Cobaea scandens

RHS Plant Profile
cup and saucer vine

Other common names

cathedral bells, cups and saucers, Mexican ivy, monastery bells

Award of Garden Merit
Bedding Climber Wall Shrub

A vigorous perennial climber, usually grown as an annual, with pinnate leaves and fragrant, bell-shaped flowers 5cm in length, which change from greenish-white to purple

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Polemoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Climbing
Genus
Cobaea can be woody or herbaceous climbers with pinnate leaves bearing a branched tendrils, and large, solitary, bell-shaped flowers in the upper leaf axils
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Mexico (Puebla)

How to Grow

Cultivation

Needs a sheltered, sunny wall or trellis and moist but well-drained soil for the best flowers

Propagation

Propagate by seed or softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 11 after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free