Railroad Vine Classification

Characteristics

• Railroad vine is known for its trumpet-shaped, magenta blooms in summer and its vigorous growth – up to 100 feet – on poor soils, such as beach sand. It is native to the tropical beaches of Hawaii and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. An annual in all but U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, it is recommended as a ground cover in warm climates to prevent erosion and stabilize slopes.

Growth Habit

• Railroad vine is a twining vine that colonizes wide stretches of nutrient-poor, moist soils. It sends out long, straight stems with stolons that produce roots at the nodes and run perpendicularly to the stems. The plant has a deep taproot that often reaches 3 feet down. Railroad vine rarely grows more than 1 foot tall but can form a mat 30 feet across.

Botanical Nomenclature

• The name Ipomoea comes from two Greek words, “ips,” meaning “worm” and “homoios,” meaning “resembling,” in reference to the plant’s vining habit. The species name, pes-caprae, is from the Latin words “pes” meaning “foot,” and “caprae,” meaning “goat,” referring to the shape of the leaves, which resemble the hoof of a goat.

Classification

• Railroad vine, a member of the Plantae kingdom, belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. It shares its family and genus, Ipomoea, with other ornamental annual vines grown for their bright flowers, such as morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor), Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata), moonflower (Ipomoea alba) and cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit). The genus also includes the edible sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas.