Bell vine
Bell vine – a nimble climbing plant
The bell vine originates from Mexico. The genus name ‘Cobaea’ comes from the Spanish Jesuit priest Bernabe Cobo, who helped spread the plant from Mexico in the early 1600s. The species name ‘scandens’ means climbing. It’s a name that the bell vine certainly lives up to. It grows eagerly and creates a lot of leaf mass in a short time. In Sweden, the scandens grows to about 2-5 metres, but in its native environment it can grow up to 8 metres.
Sowing the bell vine
Bell vine is propagated indoors in February-March. It flowers about 4 months after sowing, so it’s good to sow early if you can.
Sow sparsely and place the seeds about 1 cm deep in the seedbed. Keep moist during germination. Keep the seed in a warm place. An electric heating mat provides good underheating, but it is also possible to place the tray by a radiator, on underfloor heating or on top of a refrigerator. It’s worth being patient with the bell vine, as it can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. Once the first leaves have appeared, place the seedlings in a bright, cool place.
Once the bellvine has a few pairs of leaves, they can be replanted in separate pots filled with potting soil.
Easy to take cuttings when topping
To avoid gangly plants, you can top the bell vines 1-2 times while they are growing. The cut off part of the plant easily takes root in moist soil and becomes an independent plant.
Planting the bell vine
Set out the bell vines when the risk of night frost is over. Harden off the plants for a few days by leaving them outside for longer and longer periods, preferably under a fibre cloth. It protects against cold, wind and sun.
Keep a distance of about 50 cm between the plants. The bell vine thrives best in a sunny position, but partial shade also works well.
If necessary, it is easy to prune the vines. However, lush foliage is a fantastic asset in the garden – as a privacy screen, windbreak or simply as an ornamental. The bell vine is lovely as a hanging plant over a fence, a trellis, a pergola or climbing on any other type of plant support. It can also be grown hanging from a hanging pot.
Bell vine as a houseplant
Bellvine can be grown indoors as a potted plant in a bright window. The size of the pot determines how big the plant will grow. Let the vines climb a trellis or tie them to a curtain rail. Provide regular but weak nutrient watering, and the bell vine will thrive and flourish.
Caring for the bell vine
Give the bell vine weak but regular fertiliser watering. Place grass clippings or other organic material between the plants. This will keep moisture in the soil, smother the weeds and provide extra nutrients as they decompose.
The bell creeper only starts flowering in late summer, in August. But the abundant foliage is decorative in its own right, long before the flowers appear.
Bell vine usually does well from diseases and pests. It is also cold hardy enough to withstand a light frost snap or two in autumn.
Overwintering the bell vine indoors
Bellvine can be overwintered indoors. Cut the plant back firmly in late autumn and place it in a cool, bright indoor location. A good temperature is 8-15 degrees. When the spring sun comes out, the bell vine will start growing again. It will then have had a really early start to the season.
Bell vine as a cut flower
This plant isn’t just magnificent in the garden. Cut some flowering vines for a magnificent bouquet in late summer. It’s particularly effective to include some of the creepers in the bouquet. It creates a lively and slightly sprawling contrast to the bell-shaped flowers.
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2022-10-14