Solanum wendlandii is a vigorous, scrambling tropical climber from the nightshade family, grown for its large clusters of lilac-purple flowers. Give it a sturdy support, full warmth and room to grow, as it can reach about 4.6 m.
Family
Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
Grows as
Climber
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly during the growing season and let the top few centimetres of soil dry out between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile potting mix or garden loam.
Temperature
18-30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Leaves, unripe berries and other parts contain steroidal alkaloids (solanine-type glycosides) that can cause gastrointestinal upset if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Mexico to S. Trop. America
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
About
Solanum wendlandii, the giant potato creeper, potato vine, Costa Rican nightshade, divorce vine, or paradise flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and northwest South America, and has been widely introduced as an ornamental to other tropical locales, including the Caribbean, Africa, Nepal, Java, and many islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. A robust vine reaching 15 ft (4.6 m), its long-lasting dark purple flowers eventually fade to white.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Solanum wendlandii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.