| I'm looking for a vine that will have flowers most of the year, be fragrant and handle a mix of sun and shade. We were thinking of the Wisteria family. Would the Wisteria handle the heat of southwest Florida and be somewhat salt tolerant? We live about 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Could you please give us some suggestions on a suitable vine for these conditions. |
| Chinese Wisteria (W. floribunda or W. chinensis) is a fast growing plant and will tolerate some salt air. The Wisteria blooms in the spring. Because of its fast growth, it needs to be controlled. If the vines are allowed to touch the ground, they will grow roots, and if not controlled the plant can become a pest. There is a vine that grows wild on Florida beaches that would be ideal for you. We have always called it Moon Flower vine. It grows on sand dunes and may be a protected plant, because itprobably keeps the sand from blowing away. I haven't been able to positively identify this plant and I have not been able to locate seeds or cuttings. Here are some vines that have some salt tolerance: Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) - orange-scarlet blooms which are yellow inside. Blooms in spring and summer. Maypop (Parsiflora incarnaata) white and purple flowers. Blooms in spring. Cypress Vine (Quamoclit pennata) scarlet flowers and blooms in summer and fall. Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpures) has pink, blue or purple flowers and blooms early summer until frost. In your area this plant might bloom through most of the winter. Will reseed itself. |
