WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Solandra maxima, WUCOLS IV

How often to water cup-of-gold vine in California

In July on the north-central coast, established cup-of-gold vine in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Cup-of-gold vine is a huge evergreen climber native from Mexico through Central America to Venezuela, really a clambering shrub that needs support. Its golden trumpet flowers reach about 8 inches long, striped brown inside and fragrant in the evening. It wants regular water, full sun on the coast and some protection inland.

VineRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water cup-of-gold vine, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for cup-of-gold vine and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Thick leaves that hang limp into the next morning, with dry soil below, point to a thirsty vine
  • A vine whose soil is dry a couple of inches down during spring bloom needs a deep soak
  • Damaged tip growth after a long freeze is frost injury, not thirst, so leave the watering as it was
  • Yellowing leaves and wilting that persists over soggy ground can mean root rot rather than a need for water

How to water it

  • Water cup-of-gold vine at its base with drip or a slow hose, soaking the root zone rather than the foliage
  • Water regularly through bloom and the warm months, letting the top few inches of soil dry between soakings
  • Mulch the root area with wood chips, keeping them clear of the thick main stems
  • Plant in well-drained soil in full sun on the coast, and choose a spot with some protection inland
  • Extend drip coverage outward over the years as the vine's base and root zone grow

Through the seasons

Through its first summer, keep a new cup-of-gold vine's root zone evenly damp as roots reach out. An established vine still wants regular water in the warm months. It stays evergreen, and bloom peaks in spring, though flowers can appear from January into summer. Frost damages tip growth when temperatures stay below freezing. Coastal winter rain usually covers the cool months, but check the soil before bloom if winter turns dry. WUCOLS rates cup-of-gold vine moderate water in South Inland, on the south coast and on the north-central coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert, the high desert or the Central Valley.

In pots

Cup-of-gold vine can spread to 40 feet, so a pot suits only a young plant. Use the largest container you can, with drainage holes and a sturdy support in place. In summer, check every few days and water when the mix is dry 2 inches down. Let water run through, then empty the saucer. Keep up watering through late winter and spring, when it blooms. Move a small pot under cover before a hard frost.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Cup-of-Gold Vine for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Cup-of-Gold Vine as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Cup-of-Gold Vine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78––
Feb0.53–0.810.87––
Mar0.87–1.151.3––
Apr1.18–1.41.61––
May1.46–1.611.95––
Jun1.61–1.742.29––
Jul1.61–1.982.51––
Aug1.49–1.862.33––
Sep1.24–1.491.86––
Oct0.87–1.151.33––
Nov0.47–0.840.9––
Dec0.31–0.650.68––
Year12–15.518.41––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 10

Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like cup-of-gold vine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Golden Trumpet VineAllamanda catharticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPelican FlowerAristolochia giganteanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWax PlantHoya carnosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFlame VinePyrostegia venustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar JasmineStephanotis floribundanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlack-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSky Flower VineThunbergia grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCoral VineAntigonon leptopusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen's WreathPetrea volubilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBeauverd's Widow's-ThrillKalanchoe beauverdiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes cup-of-gold vine, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water cup-of-gold vine in summer?

In July, established cup-of-gold vine in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does cup-of-gold vine need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established cup-of-gold vine needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for cup-of-gold vine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates cup-of-gold vine separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is cup-of-gold vine poisonous?

It is listed as possibly poisonous, and it belongs to the nightshade family with potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Plant it where children will not chew the leaves or flowers.

When does cup-of-gold vine bloom?

Peak bloom comes in spring in California. Flowers can open as early as January in Santa Barbara and often last into June or July. They darken as they age and smell of banana or vanilla, most of all in the evening.

How big does cup-of-gold vine get?

With support it can climb 20 feet or more and spread to 40 feet wide. Its thick stems carry leaves 6 to 8 inches long. Give it a strong fence, wall or arbor and plenty of room.

Can cup-of-gold vine grow by the beach?

Yes. It tolerates seaside conditions, even direct salt spray. Give it full sun there and regular water.

How much cold can cup-of-gold vine take?

It is hardy to around 28 F. Long spells below freezing can damage tip growth. In frost-prone spots, keep a young plant in a container that can come under cover.

Is cup-of-gold vine the same as Solandra guttata?

No, though it was often sold under that name. Solandra guttata is a very similar Mexican species with smaller flowers and hairy leaves and stems. Other common names for cup-of-gold vine include golden chalice vine and Hawaiian lily.

More plant watering guides

Swedish IvySolomon's SealQuaking AspenShaving Brush TreeCommon GuavaFlame VineNikau PalmAfrican Tulip Tree

Sources