Wild Vine Seeds

Passionflower Vine

• One species of the native passionflower vine, Passiflora incarnata, or maypop, is the host plant of choice for gulf fritillary butterflies which lay their eggs on leaves and stems. Maypop bears seeds in pods resembling green hen eggs that ripen to yellow. A sweet and edible gelatinous material surrounds the tough-textured seeds. Passage through an animal's digestive system removes this gelatinous aril and allows the seeds to pass unharmed as they naturalize in the landscape.

Hummingbird Vine

• Also called trumpet vine because of the shape of its orange flowers, Campsis radicans attracts hummingbirds and butterflies in profusion. It bears seeds in long, green, beanlike pods that mature to brown and split open to release hundreds of seeds. A light papery covering assists the wind in dispersing seeds that tend to germinate prolifically in large areas around the parent plant. This wild vine has a tendency toward aggressive growth and can be invasive.

Native Grape Vine

• California vineyards produce table grapes (or bunch grapes) but another variety of grapes is native to the southeastern United States. Adaptive to high humidity and southern soils, muscadines (Vitis rotundifolia) have very high concentrations of resveratrol. This phytochemical compound is important in lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease. Although all parts of muscadine grapes contain resveratrol, its seeds have the highest concentrations. Muscadine grapeseed extract is available as a dietary health supplement.

Kudzu Vine

• With unparalleled growth and vigor, kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is commonly known by its nickname -- "the vine that ate the South." Kudzu vine seeds are deceptively tiny for such an aggressive plant. In the Legume family, kudzu's fuzzy flattened pods contain small bean- and pea-like seeds that resemble those of other leguminous family members. Kudzu's extremely tough seed coat allows seeds to remain viable for years before germinating, thus perpetuating the growth and spread of vines long after their supposed eradication.