Is Balloon Vine invasive?
Balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum) is an invasive tendril climber growing in damp situations, often near river banks. It forms dense but localised infestations and competes with, and smothers, indigenous plant species.
Is Balloon Vine poisonous?
For a tropical plant, the Balloon Vine can take cold weather, growing from west Texas north to Montana, Florida north to Massachusetts and most points in between. In fact, in Texas, Alabama, South Carolina and Arkansas it is a noxious and invasive weed… all the more to eat though few know it is edible.
How do you get rid of balloon vines?
By hand. Manual removal is best for small infestations. If the balloon vines are climbing over other desirable plants, cut them and leave the top part of the vine to die. Pull or dig out all of the roots as plants often regrow from root fragments.
Is Balloon Vine toxic to dogs?
The plant names that are listed in bold typeface are known to be dangerous to animals (dogs and cats)….Table 1: Non-toxic plants by common name.
| Common name | Latin or scientific name |
|---|---|
| Balloon flower | Platycodon grandiflorus |
| Balloon vine | Cardiospermum halicacabum |
What is Balloon vine good for?
Balloon vine is employed for treating stiffness of the limbs, rheumatism, nervous conditions as well as snakebites. The leaves of this herb possess rubefacient attributes and, hence, they are applied in the form of a poultice for treating rheumatism.
How do you grow balloon vines?
Start Balloon Vine seeds directly outdoors in a prepared site. Cardiospermum seeds need to be covered with 1/4 inch of soil and kept moist until germination. Give the Balloon Vine plant a structure to climb as it grows quickly. Cardiospermum vine can grow as a perennial in frost free zones.
Is love in a puff vine invasive?
There is an old fashioned vine that goes by the name of “love in a puff” or “balloon vine.” Its Latin name Cardiospermum means heart-seed and for good reason. This scrambling vine is native to Tropical America and isn’t showy at all. As a matter a fact, it’s considered invasive in the United States.
Where do balloon vines grow?
The vine is native to tropical America but grows well in summer in much of the United States. Northern gardeners growing love in a puff can use it as a fast-growing annual, while southern gardeners can use it year round.
How do you use a balloon vine plant?
The leaves of this herb possess rubefacient attributes and, hence, they are applied in the form of a poultice for treating rheumatism. An herbal tea prepared from the leaves of balloon vine is employed for treating itchy skin. The leaves are also mixed with salt and applied in the form of a poultice on swellings.
Do balloon flowers transplant well?
Balloon flowers have a long taproot and don’t like to be transplanted, so this isn’t a great plant to divide and share. If you do divide them, don’t dig up the whole plant.
What’s eating my balloon flowers?
Slugs and snails feed at night so you might go out with your flashlight at night and see if they are feeding. If you see any slimmy wet looking trails on leaves or on the ground around the plants this is an indication they are present dinning at night and hidding in the shade during the day somewhere near by.
Where is balloon vine native to?
Native to Mexico, this species is considered a weed in the southern U. S., where it forms dense mats and its seeds are difficult to separated from soybean during mechanical harvesting.
What kind of plant is a balloon vine?
Cardiospermum halicacabum commonly known as Balloon Vine is a deciduous plant belonging to Soapberry family Sapindaceae.
When to plant Love in a puff balloon vine?
Love in a puff balloon vine needs full sun in well-drained soil. It is a useful annual in United States Department of Agriculture zones 8 to 11. In the lower zones, it performs as an annual. Sow seed indoors in late winter to early spring and plant outdoors after hardening off the seedlings when all danger of frost has passed.
Do you need sun for Love in a balloon vine?
Its tenacity can be a problem in some regions and care should be exercised not to let the plant escape into nature. Love in a puff balloon vine needs full sun in well-drained soil.
What do you eat from a balloon vine?
Almost all of the fruit on the Balloon Vine will have frass inside from where the caterpillars dined. Fortunately we eat the young leaves and shoots. C. halicacabum is a problem plant for soybean seed growers because the seed size and shape are similar.