Cup-and-saucer vine

Cobaea scandens

In other languages: Cobaea (Nederlands) · Cobée grimpante (Français)

The cup-and-saucer vine is a vigorous climber from Mexico, perennial in its homeland but grown as an annual here. It climbs with finely branched tendrils at the ends of its pinnate leaves and easily reaches 4 m in a single summer. From July until the first frost it carries large, bell-shaped flowers that open yellowish green and then turn deep purple-violet. Each bell sits on a broad green calyx, like a cup on a saucer, which explains its English name. Gardeners use it to cover a fence, pergola or trellis quickly. There is also a white-flowered form, ‘Alba’.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Full sun
warm and bright
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
down to 2 °C
protect in harsh winters
Size
4 m
tall, 1 m wide
Flowering
July–October

Key facts
Height	4 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	July–October

Identify

Cup-and-saucer vine: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Vigorous climber, grown here as an annual, up to 4 m tall and about 1 m wide.
Leaves: Pinnate, with two or three pairs of oval leaflets and a branched tendril with tiny hooks at the tip.
Flower: Bell-shaped, about 5 cm long, yellowish green at first and later deep purple-violet, set on a broad green calyx at the end of a long stalk.
Fruit: A large, egg-shaped capsule with flat, winged seeds; here it only ripens after a warm late summer.
Climbing: The tendrils grip wire, mesh or twigs; it cannot climb a smooth wall without support.

Flowering: July–October · Sowing: February–March · Plants: May–June

In your garden

Why grow it?

Grows incredibly fast: a green screen up to 4 m tall in a single summer.
Large, striking bell flowers that change from green to purple, right up to the first frost.
Bumblebees and bees visit the flowers.
Ideal for quickly covering a bare wall, fence or pergola, or as a summer screen on the patio.
Also grows in a large pot, as long as you give it enough water and support.

Cup-and-saucer vine: where does it grow best?

Full sun and a warm, sheltered spot, for example against a south-facing wall or fence.
Any good, free-draining garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
Moderately moist: water regularly in summer, especially in a pot.
A sturdy trellis, mesh or wires at least 2–3 m high; allow about 1 m of width per plant.

Light: Sun
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Normal
Size: 4 m tall, 1 m wide
Hardiness: Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

Black-eyed Susan vine: A smaller annual climber with orange or yellow flowers for the lower part of the trellis.
Nasturtium: Climbs or trails at the base and fills the bottom metre with warm colours.
Runner bean: Red flowers and edible beans on the same support.
Sweet pea: Flowers from June–July, before the cup-and-saucer vine gets going.

Maintenance

Cup-and-saucer vine: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

Sow indoors in February–March at 18–20 °C, setting the flat seed on its edge in a small pot of seed compost.
Keep the compost slightly moist but not wet; the seed usually germinates within two to three weeks.
Move the young plants to a bright, slightly cooler place, pot them on into larger pots and give them a cane to climb.
In May, harden them off outside for a week or two and plant out after mid-May, once there is no more risk of frost.
Plant against a sturdy support, at the same depth as in the pot, and water well.
Mulch the base with compost to keep the soil moist.

Care

Water: Water generously in dry spells; plants in pots sometimes daily.
Feeding: Moderately: lots of nitrogen gives lots of leaves and few flowers. In a pot, a fertiliser for flowering plants every two to three weeks is enough.
Training: Tie the first shoots to the support; after that it climbs on its own with its tendrils.
Pinching out: Pinch out the tip of young plants once in April–May so they branch better.
Pots: Choose a pot at least 40 cm across with good compost and put in a sturdy trellis straight away.

Tip: Feed sparingly and give it the warmest wall in the garden: with lots of nitrogen it makes mostly leaves and flowers late.

Cup-and-saucer vine: when to prune it?

When: Grown as an annual, the cup-and-saucer vine is hardly pruned. Pinch out young plants in spring and clear the plant after the first frost.

How:

In April–May, pinch out the tip of young plants just above a leaf for bushier growth.
In summer, shorten shoots that grow too far or get in the way.
After the first frost, cut the plant off at the base and pull the tendrils out of the support.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: The usual method: sow indoors in February–March at 18–20 °C, with the seed on its edge. Collecting your own seed only works here after a warm late summer.
Cuttings: Tip cuttings of 8–10 cm root in summer in moist cutting compost under plastic in a warm place. This lets you overwinter a young plant indoors.

Cup-and-saucer vine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 2 °C: protect in harsh winters.

Not hardy: the plant dies at the first frost, which is why it is usually grown as an annual.
A plant in a pot can be overwintered: cut it back to 30–50 cm in October and keep it in a bright, frost-free place at 5–10 °C, with little water.
Sowing afresh each February is usually easier than overwintering and gives vigorous plants.

Diseases and pests

Aphids: On young shoot tips. Hose them off with water; ladybirds help too.
Red spider mite: Fine yellow speckling and webbing on the leaves in hot, dry weather, especially against a wall or indoors. Spray the leaves with water and water regularly.
Late flowering: It flowers late or hardly at all if sown too late, given too much nitrogen or too little sun. Sow early, feed moderately and choose a warm spot.
Rotting seed: The flat seed rots in compost that is too wet. Set it on its edge and keep the compost only slightly moist.
Slugs: They eat young plants after planting out. Pick them off in the evening and only plant out sturdy plants.

Through the year

February: Sow indoors at 18–20 °C, seed on its edge.
March: Sow. Pot on seedlings and give them a cane.
April: Keep young plants bright and cool. Pinch out for bushier growth.
May: Harden off. After mid-May, plant out against a sturdy support.
June: Plant out the last plants. Train shoots onto the support. Water in dry weather.
July: Flowering begins. Feed moderately.
August: Full flower. Water generously.
September: Flowering. Shorten overlong shoots.
October: Flowers until the first frost. If you like, cut back a potted plant and bring it indoors.
November: Clear away dead plants.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The flowers open yellowish green and turn purple within a few days, so you see green and purple bells on the plant at the same time.
The genus is named after Bernabé Cobo, a Spanish Jesuit and naturalist who worked in Latin America in the seventeenth century.
In its homeland it is pollinated by bats, which are drawn to the large bells.

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