Silver Dollar Vine

Xerosicyos danguyi

Synonyms: Silver Dollar Plant.

The Silver Dollar Vine is a summer-growing climbing or scrambling shrub from Madagascar. A relative of the cucumber, this plant climbs using the same kind of delicate tendrils to grip onto a support structure. Although a climber, the Silver Dollar Vine forms a loose scrambling kind of shrub over time. It also produces a small caudex (tuber) at the base. Yellow-green flowers appear in clusters in Spring/Summer.

This is a desert plant which requires a good amount of direct sun to thrive. It can take full sun, but may fair better in part shade over summer, especially if grown in a pot. Water regularly and deeply over summer when the plant is growing, allowing the soil to dry out somewhat between waterings. Keep fairly dry over winter. It is not recommended that you keep this plant inside as it needs sun and is vulnerable to rotting off.

This plant tolerates a wide range of temperatures. It can handle cold without problems, including light frost. The Silver Dollar Vine does not require much fertilizer. A slow release granule such as Troforte should suffice. No major pest problems are known for this plant at the time of writing.