Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia) - "Spinach" that grows on walls

Are you looking for the ultimate "miracle plant" for your balcony or garden that looks stunning and provides you with fresh vegetables all summer long? Then get to know the absolute superstar among climbing plants: the Madeira Vine (botanically Anredera cordifolia, often also called Basella Potato).

It is the perfect solution if you want to quickly green up a bare wall or a trellis and at the same time enjoy uncomplicated, delicious "vertical farming"!

Scope of delivery: 7cm and 9cm pots. (Still in winter dormancy)

Spinach that grows on walls: A dream for edible balconies

The Madeira Vine is a true survivor and grows at a speed that almost borders on magic. Its climbing shoots elegantly wind their way up any trellis and form dense, lush green foliage of beautiful, heart-shaped leaves. The ingenious thing is: The plant works on the "cut and come again" principle. The more often you snip off the fleshy leaves for your dinner, the bushier and stronger it grows back.

Origin & Tradition: A South American survival herb

Even though the name might suggest it, the Madeira Vine does not originally come from the Portuguese flower island, but from the warm, sometimes harsh mountain regions of South America, around the Andes. There, the vigorous herb has been climbing over fences, rocks, and bushes for centuries and is valued by the indigenous population as a true "survival herb." In its place of origin, the plant is deeply rooted in daily diet and culture: the vitamin-rich, thick leaves are added to traditional soups and hearty stews as strengthening, fresh greens, where they provide a creamy consistency. The starchy root tubers, on the other hand, are traditionally boiled or roasted over an open fire and serve as a nutritious, filling side dish. In addition, the plant has been valued in South American folk medicine for generations for its cooling and soothing properties. With the Madeira Vine, you are bringing centuries-old South American garden culture directly into your home!

The climbing plant you can eat!

In the Andes and in Asia, Anredera cordifolia has been valued as a valuable food plant for ages, as it offers two completely different harvests:

• The summer leaves: They are fleshy, slightly succulent, and super crunchy. Eaten raw in a salad, they taste refreshingly mild; briefly sautéed in a pan, they are a fantastic, vitamin-rich spinach substitute that doesn't shrink as much when cooked.

• The ground potatoes (root tubers): As if that weren't enough, the plant also forms strong tubers (rhizomes) underground. If you prune the plant in autumn, you can harvest some of these root tubers and prepare them like sweet potatoes or yams!

The autumn spectacle: A feast for the bees

When many other plants in the garden are already getting tired in late summer and early autumn, the Madeira Vine really gets going. Countless, up to 30 cm long, creamy-white flower clusters emerge from the green canopy. They look like delicate waterfalls and are an absolute eye-catcher. For late bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, this late bloom is an extremely valuable food source.

Care & Wintering: Uncomplicated and beginner-friendly

• Location & Thirst: Give it a trellis (or an obelisk), a sunny to semi-shady spot, and keep the soil well moist on hot summer days. This vigorous natural talent needs nothing more to explode!

• Winter break: The Madeira Vine is not frost-hardy, but absolutely perennial. As soon as it gets cold, it withdraws its energy into the root tubers. Simply cut off the withered tendrils and place the pot with the soil (and the tubers) in a dark, cool place (approx. 5 to 10 degrees) in the cellar. The next spring, it will sprout again from the soil with even more vigor!

Bring this fascinating historical useful plant home and harvest your own spinach simply vertically from the wall!