaching lengths of 30 to 40 feet and climbing by tendrils. Cordate leaves are up to 4 inches long with entire, slightly undulate ( wavy ) margins. The upper leaf surface has recessed veins & wrinkled appearance.

Flower -Racemes of tiny flowers with larger colorful sepals, varying from pink to coral to white are produced in summer.

Pictures - Golden Pothos growing on a Sabal Palm.

Name - Golden Pothos

(Epipremnum pinnatum (L.)Engl)

Family - Araceae

Habitat - Hammocks - coastal and inland

Description - Introduced climbing vine to 30 feet or more, often seen on Sabal Palms, leaves are alternate, ovate, average 18 inches long up to 36 inches. This vine is commonly sold as a potted plant in garden centers and as such usually has a much smaller stature with leaves rarely exceeding 4-5 inches.

Picture - Hairy Pod Cowpea Vine

Name - Hairy Pod Cowpea, Yellow Vigna

(Vigna luteola)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Tidal flats, Thickets, Tidal Marshes, Flatwoods, disturbed sites.

Description - Native perennial vine. Pinnately compound leaves with 3 ovate to linear lanceolate leaflets.

Flower - Yellow, 3/4 inch pea-like, blooms year-round.

Pictures - (L) American Groundnut flowers (C) Leaf (R) Vine

Name - American Groundnut Vine

(Apios americana)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Hammocks, Floodplains & thickets on wet soils

Description - Groundnut is a herbaceous perennial native Florida vine found throughout the state. A twining, climbing vine that reaches lengths over 10 feet. Leaves are pinnately compound with 5-7 leaflets. Reddish brown to maroon colored & fragrant flowers are produced on racemes from leaf axils in the summer and fall, followed by the pea like pods. Larval host plant for some butterflies.

Pictures - Rubber Vine and close-up of leaf.

Name - Devil's Potato, Rubber vine

(Echites umbellata Jacquin)

Family - Apocynaceae

Habitat - Coastal strand, hammocks, the margins of Mangrove swamps on the Atlantic coast.

Description - Native perennial climbing or clambering vine with milky white sap, 5 feet or more in length. Leaves are thick ovate, oppositely arranged with pointed tips and are V- shaped, related to the Alamanda and Frangipani.

Flower - Hanging 5-6 inch long funnel shaped flower with spiraled, ruffled white petals, blooming year-round in South Florida.

Pictures - Mangrove Rubbervine whole plant, flower close-up

Name - Mangrove Rubber vine

(Rhabdadenia biflora)

Family - Apocynaceae

Habitat - Coastal Hammocks, Coastal Swamps and Salt Marshes.

Description - Native perennial climbing vine, stems may be 10 feet or more in length. Leaves are elliptic to slightly obovate with prominent veins and mid-rib. 

Flower - White tubular flower with a yellow throat.

Pictures - Salt Marsh Morning-glory flower, leaf.

Name - Glades Morning-glory, Salt Marsh Morning-glory

(Ipomoea sagittata Poir.)

Family - Convolvulaceae

Habitat - Coastal Dunes, Salt Marsh, Freshwater Marsh, moist and seasonally inundated sites, on sandy soils containing some organic content.

Description - Native, twining herbaceous vine to about 5 feet in length, sometimes forming dense mats. Sagittate (arrowhead shaped) leaves with lanceolate basil lobes.  

Flower - Purple, funnel shaped, solitary or in groups of 2 or 3.

Pictures - Downy Milkpea plant, flower close-up.

Name - Downy Milkpea

(Galactia volubilis (L.)Britton)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Pinelands, Upland Forests, Scrub

Description - Native perennial twining vine, tri-foliate elliptic leaves usually having a notched or indented apex.

Flower - Pea-like, purple, fading to a pinkish color before dropping.

Picture - Elliott's Milkpea with flowers.

Name - Elliott's Milkpea

(Galactia elliottii Nutt.)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Dry pine flatwoods, Sand scrub, Xeric Hammock

Description - Native. Perennial trailing or twining vine. Leaf compound with 7-9 elliptic, pubescent leaflets.

Flower - White, on long racemes bearing 4-5 flowers

Picture - Climbing Aster on Sabal palm trunk

Name - Climbing Aster

(Ampelaster carolinianus)

Family - Asteraceae

Habitat - Margins of swamps, marshes, freshwater creek and stream banks, open flatwoods.

Description - Native, Perennial shrub/vine.

Height - Variable, generally 6-12 feet.

Flower - 1 1/2 inch diameter, pink to lavender, with a yellow or reddish-yellow center.

Picture - (L) Bay bean flowers, (R) Bay bean compound leaf

Name - Bay bean, Seaside bean

(Canavalia rosea)

Family - Fabaceae

Habitat - Coastal strand, Dunes

Description - Native sprawling or climbing herbaceous vine. 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.

Pictures - Railroad Vine flower, leaf

Name - Railroad Vine, Beach Morning Glory

(Ipomoea pes-caprae)

Family - Convolvulaceae

Habitat - Coastal strand, Upper beach & dunes

Description - This native vine is common to the dunes of coastal South Florida. A pioneer dune plant, the Railroad vine produces long (75 ft.) runners with deep roots, colonizing and helping to stabilize the upper beach and dune against erosion. Leaves are simple, alternate, elliptical to nearly cordate with lobed bases & notched tips. Salt and drought tolerant.

Flower - Railroad vine flowers in summer and fall, has funnel shaped flowers that are pale lavender to purple with darker throats. Fruit is a rounded, 1/2 inch diameter pod.

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