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Anredera cordifolia

mignonette vine

Basellaceae Subtropical South America

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Fragrant (moderate)Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Anredera cordifolia is an evergreen to semi-evergreen climbing vine in the Basellaceae family with twining stems reaching 20-40 feet (6-12 m) long from a thick underground tuber. The fleshy heart-shaped leaves are 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, bright green, and slightly succulent. Warty aerial tubers, each 0.4-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) wide, form in clusters along the stems and at the leaf bases; these drop and sprout to form new plants. Slender hanging spikes of small cream flowers 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) long open in late summer and autumn and carry a sweet scent. The vine grows rapidly, adding many feet of stem in a season, and its weight can smother and pull down supporting trees and shrubs. Anredera cordifolia is a Weed of National Significance in Australia and is listed under state biosecurity laws across the eastern states; both the aerial tubers and the underground tuber allow it to regrow from fragments.

Native Range

Native to subtropical South America, in Paraguay, southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. Widely naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa, and other warm regions after spreading from garden plantings.

Suggested Uses

Cultivation is restricted or prohibited in many regions because of its weed status, and removal is the usual management aim where it has naturalized. Historically planted as a fast screening vine on fences and pergolas. Where contained in a sealed pot away from the ground, it is held well clear of trees it could smother.

How to Identify

Recognized by fleshy heart-shaped bright green leaves and clusters of warty, pea-sized aerial tubers strung along the stems. Hanging spikes of small cream flowers 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) long appear in late summer and carry a sweet scent. The aerial tubers separate it from most other climbers and allow quick identification even without flowers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height20' - 40'

Width/Spread10' - 20'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~5 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowers in late summer and autumn, roughly January to May in the southern hemisphere. The cream flower spikes last 3-5 weeks and release a sweet scent. In cooler climates the vine may grow without flowering, spreading instead by aerial tubers.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

bright green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• 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 clay sand

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on most soils and tolerates drought once the tuber is established. The stems and aerial tubers regrow from small fragments, so cut or pulled material resprouts unless fully removed and destroyed. The underground tuber resprouts after the top growth is cut. Frost kills the exposed stems but the tuber survives and reshoots in spring. Few pests slow it, and the rapid growth lets it overtop and smother nearby plants within a single season.

Pruning

Cut stems regrow from the underground tuber and from any aerial tubers left behind, so removal requires taking out the whole tuber. Dropped aerial tubers sprout where they land and build up in the soil. Cutting the vine back without removing the tubers brings on dense regrowth.

Pruning Schedule

winter