| Description | Love in a Puff (Cardiospermum halicacabum) plant is commonly grown for its puffy seed pod and black seeds that have white, heart-shaped markings. However, it is considered noxious in many warm areas. |
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| Pronunciation | (kar-dee-oh-SPER-mum)(hal-ee-KAY-ka-bum) |
| Plant Type | Annuals, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 8(9-11) |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Growing Media | average |
| Flowers | The flowers are small and white. |
| Fruit | Inflated angled capsule with black seeds. The round black seeds have a white heart-shaped marking. |
| Leaves | Green compound leaves. |
| Stems | The plant is a climbing, twining vine with tendrils. Stems are square and pubescent. |
| Dimensions | 8 plus feet, fast-growing once established |
| Propagation | I planted the seeds without any special treatment, and they sprouted easily. While some sources suggest scarification is necessary, I found it did not affect germination. It's best to collect the seeds when the capsule has turned brown. |
| Native Site | Found across tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Australia, South Asia, and North and South America. |
| Misc Facts | Halicacabum is a Latin word for a plant with inflated fruits. |
| Author's Notes | In the summer of 2016, I grew this plant out of curiosity, drawn by the inflated seed pod and the unique heart-shaped markings on the black seeds. Easy to grow. |
| Notes & Reference | #51-Armitage's Manual of Annuals, Biennials, and Half-Hardy Perennials (Alan Armitage), #171- Authors' observations and growing experiences |
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