If you are looking for a nice vine to plant in the low desert of Arizona, the snail vine is a great choice. It will survive all summer and will produce purple snail like flowers all over the vine. It will cover a fence or wall for nice shade.
Snail Vine – Vigna Caracalla (L.) Verdc.
Family: Fabacaea
Recommended Zone – USDA 9-10
Frost Tolerance: In Arizona this plant/Vine will do very well. It will die back with frost but will return in the spring very strong. You can cut it back once the frost hits it.
Sun Exposure: Love full sun and even does well on block walls.
Origin: Central America to tropical South America
Growth Habits: Fast growing perennial vine to 20 feet
Watering Needs: Regular water
Propagation: Seeds, easily by layering in spring
The Snail Vine is a beautiful vine and well worth growing. It generally dies back in winter, doesn’t really do well below 50 or 40 degrees. The snail vine is a fast grower and it will catch up the following spring, growing fast when the weather turns warm and twining up everywhere.
The genus is named after Dominico Vigna an Italian botanist of the 17th century. The species is named after the city of Caracas in Venezuela.
Blooming Habits:
Flowers are usually pale purple, possibly with cream or yellow markings. Their shape reminds of a snail.
