Heart seed, Balloon Vine
Cardiospermum grandiflorum
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A straggling climber. It grows 3-5 m tall. The stems are angular. They are reddish and hairy. The leaves have 3 lobes and are twice divided. They are light green, thin and hairy. The leaf segments are oval and have teeth along the edge. The flowers are 0.8-1 cm across. They are white and have a scent. The fruit is a capsule which is 4.5-6 cm long and 3 sided. It is inflated and yellowish-green. There is a heart shaped scar on the seed.
There are 12-14 Cardiospermum species. They are tropical.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in dry rainforest in SE Queensland in Australia. It suits humid locations. It grows from 200-800 m altitude. They do best in fertile, well drained soil in full sun. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Algeria, America, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabinda, Cameroon, Canary Is., Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Colombia, Cook Islands, Congo DR, Congo R, Costa Rica, East Africa, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hawaii, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Leeward Is., Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, vegetable
How it is grown
It can be grown from seed or stem cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Love-in-a-puff
Synonyms
Cardiospermum hirsutum Willd.; and several others