Cup and Saucer Vine: How To ID, Grow Cathedral Bells, Types of Mexican Ivy

How To Identify Cup and Saucer Vine By the Leaves, Seeds, and From the Vine Flowers

This fascinating tropical beauty grows in a vertical pattern instead of a lateral one and needs help to do so as it can’t stand alone.

Known as heirloom plants as the seeds are transported between the same species by pollinators time and time again for generations, the Cup and Saucer flower has traits that differentiate it from other plants that have bell-shaped flowers, such as Canterbury bells, bluebells, foxgloves, or bellflowers.

Cup and Saucer Vine Leaves

The bright green leaves are arranged around the base of the flowers and emphasize the purple, violet, or white colors perfectly whether in the garden or cut to be made into an indoor floral display.

Cup and Saucer Vine Flowers

Purple is not the only color associated with the Cup and Saucer flower. There are types of white flowers, shades of violet, as well as the ever-recognizable purple hue.

The flowers have a tendency to flare open and curl backwards to form the lip of the cup or bell shape, depending on your point of view.

Cup and Saucer Vine Seeds

The seeds, which are large and flat, are crucial to the continuation of the species and can do so without any outside assistance. Known as a self-seeding plant, the seeds will simply drop to the ground, wait for the right time when it is sufficiently covered in soil, and start to grow when the temperature rises.

In some parts, the plant can be classified as an invasive species,² carried far and wide as the seeds are by the wind and some birds, growing prolifically out of control wherever they make landfall.

The Purple Vine Plant (Cobaea scandens) and the Cup and Saucer Vine Growth Rate

One of the most fascinating things about this plant, apart from the fact that its scientific name is derived from a Jesuit missionary priest, Father Cobo, is that when the flowers are just buds, they don’t actually smell very pleasant.

If you’re not prepared for this distinctively unpleasant odor to be emanating from the new climbing vines that you’ve painstakingly nurtured,¹ positioned, and coaxed to grow just as you want it over your chain link fence, then it can be a shock to the olfactory system.

But don’t despair. Although the flowers are a pale green and are at their smelliest before blooming, in a short space of time, fortunately, that will pass.

The petals will unfurl and mature into a deep purple or an attractive white color, and the new aroma that emerges will remind you of fresh honey on a warm summer’s evening.

Your landscape gardening project will undoubtedly benefit from the addition of this species, of which there are about 20, and with its long, alluring stamens contrasting nicely in the center of each flower, you can be assured that at the end of the day, the display will be more than worth the time and effort required to nurture it into fruition.

The Best Growing Conditions for Cup and Saucer Vine (Cup and Saucer Vine Growing Zone)

In the United States, you will quickly realize that the growing zones for Cup and Saucer Vine, where to grow them for best results are centered around USDA hardiness zones 9 – 11.

(Image: Sonja Kalee¹⁰)

You will find that it’s an uphill struggle to keep your Cup and Saucer plant alive as a perennial in anything below zone nine, but it can be done if they are grown as annuals if the summers are long and hot enough.

In these slightly cooler zones, one of the best planting tips for Cup and Saucer vines is to take advantage of what’s known as container gardening.

How To ID the Right Temperature and Grow Cathedral Bells in Containers In and Out of Your Garden

It is imperative to know the temperature range in your area if you want to grow your cathedral bells in your garden.

Alternatively, if your planting zone doesn’t actually maintain the ideal temperature range of between 75°F and 90°F, then you could consider setting up a container garden. So all is not lost.

Now, this may seem at first like a lot of work to plant in pots and continually relocate the plants indoors in the event of an unexpected cold snap, but there are also advantages that are worth mentioning.

The overall idea is that instead of planting seeds directly into dirt, container gardening uses containers of different sizes, shapes, to nurture your plant into life.

There are several advantages, the least of which is that you won’t have to worry about how far apart to plant Cup and Saucer vines so they don’t overgrow any neighboring plants.

• For those city dwellers who do not have the space for a traditional garden, there is the option of incorporating a splash of nature around their home, even in the smallest of outdoor spaces using a container planting technique referred to as thrill, fill and spill.³
• You may configure it to match whatever garden layout you choose since it is both space-efficient and portable. One of the best things about using containers for your home gardening project is that it doesn’t break the bank or the environment since you can utilize containers you already have lying around.
• An additional perk of container gardening that is often overlooked is the positive impact it has on city birds, allowing them easier access to nature when living in a concrete jungle.
• There is a greater degree of flexibility when utilizing containers in your garden in that you can experiment with locations within the confines of your landscape to ascertain where the best place to permanently locate them will be.

Just because you’ve started your Cup and Saucer vine plant in a pot doesn’t mean it has to stay there forever and a day.

And there is an additional bonus in that you don’t have to plan when to plant Cup and Saucer vine for the best yield because you can sow the seeds indoors at any time as long as the conditions are right in terms of the required temperature range.

Which Is Better, Growing a Cup and Saucer Vine From a Seed, Cutting or Seedling?

The defining factor that will convince you to grow a Cup and Saucer plant from a seed is speed. Any gardener interested in growing this species is going to want to know how long it takes to grow Cup and Saucer vine from a seed, a cutting, or a seedling.

Traditionally, adopting the methods of either cutting or seedling for propagating plants is either to accelerate the growing process or to keep the plant as true as possible to the donor plant.⁵

Since there are no edible parts to the plant, being an identical replica isn’t a primary concern, but most landscapers want to see the product of their labors grow as quickly as possible.

The advantage of this species is that it is a fast grower from a seed, and even the germination stage is not too time-consuming. But there is still a process.

1. To prepare the seeds for planting, you either need to use a nail file to scratch the surface or soak them in water for the night.
2. Fill several seed trays with a soil-based compost purchased from your local store, and cover the seeds only with a thin layer of soil. Too much may cause the seeds to rot, so just sprinkle the soil on top of them.
3. Covering the container with plastic will help to achieve the required temperature of about 75°F and retain the moisture content at a sufficient level to prevent premature dehydration.
4. Place the trays on a well-lit windowsill and monitor the seeds for signs that they have sprouted over the preceding 10-25 days.
5. Insert a support cane alongside the seeds so they will have something to cling to as they grow into seedlings.
6. Transferring the seedling into a small, five-inch pot should occur when the roots have become established.
7. As they grow, water them regularly and then acclimatize them to your garden 10-15 days after the last of the ground frost has melted away, or transfer them into larger eight- to nine-inch pots if you intend to keep them indoors until the summertime in your area.
8. When the time comes to transplant outdoors, ensure that the location will be exposed to the sufficient level of daily sunlight.
9. At this early growing stage, arrange two bamboo posts at an angle and string a length of wire between them to create a trellis that the plant can climb on to.
10. When the first buds begin to appear, a handy tip is to use a tomato-based fertilizer every two weeks to enhance the plant’s growth.⁶
11. You should water regularly throughout the season as soon as you feel that the soil has become dry to the touch.

Four Types of Mexican Ivy Plant Vines

When you have a wide variety of climbing vines to choose from, it opens up a window of opportunity to allow you to select the style you need from a range of colorful flowers to wrap around your fences and trellises.

There are about 20 species in the Polemoniaceae family to choose from. Here are a few Cobaeas, including the Cobaea scandens,⁴ that may well suit your landscape.

Just as with others in its family, you should plant it in full sun on rich, well-drained soil, or alternatively, you can plant them in containers to keep in a conservatory, greenhouse, or patio where the environment can be controlled to facilitate optimal growth.

This form of winter protection from frost if you live in a USDA hardiness zone below nine will give the Cobaea scandens ‘Alba’ a better-than-fighting chance to live and maybe even blossom again.

2. Cobaea paneroi

Recently discovered in central Mexico, this version has the typical hanging bells of the Cup and Saucer plant with bright green foliage.

It is the very rich cerise-pink color of the blossoms that will make this variety a stand-out performer in your garden.

Originating in northeastern Mexico, the delicate Cobaea pringlei blossoms most beautifully on brisk autumn mornings and differs significantly from the common C. scandens in that it does not have a “saucer” below the cup, yet you will find that it is just as enchanting.

4. Cobaea campanulata

It has to be said that you may well be hard-pressed to find this particular variety, but it is well worth the effort.

The flowers are the same lime green color as the leaves, imbuing them with a sense of calm and tranquility that will contrast nicely against the livelier flowers in your garden.

Are There Any Common Pests of the Cup and Saucer Vine?

Unfortunately, there is. And of all the pests that may ruin Cup and Saucer vines, aphids are the ones that will cause you the most headaches and the most damage to your plants.

Virtually microscopic, it’s easy for you to miss their presence as they feed hungrily on the plant’s stems and leaves. And if you fail to nip this problem in the bud in a timely manner, it will probably result in slowed growth, leaf yellowing or unsightly curling of the edges, and, in severe infestation cases, perhaps vine mortality.

Another type of pest to be wary of are spider mites. Amazingly, these annoying bugs are smaller and even less noticeable than aphids, yet they may do just as much harm.

Resembling actual spiders, they are incredibly nimble, fast, and adept at hiding from your prying eyes even after you’ve noticed the telltale brown or yellow spots on the leaves as the spider mites feed on plant sap.

The third, and just as annoying pest, are whiteflies. These little white moths, despite their harmless appearance, pose a serious threat to your plants and should be considered a deadly threat to the health of your vines.

Neglect them at your plant’s peril. If left to roam all over your plant, they will literally suck the life out of the leaves at such a rate that they will get so dehydrated that they will become very fragile, dry, and eventually die off.

Natural Pest Control for Cup and Saucer Vine

If you want to keep pests like aphids at bay, you need to keep an eye out for telltale symptoms of infestation so you can get an early heads-up that your plant is under siege from harmful bugs.

It’s crucial that you continually keep a watchful eye out for signs of distorted leaves or the sticky byproduct that certain insects make when they feed on plant sap.

(Image: Mark Connolly¹¹)

The most natural method for controlling these tiny pests is spraying them off with a jet of water or using less toxic insecticides such as neem oil mixed with water which is harmless to your plants.⁷

This neem oil mixture, as well as insecticidal soap, both act as natural repellents if you catch them in the act early enough.

If everything else fails, use organic pesticides directed against these pests, being sure to follow the label’s directions to the letter.

To deter the bugs from infesting your beautiful flora in the first place, however, you should get into the habit of clearing away any dead plant waste and any fallen fruits around the base that may attract these pests in the first place.

Companion Plants For Growing Cup and Saucer Vine

An often under-utilized method of Cup and Saucer vine disease prevention and pest control is companion planting.

This revolves around choosing other plants that are pest- and disease-resistant and that attract beneficial insects close to and around your vines.

Some plants that should be considered are:

• Lavatera Silver Cup Mallow
• Spanish Flag
• Marigold ‘Strawberry Blonde’
• Lilyturf (Liriope muscari)
• Rudbeckia ‘Cherokee Sunset’ Black-eyed Susan
• Asarina ‘Joan Lorraine’
• Love-in-a-puff
• Maiden Grass
• Cardinal Climber

Apart from being attractive in their own right, the beneficial insects they attract, such as ladybugs and wasps, will feed on the Cup and Saucer common pests and also help to ward off any diseases before they can get a stranglehold on your cathedral bells.

Companion planting in your garden is one of the most natural ways to reduce aphids and other pests, and protect your plants without having to constantly be on guard.

How To Stop Cup and Saucer Vine Disease

Sometimes, however, no matter how careful you are, no matter what companion plants you have incorporated as a barrier around your vines, some infectious diseases will still have a knack of creeping around your carefully constructed safeguards.

(Image: Arne Holgersson¹⁴)

Signs of fungal and bacterial infections are brown spots or lesions that can spread quickly from one leaf to another. Lack of sufficient sunshine and overwatering are often the catalysts that spawn these infectious diseases that can cause just as much stress for you as to your Cup and Saucer vine.

The ones to be wary of are:

• Black Rot
• Downy Mildew
• Powdery Mildew⁸

Many people choose copper-based fungicide solutions as the treatment of choice to eradicate these dangerous infections, or an all-in-one spray that can be purchased from your local nursery to combat a host of infections.

But before you buy them, be sure they’re safe for your plants and adhere to the instructions. The risks of overuse or improper usage can also result in plant damage that may cause more harm and outweigh the benefits, so take no chances and proceed with caution.

Cup and Saucer Vine Facts

The cobaea name for this plant was taken from the Jesuit priest, Father Cobo, who first discovered it, but there are a few more interesting facts starting from the interpretation of the Latin part of the name, scandens.

1. Scandens, when translated, means climbing in English.
2. In Mexico, the pollination process is mainly undertaken by bats, which some people may find disconcerting.
3. The flowers start out as white or pale green before transforming into the familiar purple hue or white for the Alba variety.
4. It is possible to overwinter your Cup and Saucer plant under a glass covering until the deadly frost has melted away.
5. In South America, the leaves of the plant have often been made into a herbal tea to relieve coughs.

Once you have discovered how this climbing plant has the capacity to enhance parts of your garden that you had given up on, you’ll be contacting all your green-fingered friends to convince them that they need a Cup and Saucer Vine plant to drape over their eyesore of a garden fence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cup and Saucer Vine