Cup-and-saucer vine enchants with lush foliage and beautiful blooms—get our tips for growing and caring for it

In its lush and exotic allure, the cup-and-saucer vine seems straight out of the tropics—fitting, as it hails from Mexico! You can also grow it successfully in colder climates by following a few simple tips.

Blue and white varieties of the cup-and-saucer vine are available. The buds start out as a pretty pale green.

How to grow a cup-and-saucer vine—tips for ensuring success

The cup-and-saucer vine needs a long growing season to bloom. This can take 10–12 weeks, starting from sowing, which means timing is key. In spring, you can also find ready-grown seedlings at garden centers, so you don’t have to start them yourself.

This is what cup-and-saucer vine seeds look like—a bit unusual, right?

1. Sow the seeds

The seeds of the cup-and-saucer vine are large, which means sowing each one in its own pot is recommended. Use a low-nutrient seed-starting mix and clean containers. Keep the soil evenly moist during germination. Cover the pots with plastic wrap to help retain moisture. Germination usually starts at around 18°C.

Press each seed into its own pot of soil.

2. Move to a larger pot

Germination takes about two to three weeks. Once the growth gets going, transplant the seedling into a larger pot with nutrient-rich potting soil for summer flowers.

If your seedling was grown in a peat pot, you can plant it directly into summer flower soil as is. However, make sure the edges of the pot aren’t left above the soil surface. If the rim is exposed, the pot may dry out and form a hard layer around the roots, making it difficult for them to break through.

3. Take it outdoors into a warm spot

In spring, move the seedling outside during the day to a sheltered, warm spot or a glazed balcony. Remember that the cup-and-saucer vine is extremely sensitive to cold, so it must not be left outdoors overnight unless there is no longer any risk of frost. Provide support early, as the tendrils will cling to anything they can reach.

Keep the seedlings separated so they don’t tangle around one another.

Caring for the cup-and-saucer vine

A suitable growing location

The most important factors for growing cup-and-saucer vine are warmth, light, water, and nutrients. The plant prefers a warm, sheltered site, thriving best in full sun or partial shade.

Watering and fertilizing the cup-and-saucer vine

In intense heat, be especially diligent and water your cup-and-saucer vine regularly. In addition to water, the vine requires plenty of nutrients. Ideally, fertilize with each watering.

The larger the volume of soil, the better. This helps keep moisture levels constant.

Supporting the cup-and-saucer vine

Over the summer, the cup-and-saucer vine can produce vines two to four meters long. It’s a good idea to create a frame or trellis for it to climb.

Overwintering the cup-and-saucer vine

If you have a cool area for overwintering, the cup-and-saucer vine may survive until the following year. In that case, you can propagate new plants from cuttings.