North American Butterfly Association
Butterfly Gardening and Habitat Program
Faux Persil Balloon Vine - Cardiospermum cornidum |
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Other common names for this plant include Balloon vine and Heartseed. Faux persil balloon vine is one of five vines considered native or naturalized to the United States in the genus Cardiospermum. Confusingly, all five of the vines are often referred to as 'balloon vine' or 'heartseed'. Frustratingly, there seems to be mixed opinions as to the native status of the various balloon vines. Add to these facts that the various balloon vines can be an aggressive weed under certain conditions and it may not seem worth consideration for butterfly gardening. But experienced butterfly gardeners in south Florida and south Texas feel otherwise, and for this reason, faux persil balloon vine is included in NABA's list of plants.
In southern Florida, faux persil balloonvine is an evergreen vine found growing at the edges of costal hammocks in locations where soils contain some organic matter. Flowering all year, it can be started from seed. Importance as a caterpillar food source in Florida: Miami blue, silver-banded hairstreak, and amethyst hairstreak caterpillars all use faux persil balloonvine as a food source. It is also sometimes a food source for the gray hairstreak caterpillars. Importance as a butterfly nectar source in Florida: Gardeners! Send in a rating for this section. The current rating for faux persil balloonvine in Florida is:
If you have experience growing faux persil balloonvine, we would like your opinion. Let us know how it performed in your butterfly garden. Your comments will help other butterfly gardeners in your region to create better butterfly gardens:
In southern Texas, faux persil balloonvine's native habitat is brush lands in Cameron, Hildago, and Willacy counties, while in Arizona it is found growing in rocky soils in the lower Sonoran desert. Importance as a caterpillar food source in Texas and Arizona: Silver-banded hairstreak and Common Banner caterpillars use faux persil balloonvine as a food source. Importance as a butterfly nectar source in Texas and Arizona: Gardeners! Send in a rating for this section. The current rating for faux persil balloonvine in Texas and Arizona is:
If you have experience growing faux persil balloonvine, we would like your opinion. Let us know how it performed in your butterfly garden. Your comments will help other butterfly gardeners in your region to create better butterfly gardens:
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Detail of native range for Faux Persil Balloonvine (Cardiospermum cornidum) in Florida
Detail of native range for Faux Persil Balloonvine (Cardiospermum cornidum) in Arizona and Texas |
©2008 North American Butterfly Association