PlantFiles: Yellow Orchid Vine, Yellow Butterfly Vine, Gallinita
Mascagnia macroptera

Somewhat aggressive in certain conditions. Self-seeded in my woodland and has now swamped an area about 1,000 square feet, completely covering shrubs and ground, smothering most other plants. Lovely, but I have to do something to control it, or it has to go.

Planted this vine a couple of years ago and it grew quickly. Love the blooms as well as the butterfly-like seed pods :o)

Have had lots of long tendrils snaking across the ground so piled up some potting soil over parts of them. It's been about four weeks and there are lots of roots forming now. Will give them more time then pot up some cuttings.

~ Cat

This vine has grown successfully in my mother's yard in Houston, TX for years. She layers it to propagate, and has given me two starter vines. It is prolific in Corpus Christi, TX! Beautiful on a trellis against a wall. Easy to care for!

I purchased this at Home Depot in Round Rock, Tx about 9 yrs ago and it is a beautiful vine on a fence. I did not know the name until I saw this site! After blooming in spring, summer it has the butterfly seed pods that are light green that turn copper brown in winter. I have not tried to grow from seed, but had no luck with cuttings.

Seed germination can be tricky. I have had best results NOT presoaking the seeds. They draw up water too readily, and will rot easily, if pre-soaked.

I usually start with moistened soil-less mix, and then squeeze it as hard as I can, to get all the water out. The moisture that is left in the soil-less mix, is now just right (barely moist and a bit on the dry side).

Put the soil-less mix in a container with seeds, and cover. Remove and sow, as they germinate. Germination is erratic. Seeds may germinate at different intervals over a period of about a month. Some may germinate in as little as one week, and others may take up to a month.

I have also successfully Propagated this by layering. Layering is actually the fastest and easiest way to propagate this vine.

-seedpicker_TX

This is a gregarious vine. It took about 5 years to get a hold and it is now growing down fences, up trees, over lawns. I take the runners and remove the leaves on the lower 5 inches and pot them in a mix of black dirt and garden comost.I'm pretty basic. I find this works best in the late spring and summer. I have never tried to harvest the seeds but that is next. Thank's to DG for comments with instructions. I'll send some to you if you e-mail me with an address. The green seed pods if picked while green, stay green,and are beautiful in dry arrangements. I find the seed pods are very cheerful to add to get well wishes. I have even used them on package bows. ;-}

I live in South Florida and have two of these butterfly vines growing and they are very hardy and fast growing. Their flower resemble a butterfly especially when they turn brown and fall from the plant. Some people like to paint them.
I bought my plants from Almostedenplants.com

San Antonio, Tx.
Native to Mexico (also known as Mexican Butterfly Vine) and a member of the Barbados cherry family, Mascagnia macroptera (Synonym:Stigmaphyllon ciliatum) is really a shrub with vine-like branches. It prefers full sun to partial shade. It thrives in well-drained soil which contains a lot of humus. The bright yellow attractive blooms appear in spring and again in fall and it has unusual butterfly-shaped seedpods which change from green to a beautiful brown. Blooms and seedpods appear at the same time on the plant. Having a high heat tolerance, low water needs once established, a very vigorous growth, needing little upkeep and not being attractive to pests, it is a great plant. The one that I photographed, is living in a large container which sits on the asphalt in a parking lot. It appears to love the heat.

At first, I was collecting what looked like seeds when the blooms faded. Then, I thought that the seeds had to be in the butterfly "body"; otherwise, it would not form this structure. I use both thumbnails to pull the butterfly "body" apart. The seeds are encapsulated inside. To make sure the seed is viable, I roll it between my thumb and forefinger. If it is a "good" seed, it will not crumble. If it is an old seed or if it has been munched on by insects, it will crumble.

The plants in my locale are hard to find which is strange because it is a well known Texas plant. It can be used as a vine (with support), a flowing branched shrub, in containers and as a groundcover.

I have seen the plant and yes, it looks like butterflies.
We have not been able to propagate it as of yet.
We have tried root tone on cuttings and seeds.
The lady that has it says she bought it from Home Depot but, they don't know what it is either.
The location where it is growing is near the Bay County Line in the Florida panhandle at a resturant called the Ski Inn, on old 231 N.