Species Overview

Native to: Brazil, Paraguay

Flame vine was introduced to Florida by the early 20th century. It has been documented escaping into scrub habitat at Archbold Biological Station and invading state forests in Polk County. The potential range of this plant in the United States includes warmer regions such as peninsula Florida, southern Louisiana, southeastern Texas, southwestern Arizona, and coastal California.

Some content and photographs were provided by Jeff Hutchinson.

Species Characteristics

Family: Bignoniaceae

Habit: Evergreen woody vine

Leaves: Compound, opposite, leaflets 2 or 3 (terminal leaflet often a 3-parted tendril), up to 8 cm long, ovate, acuminate.

Flowers: Terminal showy dense panicles, bright orange, to 8 cm long, tubular, corolla with 5 reflexed obtuse lobes, stamens 4.

Distribution in Florida: Central Florida

Impacts

Flame vine is not known to set seed in Florida and therefore spreads only vegetatively. Adaptable to a wide array of habitat types from tropical forests to xeric habitats such as scrub, it grows rapidly covering trees, fences, and other structures. It creates a closed canopy altering the structure and composition of the area it has invaded and smothering native plants. In a garden setting it is also hard to control and can overtake the area in which it is planted.

Do not plant.

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None known.

Trichlopyr (10% solution) has been shown to be somewhat effective when stems are treated (Hutchinson, 2005).

Consult your local UF IFAS Extension Office for management recommendations.