Add Texture To Warm-Climate Gardens With A Unique Flowering Vine

Are you looking for a warm-climate climbing plant that'll effortlessly blanket your yard with color? What about one that grows quickly and is particularly good for hiding less attractive structures like chain-link fences or shed walls? Or, for anyone experimenting with vertical gardening, how about a vigorous vine that an affordable DIY trellis perfect for climbing plants would pair excellently with? The sausage vine is an unusual yet practical plant that easily earns its place as a textural addition to subtropical and tropical gardens.

Known botanically as Holboellia coriacea, this is a plant that can bring a truly quirky touch to more predictable gardens in warm to hot parts of the U.S. Its name alone may have grabbed your attention, but trust us when we say that the appeal goes far beyond the funny moniker. The sausage vine is an evergreen climber with glossy, leathery leaves — purple when young and deep green when mature — that keep their color year-round in Zones 9 to 11. The real magic appears in spring when clusters of small, fragrant flowers begin to dangle from the vine. The female blooms have a gorgeous soft red-purple shade, while the male flowers are a more subdued green-white. The mix of the two creates a lovely two-tone effect that looks wonderful on trellises, pergolas, or really any outdoor surface that could use a new splash of personality and some bold texture.

While its foliage and flowers bring elegance, the sausage vine has a surprise tucked up its sleeve: its fruit, which appears in the fall. Perhaps unsurprisingly given its name, the plant grows these incredible sausage-shaped fruit that can reach about 2 inches long. They look quite comical hanging from the vine. When they are ripe, their purple skins split open to expose a white, jelly-like interior filled with tiny seeds, which is the fruit itself. While it is edible, it can be an acquired taste (like a bitter aubergine), so think of this vine as more of a conversation starter than part of a food garden.

Beyond its quirky fruit, the sausage vine is a highly versatile textural option in landscaping. It is evergreen, and can grow up to 26 feet, making it a smart choice for privacy fences or patio screens. It can also provide shelter and food for beneficial bugs and birds, making it one of the plant varieties that will attract good insects into your yard and garden while staying aesthetic. Gardeners in warm climates often appreciate plants that can multitask, providing shade, fragrance, and visual intrigue all at once, and this vine checks every box. It's a strong climber, but with a little pruning after it flowers, the vine can also be shaped into more controlled forms. For anyone tired of predictable warm-climate flowering plants like coneflower or heat-loving hibiscus, the sausage vine is certainly a unique alternative.