# Hairy Cluster-Vine (*jacquemontia tamnifolia*) The Hairy Cluster-Vine (Jacquemontia tamnifolia) is a charming yet resilient annual vine belonging to the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Native to the southeastern United States, Central America, and parts of South America, this plant is famous for its striking, dense clusters of sky-blue to lavender flowers. It thrives in sunny, disturbed habitats, often sprawling across fields, climbing fences, or scaling neighboring plants. While gardeners and nature enthusiasts admire its delicate, funnel-shaped blooms, farmers often view it as a persistent weed because its tough, twining stems can easily entangle agricultural machinery during harvests. Despite its reputation in agriculture, the Hairy Cluster-Vine plays an important ecological role by providing nectar for a variety of native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators during the late summer months. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural fields, roadsides, and sandy coastal plains. ![Hairy Cluster-Vine](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/118889649/medium.jpeg) Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/118889649) ## Appearance This climbing or sprawling vine is easily recognized by its dense, head-like clusters of tiny, funnel-shaped flowers, which range from a brilliant sky-blue to violet-blue. Each cluster is surrounded by prominent, leaf-like bracts that are heavily covered in soft, spreading brownish-tawny hairs, giving the plant its namesake hairy appearance. The leaves are ovate to heart-shaped, measuring up to 10 cm in length, with pointed tips and smooth margins. The stems themselves are also densely hairy and can grow up to 4 meters long, winding tightly around any available support. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Solanales - **Family:** Convolvulaceae - **Genus:** Jacquemontia ## Interesting facts - Despite being in the morning glory family, its flowers open in the morning and typically wilt by mid-afternoon of the same day. - It is considered a major weed in cotton and soybean fields in the southeastern United States because its tough, twining vines can easily tangle harvesting machinery. - Its species name, 'tamnifolia', means 'leaves like Tamnus' (a genus of climbing plants also known as black bryony). ## Special abilities - **Thigmotropic Twining:** The vine's stems are highly sensitive to contact, allowing them to rapidly coil around vertical structures or neighboring plants to climb toward sunlight. - **Hairy Armor:** The dense coating of bristly, tawny hairs on the stems and floral bracts deters crawling insect herbivores and reduces water loss in hot, dry environments. - **Synchronized Morning Bloom:** Flowers open simultaneously in the early morning to capitalize on peak pollinator activity, closing and wilting by afternoon to conserve moisture. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-400 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-1 kg - **Lifespan:** 1 years ## Diet & Feeding As a photoautotrophic plant, it generates its own energy through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Water, Carbon dioxide, Soil nutrients ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits the bright blue flowers to forage for nectar and pollen, aiding in pollination. - **Eaten by:** Sweetpotato Leafminer (*Bedellia somnulentella*) — The larvae of this moth mine the leaves of the plant, feeding on the inner tissues. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hairy Cluster-Vine? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Hairy Cluster-Vine? 100-400 cm ### How much does Hairy Cluster-Vine weigh? 0.1-1 kg ### How long does Hairy Cluster-Vine live? 1 years ### What does Hairy Cluster-Vine eat? As a photoautotrophic plant, it generates its own energy through photosynthesis, utilizing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. ### Where is Hairy Cluster-Vine usually found? Typically found in disturbed soils, agricultural fields, roadsides, and sandy coastal plains. ## Where to spot - [Chambers County Courthouse Square Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chambers-county-courthouse-square-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [The Gardens of the American Rose Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-gardens-of-the-american-rose-center) — Louisiana, US · Botanical Garden - [Fort Dale-College Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-dale-college-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [King Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/king-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Post Office Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/post-office-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [South Greenville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-greenville-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District [View all places to see Hairy Cluster-Vine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hairy-cluster-vine) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Hairy Cluster-Vine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hairy-cluster-vine)