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Marine-ivy

Cissus trifoliata

Found in Coastal hammocks, dunes, disturbed coastal areas, inland in exposed bluffs, glades, and rocky, open woodlands, disturbed thickets, agricultural field edges. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

45
Good

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
12–30 feet
Spread
5–10 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet

Space about 7.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
August to September

Not yet recorded · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 21 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

1 of 2

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Cissus

  • Cycnia collarisUnexpected Cycnia
  • Eumorpha labruscaeGaudy Sphinx
  • Eumorpha vitisVine Sphinx
  • Harrisina americanaGrapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Desmia ufeus
  • Enyo ocypete
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cissus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cissus

  • Leptotila verreauxiWhite-tipped Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Vitaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6–10
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
September

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit begins · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Hardiness · “Zones 6–10” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
  • Height · “12–30 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
  • Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Spread · “5–10 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as

Marine ivy

Conservation status

Florida rankS3
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources