Coral creeper

Coral creeper

Antigonon leptopus

Common Name:

Coral creeper

Scientific Name:

Antigonon leptopus


Alternative common names:

Koraalklimop (Afrikaans), bride’s tears, Mexican creeper, Mexican love vine, mountain rose, queen’s jewels.

Description:

A long-lived (perennial) vine with stems often climbing up over other vegetation 6-10m tall, occasionally reaching 15m in height. It produces underground tubers and loses its leaves during the dry season in areas seasonal rains.

Additional Information


Where does this species come from?

Native to Mexico.

What is its invasive status in South Africa?

NEMBA 1b

Where in South Africa is it a problem?

KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

How does it spread?

The seeds float on water and may also be spread to new locations by domestic and wild animals that eat the fruit. Pieces of its trailing stems may be broken off and carried about during earthmoving operations and by floodwaters.

Why is it a problem?

It invades coastal and inland bush and thicket.

What does it look like?

Leaves:Leaves are simple and borne on stalks 1-5cm long. The leaves are light to dark green in colour, have a strongly wrinkled appearance, and are lined with a network of veins.

Flowers: These flower clusters (4-20cm long) have hairy stalks and the flowers are arranged into small groups along the branches. Individual flowers are borne on smaller stalks 3-10mm long and each flower has five 'petals' that are usually bright pink in colour, but may occasionally be white or reddish.

Fruit/seeds: These flower clusters (4-20cm long) have hairy stalks and the flowers are arranged into small groups along the branches. Individual flowers are borne on smaller stalks3-10mm long and each flower has five 'petals' that are usually bright pink in colour, but may occasionally be white or reddish.

Does the plant have any uses?

Ornament, provides honey.

Leave a Reply