Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Yellow Orchid Vine
Yellow Orchid Vine is a tough, twining vine from Mexico with clusters of bright yellow flowers shaped like small orchids. After the flowers come papery winged seed pods that look like little butterflies, turning from green to tan. It takes full sun and hot walls on little water once rooted. Train it on a fence, lattice or chain link for a green summer screen.
Best for: a hot west or south wall, a low-water screen on a fence or chain link, and yellow flowers with butterfly-shaped pods that bring bees.
It handles full western sun and reflected heat off a wall. Put a trellis or wires on the wall first, because it twines and cannot grab a flat surface.
Trained on a fence, lattice or chain link, it makes a leafy summer screen. Once rooted it gets by on weekly water in the hottest months and much less the rest of the year.
Clusters of yellow orchid-like flowers open in late spring, with more off and on into fall. The papery winged pods that follow are about an inch and a half across and look like butterflies.
Cold below about 24°F damages it, and a hard freeze can take it to the ground and skip the next spring bloom. It wants soil that drains, and heavy watering can make it spread aggressively.
- Vines along a fence or wall20 ft apart
- Single vine on an arbor or trellis20 ft from the next large vine
Water new plants often for the first weeks, then stretch it out. Once rooted, water about once a week in the hottest months and once or twice a month the rest of the year. Drip irrigation suits it best.
It climbs by twining and is not self-clinging. Set up a trellis, lattice, wires or chain link before planting and guide the stems onto it.
Frost below about 24°F damages the leaves and stems, and a hard freeze can take it to the ground. Leave the damage until the last freeze has passed, then cut it off.
After the last freeze, cut off winter damage and trim it to keep it in bounds. Light pruning is all it needs the rest of the year.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can yellow orchid vine take a west wall in Phoenix?
Yes. It is one of the vines that handles full western sun and reflected heat. Give it a trellis or wires on the wall, since it twines and will not stick to a flat surface.
How big does it get?
It usually grows about 15 to 20 feet long and spreads about as wide. On a big support it can reach 30 feet, so trim it once a year to keep it the size you want.
How fast does it grow?
It grows at a moderate rate and can be slow to settle in. Once rooted it fills a fence steadily, so plant the 15 gallon if you want cover sooner.
How often should I water it?
Water new plants often while they root. Once rooted, about once a week in the hottest months and once or twice a month the rest of the year is enough.
Does it need a trellis?
Yes. It is not self-clinging, so give it a trellis, lattice, wires or a chain link fence. Without a support it twines on itself into a mound.
When does it bloom?
The main bloom of yellow orchid-like flowers comes in late spring and early summer. More flowers show up off and on into fall.
What are the butterfly-shaped pods?
They are the seed pods. Each one has papery wings about an inch and a half across that start green and turn tan or copper, and broken apart they look like butterflies.
How cold hardy is yellow orchid vine?
It keeps its leaves through a mild Valley winter. Frost damages it below about 24°F, and a hard freeze can take it to the ground. The roots survive into the mid teens and it grows back, so cut off the damage after the last freeze.
When should I prune it?
Prune after the last freeze in late winter or early spring. Remove frost-damaged stems and trim it back to keep it in bounds.
Can it get aggressive?
Yes, with too much water. Stems can root where they touch the ground, and lots of water makes it spread. Drip irrigation and a yearly trim keep it under control.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well. Native desert soil, sandy or rocky ground all work, but avoid heavy clay that stays wet.
Is yellow orchid vine messy?
It drops some litter at certain times of year, like the dry seed pods. Plan on a seasonal cleanup under it near a patio or pool.
Yellow Orchid Vine for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Yellow Orchid Vine is a heat-loving twining vine with yellow flowers and papery, butterfly-shaped seed pods. Below: where to plant it, how big it gets, watering, frost, pruning, spacing and which size to buy.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Best vine for a hot west wall in Phoenix
Yellow orchid vine takes full western sun and reflected heat. Give it a trellis or wires, since it twines and will not stick to a bare wall.
Yellow orchid vine seed pods
After the flowers come papery winged seed pods about an inch and a half across. They turn from green to tan and look like butterflies when broken apart.
How much water does yellow orchid vine need?
Once rooted it is a low-water vine. Water about weekly in the hottest months and once or twice a month the rest of the year.
Yellow orchid vine frost damage
Cold below about 24°F damages it, and a hard freeze can take it to the ground. The roots survive into the mid teens, so cut off the damage after the last freeze and let it regrow.
How big does yellow orchid vine get?
Plan on about 15 to 20 feet long and wide on a fence or trellis. Space vines about 20 feet apart.
Yellow orchid vine on a chain link fence
It twines through chain link, lattice and wires and makes a green summer screen. Guide the stems onto the fence as it grows.
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