Maurandella antirrhiniflora
Snapdragon Vine
Family: Plantaginaceae
Small perennial vine best left to climb under large shrubs. Variations of red, pink, purple, lavender flowers appear in warm weather. Vine will go dormant in winter (freeze to the ground) but re-emerge in spring.
Part sun is ideal with moderate water. Plants reseed readily in the landscape.
Loved by hummingbirds, and many other pollinators. Larval host for the common buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia).
Other species of Maurandya sometimes available like Maurandya barclayana and M. scandens, which are very similar, slightly larger vines.
Found on stony slopes, usually among shrubs, often in limestone soils, and in moist soils along creek bottoms, from 1,500-6,000 in southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Texas, Florida; south into southern Mexico, and in South America.
Formerly Maurandya antirrhiniflora. Maurandya is named for Catalina Pancratia Maurandy, a Spanish botanist of the late 18th century; antirrhiniflora means having flowers like those of Antirrhinum, the genus of common garden-variety snapdragons. The genus Maurandella is Maurandya and Latin -ella, diminutive, alluding to presence of personate corolla in Maurandella.
Magenta-colored flowers of Maurandella antirrhiniflora, photo by David Thornburg, SEINET
A very purple Maurandella antirhiniflora, photo by Paul Rothrock, SEINET
White flowered Maurandella antirhiniflora, photo by Ron Stephens, iNaturalist
Maurandya barclayana, a similar species from Mexico, photo by Juan Carlos Pérez Magaña, iNaturalist
Maurandya scandens, another similar species from Mexico