Native range: Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, south to Oaxaca; from near sea level to 2000 feet elevation

Wildlife value: Flowers visited by bees and nectaring butterflies such as Palmer’s Metalmark, Blues, and Brushfoots. Queen’s wreath is a deciduous vine that grows quickly, thrives in sun and heat, and provides festive floral displays from mid-summer into fall. Use it to cover a chain-link fence, over an arbor or ramada for summer shade, or up the trunk of a tree for color and visual interest. Be advised that this plant needs a wide berth; individual stems can grow 20–25 feet or more long, and have a tendency to ramble over neighboring plants. Each spring, new growth sprouts from underground tubers that can be quite large and weigh up to 15 pounds. Heart-shaped leaves climb by tendrils. Elegant sprays of coral-pink to red blooms appear as the summer heat intensifies. Flower clusters resemble delicate chains, suggesting a possible source for the common name: they would certainly be suitable for adorning the head of any queen, particularly one who enjoys gardening. In Tucson, vines die back to the ground in most winters, and it can be a chore, depending on size, to remove the dead leaves and stems. Plants are root hardy to about 20 degrees. Although essentially drought tolerant, plants will grow faster if given regular supplemental water during the summer months. See queen’s wreath tumbling over the fence on the west side of the Audubon garden. - Lynn Hassler