Cup-shaped trumpet flowers of rare elegance open from late spring to early autumn on an evergreen climber that can reach 16 feet. The chalice vine (Solandra maxima), a climbing shrub from Mexico, will cover a lattice or fence with little effort, but only where winters are mild — frost defeats it.
| Name | Solandra maxima |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae or nightshade |
| Type | shrub, climbing vine |
| Height | 16 feet (5 m) |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | rich enough |
| Foliage | evergreen |
| Flowering | late spring to early autumn |
Care and pruning are easy and the result is often magnificent.
Preferably in spring.
Chalice vine isn’t a very hardy plant at all.
You’ll have to grow or bring it indoors if temperatures drop below 40°F (5°C). Make sure you bind the trellis and pot strongly so it won’t break when moving the pot around.
Fix the trellis, wires or fence support in place before the plant goes in, since driving posts later will tear through the root system.
Mount the support with a gap between it and the wall so air can circulate behind the stems; the exact spacing is not critical, as long as some clearance remains.
A warm, sunny wall suits this frost-tender vine best — south-facing in the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing in the Southern — since solid walls give shelter and can moderate overnight temperature swings.
Water generously at planting and keep the root ball evenly moist until new growth is well under way.
It isn’t necessary to prune it.
If you wish to enhance the blooming, prune lightly at the end of winter.
As your chalice vine grows, it’s crucial to keep training it. Tether it as branches grow, because this vine isn’t able to latch on by itself.
Training main stems horizontally rather than vertically is a well-established way to encourage flowering in many woody vines, though I can’t confirm it is a documented or necessary practice specifically for Solandra.
Cut any blackened or frost-damaged stems back to firm, healthy wood, since a mild winter can still nip the tips of this tender climber.
Chalice vine is a climbing shrub native to Mexico.
The blooming is magnificent and the flowers, shaped like trumpets, are in a class of their own in terms of elegance.
Caring for this shrub is easy, and it will effortlessly climb along a lattice or fence.
The flowers are fragrant in the evening, their scent described variously as coconut, vanilla or banana-like, so site the vine near a doorway, terrace or window you open on warm nights.
Older stems thicken and turn woody, so fix the support to a wall with sturdy wires or timber battens rather than light plastic netting that will buckle under the weight.
Water freely while the vine is in growth, then keep the compost barely moist through the cool winter rest, as wet roots in low temperatures rot quickly.
Check leaf undersides for red spider mite and mealybugs whenever the plant is kept under glass.
Avoid feeds high in nitrogen, which push out lush foliage on Solandra at the expense of the trumpet flowers.
Note that Solandra is a toxic plant, just like its cousin Datura. You should wear gloves and glasses when you handle the plant.
Indeed, the chalice vine contains atropine compounds in both leaves and flowers – a very toxic molecule.
The Aztec civilization even used it for herbal medicine, centuries ago, and their descendants still count it as a therapeutic plant.
Wash your hands before eating or rubbing your eyes.
Solandra sap contains tropane alkaloids, so eye contact could plausibly dilate the pupil and blur vision, though such cases are poorly documented; rinse the eye thoroughly and seek medical advice anyway.
Bag up fallen flowers and prunings instead of leaving them on the ground where children or pets may pick them up.
When the pot comes indoors for winter, stand it where cats, dogs and toddlers cannot chew the trailing stems.
From the easier-to-find species, the following are noteworthy:
Read also:
Check labels carefully: the names of Solandra species such as maxima, grandiflora, and guttata are documented as confused or misapplied in the horticultural trade, so verify a plant’s identity by its characteristics.
Solandra guttata is told apart by its softly downy leaves and the spotted, streaked throat of its flowers.
Only choose to grow Solandra if the climate in your area is mild, because it is vulnerable to cold frost spells.
