Accession Count: 5
Common Name:
coral vine, queen anne's wreath
Family Name:
Polygonaceae
Botanical Name:
Antigonon leptopus
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Antigonon leptopus is a perennial climbing vine, with curling tendrils, growing rapidly to 25 to 40 feet in length. Its stems are initially herbaceous, and become woody with age from the bottom up unless killed by freezes. It has green, medium-large, heart-shaped to triangular leaves, and is evergreen in frost-free environments. Small, pink, red, or rarely white, flowers without fragrance are clustered along rachis which form tendrils at their tips, and bloom spring through fall, stopping at the first freeze or the start of winter. The fruit are small brown seeds within a capsule of dried petals. This vine forms underground tubers.
Compound:
Ant lep
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The flowers attract bees; the seeds attract birds and mammals. Being a prolific re-seeder, this vine can become invasive in warm climates with sufficient rainfall. It is well behaved in dry climates.
Cultivation Notes:
This vine can be located in full sun to part shade. Once established, it needs water once or twice a month in part shade, and at least weekly in full sun during the hottest parts of the year. It is tolerant of soil types, including poor soil, and prefers a pH range of 6.1 - 7.8 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). It survives in USDA hardiness zones 8-11 but dies to the ground in freezing temperatures. Mulch the root zone in the fall to protect its tubers in areas with hard winter freezes. It can re-sprout from its roots after freezing temperatures or after being cut to the ground.
Ethnobotany:
This attractive plant is used as an ornamental to cover a fence, wall or trellis, or to attract bees to a garden. The flowers, leaves, seeds and tubers are edible when cooked. The tubers can grow quite large and be difficult to remove, making this vine tough to eradicate once it is well established.
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
ForeSummer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Pink
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
