Anredera spp.

madeira vine

Basellaceae Tropical and subtropical America

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Fragrant (moderate)Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Anredera spp. is a genus of about twelve species of fast-growing perennial climbing vines in the family Basellaceae, native to the warmer parts of the Americas. Plants twine from fleshy tuberous roots, producing slender stems that climb 10-30 ft (3-9 m) in a season and carry alternate, somewhat succulent heart-shaped leaves 1-4 in (2.5-10 cm) long. Several species, including the widespread A. cordifolia, also form warty aerial tubers (bulbils) along the stems, which drop and sprout into new plants. In late summer and autumn the vines bear slender, often drooping racemes of many small fragrant flowers, white to cream and about 0.2 in (5 mm) across. Below ground the plant builds a mass of brittle storage tubers. A. cordifolia, the Madeira or mignonette vine, has become a serious environmental weed in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other mild regions, where it smothers trees and shrubs and regrows from the smallest tuber fragment. The genus needs warmth and grows quickly, but its dense growth and tuber and bulbil spread make several species hard to control once established.

Native Range

Anredera spp. is native to tropical and subtropical America, from the southern United States and Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to South America. A. cordifolia originates in South America and has spread widely as an introduced weed in mild climates elsewhere.

Suggested Uses

Anredera spp. is grown in warm climates as a quick screening or arbour vine for its fragrant autumn flowers and edible leaves and tubers, though A. cordifolia is banned or discouraged in many areas because of its weediness. Where grown, it is kept to contained spaces with firm support. The fragrant flowers draw bees and other insects.

How to Identify

Recognise Anredera spp. by its twining stems and fleshy, glossy heart-shaped leaves, together with drooping racemes of small fragrant cream-white flowers in late summer and autumn. In A. cordifolia and some others, clusters of knobbly aerial tubers form along the stems at the leaf joints, a strong identifying feature. The brittle underground tubers and rapid twining growth separate it from other leafy climbers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10' - 30'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

Summer Fall

Flowering occurs in late summer and autumn (roughly February-May in the Southern Hemisphere, August-October in the Northern), when long, slender racemes of small fragrant cream flowers hang from the upper stems for several weeks. Warm conditions extend the display. Many plants set few viable seeds and spread instead from tubers and aerial bulbils.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Across the genus, Anredera spp. grows in full sun to light shade in most moist, free-draining soils and climbs quickly over any support within reach. Plants need warmth and frost-free conditions for top growth, though the tubers of hardier species survive light frost and resprout in spring. Given moisture and heat, the vines extend rapidly and can overwhelm nearby plants, so a sturdy structure and regular cutting back are used to keep them in check. The aerial bulbils and brittle tubers regrow from fragments, which makes removal slow and is why several species are treated as invasive. In many regions A. cordifolia is regulated as a weed and is not planted.

Pruning

Regular cutting back through the growing season limits the rampant growth and keeps vines off nearby plants and structures. Cut stems and any aerial bulbils are bagged and removed rather than composted, since fragments resprout. Top growth is cut to the ground after frost in cooler areas.