Balloonvine is a tendril-climbing evergreen vine in the maple family (Sapindaceae). native to southern most states of the United states, Mexico, Central and South America and Africa. It has showy white flowers followed by even shower bladder-like fruits that resemble balloons, hence the common name. Most members of this family are trees or shrubs, so balloon vine is unique. It can reach a height and width of 10 feet or more and prefers full sun in moist to dry well-drained sandy or loamy soils. It is tolerant of brackish water but not direct salt spray. The plant can be pruned to the ground if damaged by frost and will regrow from the crown or prune to control size. It can be weedy. The small white flowers are followed by oval fruits that turn red a maturity. Use on a trellis, fence, or with care on larger trees in a butterfly garden. Use in natural landscapes and habitat restoration Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Lobed; Serrate
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Twice compound leaves divided into three parts with shallowly toothed (crenate to serrate) to deeply lobed pubescent leaflets. They vary in size from roughly 1 to 4 inches in length and width. The terminal leaflet is ovate. The leaf stem may be narrowly winged.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Corymb; Panicle; Raceme
Flower shape
Cross; Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, asymmetrical flowers are 4-10mm in size have four white petals. Two of the four sepals are white to green and almost petal-like. The inflorescence is corymb-like to racemose to paniculate, producing flowers over a long season, all year in some climates.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
1 inch wide oval to elliptical, green turning reddish-brown balloon-like capsular showy fruits. The seeds are round, green turning black, on thin paper walls inside the three parted bladder.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green stem with hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southern U.S.A. to Argentina, Africa, China, Srilanka
Distribution
TX, FL, AL, GA, CA
Wildlife value
A larval host plant for Miami blue (Hemiargus thomasi) and silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis) butterflies; occasional larval host for the gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus).
Attracts
Butterflies
Host plant for
Miami blue (Hemiargus thomasi) and silver-banded hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis) butterflies; gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus)
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used medicinally to treat ailments such as rheumatism, liver disease, and inflammation