Family: Plantaginaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Maurandella antirrhiniflora (snapdragon-vine, twining-foxglove) is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean, including Cuba. It is a delicate, twining vine known for its attractive, snapdragon-like purple to lavender flowers and its ability to climb and trail over shrubs, fences, and other vegetation. Often grown as an ornamental, it is appreciated in gardens for its long blooming period, light foliage, and ability to quickly cover vertical structures such as trellises and walls.

Risks & Threats
This species is naturalized in Hawaii and is being evaluated due to traits that are cause for concern. Its vining growth habit allows it to spread across and smother nearby vegetation, potentially competing with native plants for light and space. While it may appear well-suited for ornamental use, its ability to establish and expand in suitable habitats raises caution about its long-term behavior in Hawaiian ecosystems. Careful monitoring and caution are recommended to ensure it does not negatively impact Hawaii’s native plant communities, and low-risk native alternatives should be considered for landscaping when possible.

High Risk Traits:

• Native distribution includes subtropics
  
• Wide ecological tolerances
  
• Previously naturalized on Oahu
  
• Congeneric weed
  
• Tolerates wide range of soil types
  
• Climbing habit
  
• Viable seeds
  
• Self-pollinating
  
• Water dispersal (possibly wind)

Low Risk Traits:

• Not a weed elsewhere
  
• No spines, thorns or burrs
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Not a fire promoter
  
• Doesn't reproduce from vegetative fragmentation
  
• Not bird dispersed
  
• Doesn't tolerate mutilation, cultivation or fire