Purple orchid vine is a lovely evergreen vine that is adorned with clusters of orchid-shaped flowers and lantern-shaped seed pods. Here’s how to plant and care for this Chihuahuan Desert native.
Purple orchid vine (Mascagnia lilacina) is a hardy, medium size vine that’s a native of northeastern Mexico.
Plants have deep green leaves that are covered with fine hairs. Spring through fall, clusters of dainty orchid-like flowers that range from light lilac to purple appear on branch tips. Bees and butterflies are attractive to their nectar.
Flowers are followed by papery, winged seed pods that are shaped like little lanterns or butterflies.
Unlike many desert vines, it grows moderately, rather than rampantly, so it doesn’t require a lot of pruning to keep it from taking over.
Why I Like This Plant
- Orchid-like flowers with long bloom period
- Tough desert native
- No thorns, not toxic, no pests
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Deer, rabbit resistant
Things to Watch Out For
Leaves have small hairs that cause skin irritation in some people.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a purple orchid vine to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep it healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Purple orchid vine should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. It tolerates desert heat and survives temperatures down to 15℉, but may die back when temperatures drop to the mid-twenties.
Plants are largely evergreen but can be semi-deciduous in colder areas or when stressed by drought.
Sun Exposure
Purple orchid vine performs best when grown in full or part sun. It does not like the reflected heat of a sun-drenched wall.
Size and Growth Rate
Purple orchid vine is a moderately fast grower that reaches a size of 15 feet tall and wide. It can be slow to get started and usually takes a few seasons to get established.
Soil
Purple orchid vine grows well in most desert soil — sandy, rocky, clay, or loam — provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
This twining vine readily grows up any nearby support structure such as a trellis, lattice, or fence to form a screen. It’s beautiful when rambling over the top of a ramada or pergola. When unsupported, plants will grow into a sprawling ground cover.
Purple Orchid Vine:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Purple orchid vine, lavender orchid vine, lilac orchid vine |
| Scientific Name | Mascagnia lilacina |
| Origin | Chihuahuan Desert |
| Plant Type | Evergreen vine |
| USDA Zones | Zones 8 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 15℉ |
| Flower Color | Lavender |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 15′ high x 15′ wide |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part sun |
| Water Needs | Moderate |
| Pests & Diseases | None |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic, low litter |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, butterflies Deer, rabbit resistant |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any vine in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper.
Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant purple orchid vine is in the fall. This gives it three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Purple Orchid Vine
Whether you’ve recently planted a purple orchid vine or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Vines
Once you’ve got your purple orchid vine in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here’s a recommended watering schedule for new vines planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually revise your watering schedule, depending on the season.
How to Water Established Plants
Here’s a recommended watering schedule for subsequent years.
| Spring & Fall | Every 10 – 14 days |
| Summer | Every 4 – 7 days |
| Winter | Every 14 – 21 days |
Purple orchid vine is a moderate rather than low water use plant. While plants can survive on less water, they look their best when watered once or twice a week during the summer.
These plants are drought deciduous, meaning that during drought they sometimes lose their leaves as a survival mechanism.
Should You Fertilize?
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum recommends giving them one or two applications of fertilizer during the growing season.
How to Prune
Prune your purple orchid vine in late winter or early spring to reinvigorate it, control its size, or remove any cold damage.
Purple vs Yellow Orchid Vine: How They Compare
You might be familiar with yellow orchid vine and wonder whether it’s related to purple orchid vine, and how they compare as desert landscape plants.
While having a similar common name is no guarantee that plants are related, in this case these two plants are “botanical cousins”. Purple orchid vine (Mascagnia lilacina) and yellow orchid vine (Callaeum macropterum, formerly Mascagnia macroptera) are in the same plant family (Malpighiaceae) and were formerly in the same genus.
In ways that matter to gardeners, they are more alike than they are different and have similar care requirements. Here’s a few ways they differ:
Purple orchid vine
- Chihuahuan Desert native
- moderate grower
- does not tolerate reflected heat
- cold hardy to 15℉
Yellow orchid vine
- Sonoran Desert native
- vigorous grower
- tolerates reflected heat
- cold hardy to 20℉
I hope this information helps you decide which is a better fit for the place you have in mind. You can learn more about yellow orchid vine here.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
