Drought-Tolerant Butterfly Vine – On the House

Drought-Tolerant Butterfly Vine

By on October 1, 2014

With a name like “Butterfly Vine”, you’d assume this pretty climber would be covered in fluttering wings. And it is – but not quite the kind you expect. Instead, Butterfly Vine (Mascagnia macroptera) is named for its seed pods, which do indeed resemble a small butterfly in flight.

Butterfly Vine is native to Mexico and regions south. It grows well in warmer parts of the U.S., especially zones 9 and higher, where it will ramble up to 15 feet high and wide. The delicate yellow flowers, which resemble orchids, bloom starting in spring and continue on throughout the year until frost. The seed pods appear soon after the flowers. They are a light green color at first, darkening to brown as they mature.

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