This plant is native to Mexico and can cover large expanses of space in the wild given the right conditions. It will climb and/or creep via delicate looking tendrils. The flowers are small and a bold pink, and in my area (zone 11) they bloom year round. I understand it is also available with white flowers. I've never seen a plant with "Coral" flowers and so am puzzled by how it got to be commonly called "Coral Vine". It is also commonly called "Rose of Montana," which is a little bit funny because it is called "Rosa de Montaña" in Spanish, which translates as "Mountain Rose". Somewhere along the line of creating common names for plants, someone had a whoops moment, which appears to have stuck.

In my area (southwest Mexico) this plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. My experience is that the bees took complete charge of my vine. Normally docile bees became territorial and would chase away butterflies and hummingbirds. I had thousands of bees in my small, wall-enclosed garden. I love this plant. It grows well with little attention, but the bees were so numerous that it caused a problem in my small garden. In a larger, wide-open-space garden, I think they would not be such a problem. I tried growing the vine in a container, and not so large, because I liked it so much. As soon as the buds opened, the bees again came by the thousands, but this time they spread out to the cosmos and tithonia as well. Alas, I am unable to grow this vine and I miss it, but for someone wanting a beautiful and easy-care vine that will feed hungry bees, this is the vine for you (probably if you are in zone 9 and up).

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Antigonon leptopus is native to Mexico but has become naturalized in other parts of the world, including the southeastern U.S.A. Coral Vine is a rapid grower that tolerates poor soil and a wide range of light conditions and it is a prolific seed producer. Birds and other wildlife eat and disperse the seeds to different locations and the seeds also float on water, which is another means of dispersal to new locations. Panicles of beautiful pink or white flowers usually appear from spring to fall but many times are present year round. Coral Vine grows by underground tubers that form large rootstocks; if the plant is cut back or damaged by frost, it will resprout.

This vine is listed as a Category II exotic invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC).

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