Native Plants

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Saturday - April 28, 2007

From: coppell, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Vines
Title: Will Hyacinth Beans and Cardinal vine (non-natives) grow in Texas?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live in Coppell, TX, and a neighbor gave me some Hyacinith Beans and Cardinal Vine seeds to plant. She described these as doing well in her local garden, but I cannot find a photo or picture of them. Do you have a photo, what are your thoughts about these plants in north Texas?

ANSWER:

Cardinal vine or cardinal creeper, Ipomoea x multifida is shown as occurring in Texas by the USDA Plants Database. It is a hybrid between I. coccinea and I. quamoclit, neither of which are native to the US but neither of which appears to be invasive. I. x multifida has red blooms and leaves that are intermediate between the shape of the leaves of I. coccinea and I. quamoclit.

Hyacinth bean, Lablab purpureus (synonym = Dolichos lablab) is also an introduced species to North America.

Both vines can grow as woody perennials in frostfree areas, but in your area they will probably grow as herbaceous annuals.

Mr. Smarty Plants encourages you to consider some alternative native vines, such as:

Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)

Bignonia capreolata (crossvine)

Clematis pitcheri (bluebill)

Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. cordatotriloba (tievine)

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle)

Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower)