The Gorgeous Sprawling Vine, Ipomoea pes-caprae

Currently on the isle of Kauai- Ipomoea pes-caprae. This gorgeous sprawling vine spans the glorious shorelines of Hawaii. Commonly known as beach morning glory. Typically found in subtropical environments, the vine flourishes above the high tide line on coastal beaches. This species of morning glory is extremely salt tolerant and is most usually found on or near beaches. Native Hawaiians cultivated beach morning glory for its healing properties. The vines, seeds, leaves and roots were used as a poultice for skin ailments and broken bones. We were lucky to catch these flowers as they are short lived and fall off from the afternoon heat. I would use this similarly to what we have on the main land: ubiquitous plantain.