The cup and saucer vine is a tender sub-tropical perennial in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It is native to Mexico and tropical South America. The genus name refers to Bernardo Cobo, a Spanish missionary and naturalist in Mexico and Peru. The specific epithet means climbing. The easy-to-grow vine prefers moist, well-drained soils in full sun. In its frost-free native habitat, the vine grows rapidly to 30-40 feet. Otherwise, it grows 10-20 feet tall and 3-6 feet wide annually. Provide some shelter and afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Too much fertilizer will promote foliage instead of flowers. Provide good air circulation to minimize mildew in humid environments. Propagation is by softwood cuttings, or seeds started indoors or by direct seeding outside. The seeds will sprout inside after 14 days if the pots are kept warm between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. If the vine survives as an evergreen, prune in late winter to shape it and to remove diseased growth. The showy purple flowers with a saucer-like green calx are 2 inches long, last about 4 days, and have a musky fragrance. The Royal Horticultural Society has presented it with the Award of Garden Merit. Grow along a fence, arbor, wall, or trellis. Plant in a 3-gallon container or near a path to enjoy the fragrance during the summer. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. May attract some aphids and spider mites.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 25 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Pinnate dark green leaves with four leaflets that are 4 inches long
Flower color
Green; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower shape
Bell; Cup; Funnel; Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Bell, cup or funnel-shaped flowers start out green and mature to purple with an unpleasant musky odor when they first open. They hang upside down on the vine and have a saucer-like green caylx around them. Flowers will remain on the vine for about 4 days and appear from late summer to early fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Capsules split to release seeds
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Mexico
Wildlife value
In their native habitat, flowers are pollinated by bats. (NB. Flower-visiting bats do not occur in eastern North America)