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Vines

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Woody or herbaceous plants which produce flexible stems that climb, trail, or creep. Vines may lie prostrate on the ground or have tendrils, twining stems, or other mechanisms to cling to natural and manmade structures.

Narrower Topics

Air Potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Air potato is an invasive plant species in Florida that should be removed from public and private properties to help protect the state's natural areas. It can quickly engulf native vegetation in natural areas, climbing high into mature tree canopies. It produces large numbers of bulbils (aerial tubers), which facilitate its spread and make it extremely difficult to eliminate because new plants sprout from even very small bulbils. It invades a variety of habitats including pinelands and hammocks of natural areas.

Bougainvillea

Description

Bougainvillea is a tropical vining shrub that comes in a wide array of bright and fanciful colors. The "flowers" are actually modified leaves, called bracts, that are long-lasting and bright. The colorful bracts outshine the plant's true (but tiny) flower, much like a poinsettia. For more information on Bougainvillea, see the UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions Bougainvillea page.

Publications

Canavalia rosea: Beach Bean, Bay Bean

Edward F. Gilman, Keighly Graves, Wendy Wilber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Gail Hansen, andRyan Klein

Beach bean is an evergreen groundcover native to Florida’s coastal ecosystems. It produces year-round pink-purple flowers and large, woody seedpods. It is well-suited for coastal landscaping or as a dense groundcover in sandy areas.

Pandorea jasminoides Bower Plant, Bower Vine

Edward F. Gilman, Ryan W. Klein, and Gail Hansen

This document provides a detailed overview of the bower plant (Pandorea jasminoides), highlighting its characteristics, growth habits, and uses. The bower plant is an evergreen vine known for its fast growth, glossy dark green foliage, and attractive white or pink-throated flowers that bloom throughout the year. It thrives in USDA hardiness zones 9B through 11 and requires full sun, fertile soil, and protection from strong winds. The plant is not native to North America and is not known to be invasive. It can be propagated by seed or softwood cuttings and has no major pest or disease concerns. Original publication date October 1999.