Common Name: Heart Seed

General Information

Cardiospermum halicacabum is a deciduous climbing shrub growing about 3 metres tall and often much branched from the base[, ]. The stems scramble over the ground, climbing into the surrounding vegetation and supporting themselves by means of tendrils.
The plant is harvested from the wild, mainly for local use as a medicine, food and source of various commodities. It is sold as a vegetable in local markets in Sri Lanka[], is sometimes cultivated for its various uses in southeast Asia and is also sometimes grown as an ornamental.
The plant has spread through much of the tropics and subtropics, and is considered to be a noxious weed in some areas. The plant is a major problem in soya bean cropping in the United States. The size and shape of the seeds is very similar to those of soya bean seeds, which makes mechanical separation of the two very difficult[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Found in many tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, the Americas and Asia.

Habitat

Moist thickets and waste ground in Eastern N. America[]. Found under a wide range of ecological conditions: in everwet or seasonal climates, on acid and basic soils, and in dry, marshy or periodically flooded places[]

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in the tropics, subtropics and warmer regions of the temperate zone.
Prefers a moist soil and a sunny sheltered position[], but succeeds in most soils[].
A fast-growing plant[].
Plants can flower and fruit all year round, except during prolonged periods of drought. The first flower in every cyme is usually female, all others male[].

Edible Uses

Leaves and young shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[, , , , , ]. Used as a spinach[].

An oil can be obtained from the seed[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, laxative, refrigerant, rubefacient, stomachic and sudorific[]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, nervous diseases, stiffness of the limbs and snakebite[, ].

The leaves are rubefacient, they are applied as a poultice in the treatment of rheumatism[, ]. A tea made from them is used in the treatment of itchy skin[]. Salted leaves are used as a poultice on swellings[].The leaf juice has been used as a treatment for earache[, ].

The root is diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, laxative and rubefacient[]. It is occasionally used in the treatment of rheumatism, lumbago and nervous diseases[]. The roots are reported to be used in the treatment of catarrh of the bladder and urinary tract[].

Other Uses

The seed oil is said to have insect repellent properties and an antifeedant action on insects[].

The leaves are said to be used for washing clothes and the hair[].

The attractive seeds are used as beads[].

The stems can be used in basket making[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Scarification can improve germination rates and reduce germination time[]. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.