PlantFiles: Potato Vine
Solanum laxum

Well, I was looking for some colorful vines at a local store and a guy in the nursery recommended the white potato vine and the bougainvillea (barbara karst) and I have to say I love them both! I planted them last year and while the bougainvillea bloomed like crazy the white potato vine did not bloom until now! I have them planted side by side against the wall of the house on a metal trellis (which I spray painted to match the color of the house) facing east but getting sun from the south as well. I don't mind that the barbara karst is a bit messy and thorny. And I love the dainty white flowers of the potato vine. My objective is to get them to bloom together in unison! Below them I have some Red Lions (bulbs) and some Shasta Daisys which I also love. I trim the barbara karst aggressively each year.

It is evergreen and blooms more or less year round. Survives USDA Zone 9B with only minor damage to tips (in an unprotected spot). Minimal care.

I have this vine espaliered against a south facing wall here in Sacramento. Absolutely beautiful, blooms constantly. Pinching back and removing low ground trailers will make the plant much fuller as they tend to get barren on the bottom. Average water.

Although scentless, this is a beautiful moderately growing vine that flowers 3/4 of the year in a temperate climate such as the one i live in. Is completely tolerant of the salt air from the near by ocean as well.

Attracts plenty of birds that use it to nest & the aphids/lady bugs alike love it!

Simply a well behaved & beautiful addition to any garden.

=)

We have this plant growing on the side of our house along with trumpet vines, giant birds of paradise, and queen palms. It has always been a great plant and we love the rather dainty little blossoms. The plant stood up to a very hard freeze last winter and continues to thrive.

We live in Brisbane in Australia. The climate is temperate (winter 5deg-22degC, Summer 15deg-29deg)
Recently we planted two potato vines and have found that at the extremeties the plant is wilting/dying. Seems quite healthy near the root system. Could we be overwatering it?

I don't know if this is the same plant, but what I know as potato vine is a very aggresive weed that takes over like kudzu. Anywhere one of the "potatoes" drops its a potential source of another vine.

I fought it from getting into my yard in Dade County (MIami area) when I lived in Florida as a neighbor had a very healthy one planted on the fence between our yards.

We are facing a similar problem here in Hawaii, where people have brought it in illegally and now it is showing up in too many places. Someone planted some vines upstream and during storms they got washed down.....now the gulches by our house are full of them and they are trying their best to engulf everything around them!
AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

I purchased some 'bulbs' - they have started little sprouts but they don't 'look like' roots.

Moving from western Canada (Vancouver) to central where it is much colder, and checking to see hardiness ratings. Looks as though it will not survive winter in Manitoba, although this has done wonderfully here in Vancouver. Minimum temps this winter around -6°C. with no problem- and the flowers never fell for most of the winter! (They did reach a state where they had stopped growing). Did well with all purpose fertilizer throughout summer, and seemed to be happy with lots of H2O. Grew quickly (about 20ft. in the summer).

This plant has the potential to flower at any time of the year, although it primarily flowers in springtime. It needs pruning/thinning from time to time to keep it looking nice. Grows quickly and prefers sun to partial shade. (per the Sunset Easy-Care Gardening book)

Evergreen or Semi-evergreen climber from Brazil.

Has lance like, dark green, glossy leaves. Bears blue white, 5 petalled, star shaped, flowers in late summer early Autumn. Also bears small, egg shaped, glossy, black fruit which will cause sever stomach ache if ingested.

Flowers August-October.

Likes a sunny, warm position in well drained soil. It is only hardy down to 32F/0C and is best grown indoors in frost prone areas. Saying that here it grows outside all year with no protection other than cover from the honeysuckle, I suspect there is a microclimate which prevents it from becoming too cold.