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Mikania scandens

climbing hempvine

Asteraceae Eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 6–10

Overview

Mikania scandens is a herbaceous, twining perennial vine in the daisy family, native to eastern North America. Slender stems climb 6-15 feet (1.8-4.5 m) over shrubs and fences by twining, dying back to the rootstock each winter in colder areas. The opposite leaves are triangular to heart-shaped, 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, with toothed or lobed margins and long stalks. From midsummer into autumn it carries dense, flat-topped clusters of small flower heads, each about 0.2 inch (5 mm) across with pinkish-white to dull white disc florets and no ray florets, followed by tiny seeds tipped with white bristles for wind dispersal. It grows in wet ground along marshes, swamps, ditches, and stream banks, and tolerates seasonal flooding. The fast-twining stems can smother low vegetation, so it spreads aggressively in moist, fertile sites and needs room or containment in the garden.

Native Range

Native to eastern North America, from the eastern United States and southeastern Canada south to Florida and Texas, and into the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. It grows in wetlands, marsh edges, and moist thickets, mostly at low elevations.

Suggested Uses

Used on trellises, fences, and arbors in rain gardens, pond margins, and naturalized wetland plantings, and as a nectar source for pollinators. Its rapid spread makes it less suited to small or formal beds.

How to Identify

Look for a twining herbaceous vine with opposite, heart-shaped to triangular toothed leaves on long stalks. The small flower heads carry only disc florets, dull white to pale pink, grouped in flat-topped clusters from midsummer to fall. Twining stems and opposite leaves separate it from the alternate-leaved, climbing Clematis virginiana, with which it often shares wetland habitats.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 15'

Width/Spread3' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

pink

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from midsummer into autumn, roughly July to October. The small whitish to pale-pink heads open in dense terminal clusters and draw bees, wasps, and butterflies. Seeds with white hair-like bristles follow and disperse on the wind.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white to pale pink

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

clay loam silt

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on consistently moist to wet soils, including clay and mucky ground along water, and tolerates short periods of flooding. It is hardy roughly in USDA zones 6-10, dying back to the roots in winter at the cold end of that range. Support such as a trellis, fence, or shrub lets the stems climb; without support they sprawl as a groundcover. Drought and dry, sandy soils check its growth. It self-seeds and spreads by rhizomes, and the vigorous stems can overrun neighbors in rich, wet sites. Cutting back in late winter keeps it within bounds.

Pruning

Cutting stems to the ground in late winter or early spring clears old growth before the new season. Trimming through summer limits spread and keeps the vine off neighboring plants. It regrows quickly from the base after cutting.