Family: Nyctaginaceae

This plant is thought of as a vine, but it’s just a sprawling herbaceous perennial. It grows 3-6’ tall and wide, usually with the help of other shrubs or nearby objects. Best cut back when it’s done flowering or when it looks ragged. Greenish white, nectar-rich flowers September through the cool season until April.

Grow in part sun, and provide moderate to regular water. Plants are sufficiently cold hardy in our region.

Larval food for the white lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) and probably loads of other moths.

Formerly known as Boerhavia grahamii. Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave (1663-1738) a Dutch botanist, scandens means climbing. The current generic name, Commicarpus, refers to the sticky anthocarp. It is from the Greek commi = gum, and carpus = fruit.

Found in canyons and thickets; 2,000-4,500 ft. in southern Arizona, New,Mexico, southern Texas; south to southern Mexico and in South America.

Photo by John Brush, iNaturalist
Commicarpus scandens on SEINET