Calystegia subvolubilis — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Root

Edible Parts: Leaves Root Shoots Edible Uses: Root - cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Young shoots - cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant.

Asia, Japan, Mongolia,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A perennial climbing vine reaching 3 meters in height. It flowers from July to September with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies. Hardy to UK zone 4. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils across a range of pH levels from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline. Requires full sun and prefers consistently moist soil.

How to Grow

Easily grown in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position, but plants are apt to become invasive. Nearly all taxa in Calystegia intergrade geographically into neighboring taxa with the exception of the widespread coastal species, C. soldanella (Linnaeus) R. Brown. It is impossible to draw clearly defined specific limits, and intermediate forms are always found where two taxa approximate geographically.

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame in a free draining compost and only just cover. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring whilst dormant.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Wikipedia

A perennial climbing vine reaching 3 meters in height. It flowers from July to September with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies. Hardy to UK zone 4. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils across a range of pH levels from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline. Requires full sun and prefers consistently moist soil.