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Cobaea scandens
Cup and Saucer Vine, Mexican Ivy, Monastery Bells
| These woody climbers grow like Jack's beanstalk, clinging to a rough wall or lattice with tendrils that spring from the leaf tips. Blooming from late spring into fall, the fragrant flowers may remind you of bells or cups nestled in green saucers. Annuals in colder regions, they live from year to year in mild winters. Provide good drainage, soil that is not too rich, and shelter from cold and wind. Blooms from seed in the first year, but do not sow directly in garden soil, as seeds may rot. Sow in 4-inch pots, first cutting through the seed's hard outer shell. Barely cover with soil and keep just moist. When weather is reliably warm, transplant to a sunny garden plot. Watch for aphids and spider mites. |
Greenish-cream colored and musky-scented at first, the flowers change to violet with a honey-like fragrance. There is a white cultivar, 'Alba'.
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Attributes - Cobaea scandens
Plant Type: Annual
Bloom Season: Early Summer through Mid Fall
Flower Color: Purple, White, Yellow
Height: 12 ft. to 40 ft.
Width: 40 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun
Climate: Zones 9, 10, 11
Notes: Fragrant, Showy Flowers.
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