Cup and Saucer Vine

Cup and saucer vine, also called cathedral bells, is a climbing vine native to Mexico and tropical South America. It is a tender perennial, but it is usually grown as an annual. The purple bell-shaped flowers have a saucer-like green calyx, are about 2 inches (5 cm) long, and last about 4 days. They have a musky scent. Cultivars include ‘Alba’ with white flowers, ‘Royal Plum’ with purple flowers, and ‘Variegata’ with variegated leaves.

Sowing. Start seeds indoors in pots kept warm between 68 and 72 °F (20 and 22 °C), and they sprout after about 14 days. Seeds can also be sown directly outdoors, and the vine can be grown from softwood cuttings.

Site. Give it full sun and moist, well-drained soil. A sheltered, sunny wall or trellis gives the best flowers. Grow it along a fence, arbor, wall or trellis, since it climbs by tendrils.

Feeding. Too much fertilizer encourages leaves instead of flowers.

Shade and air. In hot summer climates, give some shelter and afternoon shade. Good air circulation helps limit mildew in humid areas.

Pruning. Where the vine survives as an evergreen, prune in late winter to shape it and remove diseased growth. One profile lists pruning group 11, to be done after flowering.

The plant has no serious problems, but it may attract some aphids and spider mites. It is generally pest-free and disease-free.