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Polemoniaceae
Cobaea Vine
Cobaea scandens
Gossip and curiosity.
- Family
- Polemoniaceae
- Genus
- Cobaea
- Native to
- Mexico, Central America
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- vine
- Height
- 15-30 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- rich, well-drained soil
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 9-11
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Also called cup-and-saucer vine, the flower sits in a large, flat calyx that resembles a saucer beneath a teacup.
- The vine climbs using branched, claw-like tendrils that grip almost any surface, including smooth walls.
- In its native Mexican cloud forests, Cobaea is pollinated by bats that visit the musky-scented flowers at night.
- The flowers undergo a dramatic color change: they open pale green and creamy, then darken to rich purple within 48 hours.
- Charles Darwin studied Cobaea tendrils extensively, documenting how they perform circumnutation, rotating in search of support.
Color meanings
0
exploration
1
growth