Our list of Exotic and Unusual Vine Seeds from around the world.
Also, check out our Morning Glory Seeds page.
For Clematis vines, check out ourClematis Seed List
Annual Vines
BM67 Blue Passionflower Passiflora caerulea
Blue passionflower is a twining vine that can grow to 30 ft (9.1 m). The shiny leaves are usually palmately lobed with five parts, but they can have as few as three lobes or as many as nine. They are evergreen in tropical climates, but deciduous where winters are cool. The white and purple-blue flowers which appear in summer may be as large as 4 in (10.2 cm) across. They are followed by egg-size deep orange fruits from late summer through fall.
Blue passionflower likes loose sandy or gravelly soils and does best planted in old brick rubble that retains heat during cold winter weather. Too much manure or compost will result in lush vegetative growth and poor flowering. This species will flower in a small pot, but it prefers plenty of root space and will do better in a roomy container. In Zone 8-9, the ideal location is against a warm south-facing old brick wall where an overhang prevents excessive drenching by heavy rains.
Go light on fertilizer and water deeply, but infrequently; passionflowers should be encouraged to reach deep into the earth for water. When motivated to do so, they are capable of developing amazing root systems to sustain them through droughts and freezes. Passionflowers love high humidity, but they are subject to fungal diseases if they don't get good air circulation in the greenhouse. Blue passionflower does better overwintered in a cool greenhouse where it can go semi-dormant as opposed to in a hothouse where it will be tempted to put too much energy into weak off-season growth. In either case, it is important to keep the soil on the dry side in the winter.
Blue passionflower may be wound around a hoop support to keep it within bounds so that it may be grown as a houseplant in a sunny south-facing window. Passifloras flower on new growth, so they may be pruned early in the growing season. It is best to cut some stems back nearly to the base, rather than just trim the tips. The terminal buds may be pinched out to encourage branching. Always keep some green foliage on the plant to keep the sap rising and encourage rapid regrowth. The roots may be weakened and become subject to fungal infection if too much top growth is removed at once. Don't try to train a passionflower to be too neat and compact; branches allowed to hang loose and droop a bit will be the ones most inclined to flower. Passionflowers are subject to a wide array of pests and diseases, but most of them have minimal impact on well grown plants. Butterfly larvae are the exception; caterpillars readily devour the foliage of healthy mature plants.
Passionflowers like full sun and will scramble over trees and shrubs to get it.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. Blue passionflowers will regrow from deep roots after even severe freezes. They have been known to survive temperatures as low as 5ºF (-15ºC) when the ground was frozen over two feet deep! It is nevertheless important to keep the soil as warm as possible, especially in the winter greenhouse.
NB30 Citronella
Mina lobata, annual. Climbing vine super in baskets, lemon with white tips, compact, blooms in 10 weeks from seed.
NB31 Jungle Queen
M. lobata, Climbing vine, super in baskets, orange to scarlet tipped yellow bicolor, blooms in 10 weeks from seed.
1A218 Scarlet Runner Bean Phaseolus
coccineus
Edible and beautiful. One of the oldest runner beans now in
existence. First documented in 1750. Good for use as either
small snaps, sliced pods or green shells, and often used in
place of limas in cooler climates. Highly ornamental. Needs a
trellis, fence or pole to train on, 65 days.
1A219 Sunset Runner Bean Phaseolus
coccineus
Edible and beautiful. Unique variety with salmon-pink blooms.
Very early blossoming and maturing, nice crops of short and
very flavorful beans throughout the season. Excellent for
freezing. Needs a trellis, fence or pole to train on, 60-65
days.
2903 Japanese Hops Humulus scandens
Strong twining vine, green flowers in summer. Decorative fast
growing vine, excellent for porches and screens.
2484 China Fleece Vine Polygonum aubertii
Fast grower, massed lacy white flowers, dense green foliage,
fragrant flowers, does very well in poor soils, perennial,
hardy to zone 3.
2235 Cypress Vine Mix Ipomoea Quamoclit
Ipomoea quamoclit, syn. Quamoclit pennata.) This easy-care vine
is great for high-margin container sales. Vigorous and
fast-growing with fern-like, feathery bright green foliage and
3/4-inch trumpet-shaped blooms from summer to fall. Easily
grows 6 feet; can reach 25 feet. Full sun. Cannot ship to
AR, AZ, PR
D9606 Hyacinth Bean Dolichos Lab-Lab
Lablab bean is a twining vine with leaflets in threes and showy
bright purple flowers and pods. In frost-free areas the vine
becomes woody and can reach more than 30' in length. In zones 9
and colder, the vine remains herbaceous and rarely exceeds 10'.
The leaflets are purplish-green, broad-oval or triangular in
shape and 3-6" long. The flowers are pea-like, a rich,
brilliant purple, and arranged in loose clusters on long stems
that extend above the foliage. The pods are just as showy as
the flowers. They are flat and curved, about 3" long and bright
purple.
Easy to grow in poor, acidic to alkaline soils. Lablab beans
take 90-150 days from sowing to maturity. Immature pods can be
picked sooner. Needs full sun for best growth. Requires
well-drained soil. Once established, lablab bean is drought
tolerant, more so than most beans.
Young immature pods are cooked and eaten like green beans
(older pods may need to be de-stringed). They have a strong,
beany flavor and some people like to mix them with other beans
or green vegetables. Unfortunately, the purple color disappears
during cooking. Young leaves are eaten raw in salads and older
leaves are cooked like spinach. Flowers are eaten raw or
steamed. The large starchy root tubers can be boiled and baked.
The immature seeds can be boiled and eaten like any shelly
bean. Dried seeds should be boiled in two changes of water
before eating since they contain toxic levels of cyanogenic
glucosides. In Asia the mature seeds are made into tofu and
fermented for tempeh. They are also used as bean sprouts.
Lablab bean is a good choice for a quick screen on a trellis or
fence. It grows fast, has beautiful, fragrant flowers that
attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it even produces
edible leaves, flowers, pods, seeds and roots. Each summer I
train a vine or two of lablab up the clothes line pole just for
the color and fragrance.
New! 2222 Puple Flowered Hyacinth Bean "Moonshadow"
Dolichos Lab-Lab
With dark purple stems, flowers and leaves, it is a wonderful
additon to the garden. Grows like the common Hyacinth Bean
listed above.
3211 Blue Pea Vine ( Clitoria ternatea )
A fast growing climber with beautiful blue and sometimes white
flowers. It can be grown in baskets and containers, and blooms
all year, or it can be grown outside on trellis or fence. A
drought hardy plant which can be used as a fast growing screen
along fences. Attracts butterflies. Produces a small pea type
seed which is used as food in the Phillipines.
NB56 Red Wings ( Lotus tetragonolobus )
Also known as Asparagus Pea vine, bright red pea flowers, pods are edible, creeper, matures in about 14 weeks from seed.
2223 Scarlet Star Vine Ipomoea hederifolia
Annual, Half-Hardy Climber. Freely twining its merry way eight
or ten feet up a suitable support, it has attractive, dark
green, vaguely Ivy-like, lobed foliage and bears over a long
period in summer numerous long-stalked clusters of
eye-catching, scarlet, funnel-shaped flowers, each an inch or
more across. A most ornamental plant. Cannot ship to AR, AZ,
PR
D8565 Bitter Gourd Citrullus Colocynthis
Water melon like vine to 15 ft.or more. Bears small 6" three
pound or so fruits. An attractive vine. The fruits have strong
medicinal value.
2640 Giant Granadilla Passiflora
quadrangularis
The Giant Granadilla forms a larger leaf and is a more vigorous
grower than the yellow passion fruit. This plant derives its
botanical name from the fact that the stems are quad rangular
in cross section. It is a vigorous grower that can grow 50 feet
or more in a single season, for zones 10 and higher, or warm
greenhouses.
Fruit of the giant granadilla reach a length of up to 12 inches
and turn yellow when mature. The pulp around the seeds is used
to flavor ice cream and to make a cooling drink. In addition,
the flesh of this fruit is edible. The green fruit is boiled
and eaten as a vegetable. The fully ripe flesh is eaten alone
or in combination with such fruits as papaya and pineapple.
D8575 Canary Bird Vine Tropaeolum
peregrinum
Annual vine. Lustrous canary yellow flowers on a vigorous vine
with shiny green leaves. Flowers resemble small birds in
flight. The flowers are edible.
D8577 Black Eyed Susan Vine
The perfect hanging basket vine. Dainty black-eyed-susan
flowers and a healthy vine. Whether cascading from a hanging
basket or twining up a trellis, black-eyed Susan vine provides
a sunny splash of summer color. This flowering vine is an
easy-care annual that provides months of showy yellow-orange
flowers. Large, ivylike leaves provide a verdant backdrop for
its bright flowers, which sport the distinctive dark center and
give it the "black eye" of its common name.
D8590 Chilean Glory Vine Eccremocarpus
Scaber
An exotic looking vine from Chile that bears loads of
beautiful, fragrant, trumpet shaped flowers that attract
hummingbirds. Good for fences, walls and trellises. Grow
anywhere as an annual.
D9872 Black-Eyed Susan Vine, Orange/White Mix
A dainty vine that can be used for ground covers or as a low
climber. Excellent for hanging baskets. Triangular leaves and
tubular flowers in orange and white with a dark brown eye.
1A073 Whirlybird Gold Nasturtium
10” A bushy nasturtium with single blooms that are
2” across, spurless and face upward. Beautiful Gold
color.
1A074 Glorius Gleam Mix Nasturtium
32” A trailing nasturtium with double to semi-double
blooms in shades of yellow, orange and red with medium-green
leaves.
1A075 Alaska Mix Nasturtium
9” The unique leaves of the Alaska series are dark green
marbled with white. The flowers are all shades of red, yellow
and orange. The plants are compact bushes.
1A076 Tall Single Mix Nasturtium
18-24” A trailing nasturtium with single blooms that are
2” across in shades of yellow, orange and red.
1A077 Dwarf Jewel Mix Nasturtium
8-10". A bushy nasturtium with double blooms that are 1
1/2” across in shades of yellow, orange and red held well
above the foliage.
D9879 Jewels of Africa Nasturtium with variegated
foliage.
A variegated Nasturtium with a blend of yellow, red and peachy
pink flower with marbled foliage, striped with cream, against a
light green background. Excellent container or ground cover
specimen.
D9895 Exotic Love Vine ( Mina lobata )
Half Hardy Annual. Every 1½" bloom starts out rich red,
maturing to orange, then yellow, then white with all the colors
on the same plant at the same time, quite a sight!. Excellent
vine plant for baskets and planters.
D9877 Giant Fragrant Moon Vine
Giant 6-8" pure white blooms open in the evening to release a
sweet smelling perfume-like fragrance. Annual vine is great for
fences or trellis.
D9897 Tiny Sugar Lumps Tomato
A sprawling tomato plant best suited for hanging baskets and
containers. Will bear hundreds of sweet, delicious pea-size
tomatoes at a time. Fruits almost year round inside.
2237 Royal Plum Cup and Saucer Vine ( Cobaea scandens
)
5 Months of Blooms! Flowers mature from green to rich purple.
Distinctive 2-inch bell-shaped blooms cover this fast-growing,
pest-free 20-foot vine from June through October. Full sun.
Treat as an annual.
Perennial Vines
FA48 Blue Wisteria Vine Wisteria sinensis
Extremely popular vining plant that that eventually develops a
thick trunk to 8'. Mature height is 25' or more. It produces
masses of violet blue flowers appearing before the leaves. The
racemes of flowers hang to 1 1/2' or more providing colorful
display. The pinnate leaves are divided into 13 leaflets.
Deciduous. Hardy to zone 5 and easily grown.
2392 Artic Kiwi, Siberian Gooseberry Actinidia
arguta
A strong-growing vine with dense, dark green foliage. The
fragrant but inconspicuous white flowers appear in early
spring. The fruit, which ripens in late summer or fall, is
about 3/4"-11/4" long. It tastes much like the commercial kiwi
fruit, to which it is closely related, but is somewhat sweeter
and has smooth skin. The seeds are very small and not
noticeable, so eating the fruits is somewhat like eating large
seedless grapes. Most selections should be hardy to around
-30° F. In the native Asian habitat of this species the
vines typically grow wild in trees, where they are known to
climb as high as 100'.
IM001 Carolina Snailseed Cocculus
carolinus
Also known as Red-berried Moonseed, Carolina Moonseed,
Coral-bead, Coral-seed, Coral Vine, and sometimes Wild
Sarsaparilla.
In late summer and early fall, Carolina snailseed's long
clusters of brilliant red fruits can be seen dangling from high
in tall trees as well over shrubs and anything else nearby. It
is a slender, twining vine that grows in rich soils, swampy
areas, forest margins, often near streams, in the eastern half
of Texas. Birds are fond of the fruit and have planted most of
the plants found climbing up trees and shrubs. The common name
refers to the seed, which resembles a snail shell. Does well in
sun or shade, a good fence cover. Hardy for zones 5-7.
Perennial.
D8566 Cassabanana Sicana odorifera
Needs hot weather to set fruit, best grown in higher zones. The vine is perennial, herbaceous, fast-growing, heavy, requiring a strong trellis; climbing trees to 50 ft (15 m) or more by means of 4-parted tendrils equipped with adhesive discs that can adhere tightly to the smoothest surface. Young stems are hairy. The leaves are gray-hairy, rounded-cordate or rounded kidney-shaped, to 1 ft wide, deeply indented at the base, 3-lobed, with wavy or toothed margins, on petioles 1 1/2 to 4 3/4 in (4-12 cm) long. Flowers are white or yellow, urn-shaped, 5-lobed, solitary, the male 3/4 in (2 cm) long, the female about 2 in (5 cm) long. Renowned for its strong, sweet, agreeable, melon-like odor, the striking fruit is ellipsoid or nearly cylindrical, sometimes slightly curved; 12 to 24 in (30-60 cm) in length, 2 3/4 to 4 1/2 in (7-11.25 cm) thick, hard-shelled, orange-red, maroon, dark-purple with tinges of violet, or entirely jet-black; smooth and glossy when ripe, with firm, orange-yellow or yellow, cantaloupe-like, tough, juicy flesh, 3/4 in (2 cm) thick. In the central cavity, there is softer pulp, a soft, fleshy core, and numerous flat, oval seeds, 5/8 in (16 mm) long and 1/4 in (6 mm) wide, light-brown bordered with a dark-brown stripe, in tightly-packed rows extending the entire length of the fruit.
The cassabanana is believed native to Brazil but it has been spread throughout tropical America. Historians have evidence that it was cultivated in Ecuador in pre-Hispanic times. It was first mentioned by European writers in 1658 as cultivated and popular in Peru. It is grown near sea-level in Central America but the fruit is carried to markets even up in the highlands. Venezuelans and Brazilians are partial to the vine as an ornamental, but in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico it is grown for the usefulness of the fruit.
In 1903, O.F. Cook saw one fruit in a market in Washington, D.C. The United States Department of Agriculture received seeds from C.A. Miller, the American Consul in Tampico, Mexico, in 1913 (S.P.I. #35136). H.M. Curran collected seeds in Brazil in 1915 (S.P.I. #41665). Wilson Popenoe introduced seeds from Guatemala in 1916 (S.P.I. #43427). The author brought seeds from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, to the Agricultural Research and Education Center, Homestead, in 1951. A resulting vine grew to large size but produced a single 2 ft (60 cm) fruit. Dr. John Thieret, formerly Professor of Botany at Southwestern Louisiana University, says that the Cajuns in the southern part of that state grow the cassabanana for making preserves. Verrill stated in 1937, "The fruit is now on sale in New York markets."
Fenzi says that the cassabanana is grown from seeds or cuttings. A high temperature during the fruiting season is needed to assure perfect ripening. Brazilians train the vine to grow over arbors or they may plant it close to a tree. However, if it is allowed to climb too high up the tree there is the risk that it may smother and kill it.
The cassabanana remains in good condition for several months if kept dry and out of the sun.
The fruit has high market value in Puerto Rico. It is cut up and sold by the piece, the price being determined by weight.
The ripe flesh, sliced thin, is eaten raw, especially in the summer when it is appreciated as cooling and refreshing. However, it is mainly used in the kitchen for making jam or other preserves. The immature fruit is cooked as a vegetable or in soup and stews.
People like to keep the fruit around the house, and especially in linen- and clothes-closets, because of its long-lasting fragrance, and they believe that it repels moths. It is also placed on church altars during Holy Week.
Medicinal Uses: In Puerto Rico, the flesh is cut up and steeped in water, with added sugar, overnight at room temperature so that it will ferment slightly. The resultant liquor is sipped frequently and strips of the flesh are eaten, too, to relieve sore throat. It is believed beneficial also to, at the same time, wear a necklace of the seeds around the neck.
The seed infusion is taken in Brazil as a febrifuge, vermifuge, purgative and emmenagogue. The leaves are employed in treating uterine hemorrhages and venereal diseases. In Yucatan, a decoction of leaves and flowers (2 g in 180cc water) is prescribed as a laxative, emmenagogue and vermifuge, with a warning not to make a stronger preparation inasmuch as the seeds and flowers yield a certain amount of hydrocyanic acid.
D8509 Kiwi Fruit Actindia chinensis
Cold hardy to zone 4. Kiwis are vigorous vines. They cannot
support their own weight and will spread up to 30 feet. They
require strong support such as trellis, arbor, or fence. In
nature, they grow up into trees. Training to the south side of
a building is excellent for the small planting. Kiwi vines are
heavy feeders and like their roots to be in warm soil. A mature
kiwi vine can produce 200 pounds of fruit.
Kiwis require special training and pruning to produce good
crops. When planted, the vines should be pruned back to 4 or 5
buds. From these a main stem should be selected and staked to
grow to the top of the arbor or trellis, usually 6-7’
high. The trellis should be strong to support the heavy future
fruit loads.
Kiwis are beautiful vines. Their vigorous spring growth is a
spectacular sight. Excellent for a privacy screen, they will
rapidly cover a fence and with support will cover a wall or
steep slope. Kiwis grow in a manner similar to grapes but more
rapidly. They are very high in Vitamin C. (Ten times as much as
lemons.) They are excellent for eating fresh and are a tasty
addition to salads and desserts. Ice cream, pies, jam and wine
are other ways to use kiwis.
D8581 Issai Kiwi Actinidia
Small 1" fruits with a very sweet taste. The vines will grow
vigorously and bears loads of small fruit that is great for
salads, desert or jelly. A vigorous, fast-growing, deciduous,
woody vine that grows 25-30' but can fill a 200 sq. ft. trellis
in time. Grown for its foliage and edible fruit. Foliage is a
lustrous dark green throughout the growing season. Flowers
appear in May-June and are slightly fragrant and greenish
white, but are not particularly showy since they are largely
hidden by the foliage. This cultivar does not require a
separate male pollinator plant. Smooth-skinned kiwi fruits
ripen in early fall and are the size of a large grape. It
tastes similar to, though slightly sweeter than, its
larger-fruited relative, the true kiwi, Actinidia deliciosa,
which can not be grown north of Zone 8.
SO317 Hawaiian Woodrose Merremia tuberosa
A very interesting vine with deep cut 5-7 lobed foliage that
can easily be grown inside. The yellow flowers are followed by
woody pod fruits that when opened, resemble a wooden rose.
D9807 Baby Woodrose Argyreia Nervosa Tropical,
zone 10 or higher, but good tub plant for patio or greenhouse.
A very popular tropical climber with wide heart shaped leaves
and beautiful rose pink flowers. A native of eastern India and
Bangladesh, this vigorous twiner will grow 30 ft (9 m) or more
into the treetops, but can be trained over a post or stump and
kept trimmed to a moundlike form. A dense white down covers
both young stems and leaf undersides. The leaves are
ovate-cordate, to 1 foot across, white tomentose beneath with
lateral veins conspicuous on the undersides. Tight clusters of
trumpet-shaped bright pink flowers about 2 in (5 cm) across on
pedicels to 6 inches long appear among the foliage in spring
and summer.
Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption
D8517 Kangaroo Vine Cissus
A great inside plant, or hardy to zone 9 outside. This vigorous
climber has green leaves and climbs with tendrils. It bears
small flowers and edible fruits. It is most commonly used as an
indoor foliage plant in colder areas and prefers well composted
soil with ample moisture. Native grapes from the Kangaroo vine
were eaten by the Aborigines and the early settlers in
Australia, where it is native to. They have a grape-like taste
but can irritate the throat if eaten in large numbers. The
Kangaroo vine is a favorite for covering screens and other
large areas. It grows about 10 ft. tall and covers its supports
with leathery leaves.
D8524 Purple Passion Flower Passiflora
incarnata.
Said to be hardy to zone 6. Passionflower got the name from
early Spanish explorers who found the vine growing throughout
the Southeastern part of what is now the United States. The
Spanish found numerical relations in the flower parts to
Christ's crucifixion, hence the name. The fruit has a
translucent pulp surrounding the seeds that is sweet and tasty
when ripe A vigorous growing vine to 20 ft. or more.
D8537 Virginia Creeper Vine Parthenocissus
quinquefolia
Virginia creeper is a fast-growing, high-climbing vine that
attaches itself with tendrils which expand, disk-like, on their
tips. The deciduous leaves are palmately compound with
(typically) five leaflets radiating outward from a central
petiole (leaf stem) like spokes on a wheel. Each leaflet is
about 3"-7" long and an inch or two wide. The leaves turn fiery
red in fall and are very showy. The individual flowers are tiny
and inconspicuous, and arranged in elaborate long-stemmed
clusters, with each flower at the tip of its own peduncle
(flower stem); such an inflorescence is called a cyme. The
whole inflorescence is about 4"-6" across. The berries are
blue-black, less than a half-inch across and much relished by
birds.
Native to eastern North America, from Quebec to Florida, and
west to Texas. Hardy throughout USDA Zones 3-9. Virginia
creeper occurs in all kinds of woods and in clearings and on
hedge rows. There are another 9 or 10 species of Parthenicissus
in Japan and China.
Easy to grow, Virginia creeper can get out of hand if not
managed. It will send up sprouts and seed itself, and
established plantings may smother shrubs and trees. Virginia
creeper will thrive in most soils, in sun or partial shade,
with or without a structure to climb on. Grow in different
shades of light (filtered) shade; part sun; full sun.
Virginia creeper is favored for its brilliant fall foliage and
as a manitenance-free ground cover. When allowed to clamber
over trees or other tall structures, it develops elongated
leafy festoons that are especially showy. Where there is
nothing to climb, it attaches to the ground with adventitious
roots, and makes an excellent cover for slopes or other places
where grass is not practical or desired. ( Our thanks to
www.floridata.com for use of the photo )
D8539 Velvet Bean Mucuna pruriens
Grow as an annual in cooler zones, biennial in zone 9b and
higher. A fast growing tropical vine to 60 ft. with large
leaves and purple flowers in huge clusters. Has 3" velvety pods
filled with marbled beans.
The seed pods, about 4 inch long, are covered with very small
velvety hairs that can be very painful on contact with the
skin. The seeds resemble the eye of a bull; they are often
collected and made into lovely necklaces and bracelets.
The seeds of nescafe in the pods are rich in amino acid L dopa,
precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It is applied to
patients suffering from Parkinson disease. L Dopa stimulates
human growth hormone released by the pituitary gland. Mucuna
pruriens increases testosterone levels.
Mucuna is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and also used as
an aphrodisiac by the natives.
The toasted ground seeds are used as a coffee substitute in
Brazil; the young pods are cooked and eaten in India.
The seeds, pods and young leaves are edible, but require
special treatment to render them non-toxic. A valuable soil
improver, and cattle forage.
D8564 Passion Fruit Passiflora edulis
Zone 7 and higher. This vine, native to the Amazon, produces
beautiful flowers and sweet-tart fruit. It was named by the
Spanish missionaries in South America who saw the Passion
(suffering) of Christ represented in its flowers. Passion fruit
is widely grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. The
fruit is produced on a woody vine from bisexual flowers. The
fruit is somewhat tart, has a hard purple or yellow rind, and
contains many black seeds. Passion fruit is commonly used in
beverages. Grow on fences or trellises, or allow it to scramble
over shrubs and trees.
D8566 Cassabanana Sicana odorifera
Needs hot weather to set fruit, best grown in higher zones. The
vine is perennial, herbaceous, fast-growing, heavy, requiring a
strong trellis; climbing trees to 50 ft (15 m) or more by means
of 4-parted tendrils equipped with adhesive discs that can
adhere tightly to the smoothest surface. Young stems are hairy.
The leaves are gray-hairy, rounded-cordate or rounded
kidney-shaped, to 1 ft wide, deeply indented at the base,
3-lobed, with wavy or toothed margins, on petioles 1 1/2 to 4
3/4 in (4-12 cm) long. Flowers are white or yellow, urn-shaped,
5-lobed, solitary, the male 3/4 in (2 cm) long, the female
about 2 in (5 cm) long. Renowned for its strong, sweet,
agreeable, melon-like odor, the striking fruit is ellipsoid or
nearly cylindrical, sometimes slightly curved; 12 to 24 in
(30-60 cm) in length, 2 3/4 to 4 1/2 in (7-11.25 cm) thick,
hard-shelled, orange-red, maroon, dark-purple with tinges of
violet, or entirely jet-black; smooth and glossy when ripe,
with firm, orange-yellow or yellow, cantaloupe-like, tough,
juicy flesh, 3/4 in (2 cm) thick. In the central cavity, there
is softer pulp, a soft, fleshy core, and numerous flat, oval
seeds, 5/8 in (16 mm) long and 1/4 in (6 mm) wide, light-brown
bordered with a dark-brown stripe, in tightly-packed rows
extending the entire length of the fruit.
The cassabanana is believed native to Brazil but it has been
spread throughout tropical America. Historians have evidence
that it was cultivated in Ecuador in pre-Hispanic times. It was
first mentioned by European writers in 1658 as cultivated and
popular in Peru. It is grown near sea-level in Central America
but the fruit is carried to markets even up in the highlands.
Venezuelans and Brazilians are partial to the vine as an
ornamental, but in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico it is grown for
the usefulness of the fruit.
In 1903, O.F. Cook saw one fruit in a market in Washington,
D.C. The United States Department of Agriculture received seeds
from C.A. Miller, the American Consul in Tampico, Mexico, in
1913 (S.P.I. #35136). H.M. Curran collected seeds in Brazil in
1915 (S.P.I. #41665). Wilson Popenoe introduced seeds from
Guatemala in 1916 (S.P.I. #43427). The author brought seeds
from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, to the Agricultural Research and
Education Center, Homestead, in 1951. A resulting vine grew to
large size but produced a single 2 ft (60 cm) fruit. Dr. John
Thieret, formerly Professor of Botany at Southwestern Louisiana
University, says that the Cajuns in the southern part of that
state grow the cassabanana for making preserves. Verrill stated
in 1937, "The fruit is now on sale in New York markets."
Fenzi says that the cassabanana is grown from seeds or
cuttings. A high temperature during the fruiting season is
needed to assure perfect ripening. Brazilians train the vine to
grow over arbors or they may plant it close to a tree. However,
if it is allowed to climb too high up the tree there is the
risk that it may smother and kill it. The cassabanana remains
in good condition for several months if kept dry and out of the
sun.
The fruit has high market value in Puerto Rico. It is cut up
and sold by the piece, the price being determined by
weight.
The ripe flesh, sliced thin, is eaten raw, especially in the
summer when it is appreciated as cooling and refreshing.
However, it is mainly used in the kitchen for making jam or
other preserves. The immature fruit is cooked as a vegetable or
in soup and stews.
People like to keep the fruit around the house, and especially
in linen- and clothes-closets, because of its long-lasting
fragrance, and they believe that it repels moths. It is also
placed on church altars during Holy Week.
Medicinal Uses: In Puerto Rico, the flesh is cut up and steeped
in water, with added sugar, overnight at room temperature so
that it will ferment slightly. The resultant liquor is sipped
frequently and strips of the flesh are eaten, too, to relieve
sore throat. It is believed beneficial also to, at the same
time, wear a necklace of the seeds around the neck.
The seed infusion is taken in Brazil as a febrifuge, vermifuge,
purgative and emmenagogue. The leaves are employed in treating
uterine hemorrhages and venereal diseases. In Yucatan, a
decoction of leaves and flowers (2 g in 180cc water) is
prescribed as a laxative, emmenagogue and vermifuge, with a
warning not to make a stronger preparation inasmuch as the
seeds and flowers yield a certain amount of hydrocyanic
acid.
D8568 Coral Vine Antigonon Leptopus
Also called Mountain Rose. Ideal for dry climates. This slender
vine with pointed, heart-shaped leaves grows from 30' to 40'.
Masses of small white or rose-pink flowers bloom in late summer
and autumn. A rapidly growing climber that holds on by
tendrils, it will quickly cover adjacent plants and
structures
Will grow up to 30 ft. in one summer. Maintenance free, winter
hardy vine. Zones 9-10. The tops of this tropical plant are
killed back by freezes but will quickly recover from the
roots.
Use as a landscape plant. It's perfect for covering fences or
climbing trellises with a splash of bright color. This vine
does well in urban plantings, because it tolerates air
pollution, restricted space, inadequate sunshine and poor soil.
A rampant grower, it may need periodic grooming when planted in
small spaces.
D8570 American Bittersweet Celastrus
Scandens
A decorative vine with light green leaves and massive amounts
of scarlet berries. A very good landscape vine. It requires
little care, grows quickly and has beautiful colored foliage in
fall. Trim branches in fall before frost for indoor decoration.
A good highlight plant for troubleareas. Hardy for zones 3-8.
Flowers small, green, and clustered. Fruits orange clustered
pods that open to reveal scarlet seed coverings. Climbs to
60'.
Bittersweet fruits are eaten by songbirds, ruffed grouse,
pheasant, and fox squirrel. In the dark and superstitious past,
shepherds hung bittersweet around the necks of those sheep
which were suspected to be under the evil eye.
D8587 Banana Passion Fruit Passiflora
Mollissima
For warmer zones, can be greenhouse grown, or in tubs on patio.
A beautiful vine with large 3-lobed leaves followed by edible
yellow fruits 4" in length. Cannot ship to HI.
D9885 Boston Ivy ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata )
The famous ivy of the North that grows just about anywhere.
Attractive glossy green foliage on a climbing perennial vine
that will cover just about anything.
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