Cardiospermum grandiflorum
showy balloon vine
Tropical America and Africa; naturalised in eastern Australia
Overview
Cardiospermum grandiflorum is a vigorous, fast-growing perennial climbing vine in the family Sapindaceae, reaching 16-33 feet (5-10 m) or more as it scrambles over shrubs and trees. The thin, twining, hairy stems carry biternate leaves divided into toothed leaflets 1.2-3.1 inch (3-8 cm) long, with curling tendrils at the leaf bases. Small white flowers about 0.3 inch (8 mm) wide are borne in clusters from spring to autumn, each cluster with a pair of tendrils. The flowers are followed by inflated, papery, three-sided capsules 1.2-2.4 inch (3-6 cm) long that turn from green to straw-brown and resemble small balloons. Each capsule holds black seeds marked with a white heart-shaped scar. Cardiospermum grandiflorum originates in tropical America and Africa and has naturalised in eastern Australia, where it is a declared environmental weed that smothers rainforest margins and riverbank vegetation. It grows quickly in warm, moist, fertile conditions and is frost-tender. Its weight and dense cover can pull down and shade out the plants that support it.
Native Range
Cardiospermum grandiflorum is native to tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. In Australia it has naturalised along the east coast, mainly in Queensland and New South Wales, where it spreads in rainforest margins, riparian zones, and disturbed bushland and is listed as an environmental weed.Suggested Uses
Cardiospermum grandiflorum has no garden planting use within Australia, where it is managed as an environmental weed. It is recorded historically as an ornamental climber grown for its balloon-like capsules, but in its naturalised range removal and replacement with local species is the usual approach.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height16' - 33'
Width/Spread5' - 20'
Bloom Information
Flowering extends from spring through autumn in warm climates, with peak flowering in summer. The small white flowers are insect-pollinated and quickly give way to the inflated capsules. Seeds ripen and scatter through autumn and are carried by water and in dumped garden waste.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-9 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight