FNPS Plant Database

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

railroadvine, lavender goatfoot morning-glory
  • Photo by: Paul Rebman

Nomenclature

Common Name:

railroadvine, lavender goatfoot morning-glory

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

Family:

Convolvulaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

vine

Size:

Stems are 60+ ft long  (stems are long but prostrate).  Foliage hugs the ground.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

pink,purple

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms summer (north) or all year (south).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Makes a nice groundcover in an informal dry yard. In nature, it is an important stabilizer of beach dunes.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Not wet but not extremely dry -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Circum-neutral to calcarious

Suitable to Grow In:

8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Attracts insects, especially bees.

Native Habitats:

Beach dunes.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Has been used (in South America) to treat inflammation and gastrointestinal problems.

General Comments:

Seeds float and can be dispersed by water. Noted as a sand stabilizer being one of the first plants to colonize active dunes. Pan-tropical.

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_pes-caprae.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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