Today I wanted to tell you of yet another piece of magic I have in my yard. The Solandra or Chalice Vine or Golden Cup. All names are correct when looking for a place to buy this piece of heaven. Think of it as the Holy Grail of flowering vines. The flowers range from 4"-6" across and as long as 8" to 10". At night they give off a fragrance of a banana - coconut odor. Delicious to smell but deadly if you eat them. I'm not kidding about that either. I made the mistake, one time, and it only took one time, a few years ago, of getting the juice in my left eye. It made my pupil dilate, my eye watered and burned and my vision was blurred. I went to the Dr. and after telling him what happened, he looked it up and yes, it is a poisonous plant. So, now I'm very careful when I take cuttings. BUT, I must say, with common sense and knowledge, that can all be avoided. The Solandra is a member of the Solanum family. You will also find the Datura and Angel Trumpet in this family - both are poisonous and almost equally beautiful! Almost being the correct term. If eaten, this plant can not only cause hallucinations, but also gastro-intestinal issues (being polite here) and death. Yes, it can kill you.
Now that I've sufficiently scared you about the plant - it really is a must have. Just don't let kids near it and respect it as you would with any plant that is harmful. The flower starts growing as a small green "balloon" the turns a light yellow white and a larger "balloon" and then opens into a beautiful chalice flower. the ends burst open and curl back. It has an almost leather feel to the touch. At first it is light yellow but over a couple days turns a beautiful golden color. Inside it are pretty maroon brownish veins. It typically blooms in late winter to early spring but, as with mine, it will bloom at other times of the year as well. They can be grown in containers, which mine is, or can be planted in the ground next to a very strong trellis or fence. If grown in the ground, the vines can reach 100' long - 100 feet!! And it will cover the area with awesome blooms. I prefer to keep it contained and it grows well and compact in a container and will maintain a "shrub" look. It grows well in zones 8b-11 outdoors year round. It can stand a freeze to the ground - but not frozen roots. For folks up north, above zone 8b, grow this beauty in a pot. Leave outside till the first frost and then bring inside. They prefer light shade, so if inside, put near diffused light. When the fear of frost has passed - move it outside on a porch or side of the house.
The vine itself is almost rope like. It has nodes that develop roots which will attach themselves to any structure or other plants for support as it's a heavy bloomer and needs the support. This is partly why I keep mine compact and in a pot. Although, now that I am home full time, I'm going to experiment with letting a piece of her run. Very easily rooted, it can be cut at a node and placed in water or stuck into dirt (no hormone is necessary for this plant to root). I currently have 5 rooting right now and I look forward to introducing them into areas in my yard that can handle this hardy vine. In the 2nd picture above, you will notice the "entrance" to the koi garden. I believe this is going to be a magical place to let one grow. Below is a picture of what it looks like before it opens. In the wild, native in Mexico and Central America, they produce seed pods but this is not typical on the cultivated ones. I've had mine for over 8 years and have never seen a seed pod. That's okay though, it is easy to root, as I said.
There is a variegated type of this plant that I'm currently searching for. While it doesn't bloom as much as the type I have, it's beautiful and I want one ;-) So, if you're looking for a stunning show stopping flowering vine and don't have to worry about pets or children ingesting or messing with it, this is a must have for your yard.
And that's the dirt for today. Enjoy the magic - it's everywhere. You just have to keep your eyes, ears and hearts open to let it in.
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