Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Climbing Hempweed - Mikania scandens   (L.) Willdenow
Members of Asteraceae:
Only member of Mikania in NC.
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Section 6 » Order Asterales » Family Asteraceae
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Author(L.) Willdenow
DistributionCoastal Plain (including the Outer Banks), Sandhills, and Piedmont -- except absent in the higher elevations. Also absent in the Mountains.

ME to southern Ont., south to southern FL and southeastern TX; Mex., Bahamas.
AbundanceCommon to locally abundant in the Coastal Plain; generally common in the eastern and central Piedmont, but rare to absent in the westernmost counties.
HabitatMoist to wet freshwater marshes, river shores and banks, fresh-tidal and brackish marshes, swamp forest margins, openings and clearings, roadside ditches. Locally, plants will scramble up into adjacent mesic or even dry areas -- though it is typically considered as a wetland species.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting July-October.
IdentificationVery few of our composites (Asteraceae) are vines; this is by far the most numerous. Vines climb or scramble up to 10 feet long (or more), with long-stalked, opposite, ovate, long-pointed leaves that have wavy margins and heart-shaped bases. Inflorescences are produced from leaf axils, are dome-shaped clusters up to 3 inches across, pale pink to white, all disk florets. These flowers are heavily used as nectar sources by a great array of insects.
Taxonomic CommentsNone

Other Common Name(s)Climbing Hempvine
State RankS5
Global RankG5
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USACE-agcpFACW link
USACE-empFACW link
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B.A. SorriePowerline near seasonal creek, tributary of Little River. 1 Sept 2009. MoorePhoto_natural
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