# Golden Chalice Vine (*solandra maxima*)

The Golden Chalice Vine has beautiful, trumpet-shaped flowers that can be yellow or cream in color. It's a fun plant to spot because it grows in large, sprawling vines that can climb up trees and walls!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Tropical and subtropical areas, often found in gardens and along roadsides.
- **Also known as:** Giant Chalice Vine, Golden Trumpet Vine

![Golden Chalice Vine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_000501-1300_Solandra_maxima.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_000501-1300_Solandra_maxima.jpg)

## Appearance

The Golden Chalice Vine has magnificent, large trumpet-shaped flowers, up to 25 cm wide, which open creamy white and mature to a rich golden yellow. Its glossy, dark green oval leaves provide a lush backdrop, highlighting the striking, chalice-like blooms.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Solanales
- **Family:** Solanaceae
- **Genus:** Solandra

## Interesting facts

- Giant moths and bats are its favorite nighttime visitors for a sweet nectar treat!
- It can grow huge, sometimes creating its own shady, impressive jungle canopy!
- Its flowers start cream-colored and magically turn bright gold as they age!
- This plant is surprisingly related to potatoes and tomatoes, but it's super poisonous!

## Special abilities

- **Night Scent Beacon:** Golden Chalice Vine releases a strong, sweet fragrance at night that helps it attract nocturnal pollinators like bats and moths.
- **Chalice Collector:** Its massive, cup-shaped flowers are perfectly designed to collect generous amounts of nectar, rewarding large pollinators.
- **Rapid Climber:** Golden Chalice Vine uses aerial roots to quickly climb trees and structures, helping it reach sunlight in dense environments.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1000-3000 cm
- **Spread:** 300-1000 cm
- **Flower Size:** 15-25 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late winter to spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Bat

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Southern Long-nosed Bat (*Leptonycteris curasoae*) — Primary nocturnal pollinator for its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Tobacco Hornworm Moth (*Manduca sexta*) — Adult moths visit flowers for nectar at night.
- **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Cultivated globally as a popular ornamental garden plant.

## Traits

- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Golden Chalice Vine?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Golden Chalice Vine?

1000-3000 cm

### How wide does Golden Chalice Vine spread?

300-1000 cm

### How big are the flowers on Golden Chalice Vine?

15-25 cm

### When does Golden Chalice Vine bloom?

Late winter to spring

### Is Golden Chalice Vine edible?

No

### Is Golden Chalice Vine toxic?

High

### What is Golden Chalice Vine's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Allerton Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/allerton-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [National Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Kula Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kula-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-presidio-de-santa-barbara-state-historic-park) — California, US · Historic Site

[View all places to see Golden Chalice Vine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/golden-chalice-vine)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Golden Chalice Vine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-chalice-vine)