Solandra is a genus of eight species of flowering plants, called Chalice Vines. They are native to Mexico, West Indies and northern South America. Solandras are woody stemmed evergreen, scrambling climbers and belong to Solanaceae family. Solandra is named after the Swedish naturalist Daniel C. Solander.

Solandra maxima naturaly found at Mexico to Colombia, Venezuela. Cup of Gold, is a heavy, thick stemmed tropical liana with large shiny leaves and large bell shaped golden yellow flowers. The thick and woody rope like stems branch frequently and root at their nodes, and can run up to 50 meters. Clinging with aerial rootlets and scrambling over everything in the way. Solandra maxima is an evergreen plant and its elliptic leaves, up to 15cm long and 7cm wide, with prominent lighter colored midribs and lateral veins. The marvellous flowers shaped like a chalice, up to 20-25cm long. The five lobes of the corolla are reflexed, and each lobe is marked with a narrow maroon ridge on the inside. The flowers start out pale yellow with maroon veins and turn deeper gold yellow as they age. Flowers are fragrant, especially at night, with a scent resemble to coconuts. Cup of Gold blooms intermittently through the year, but mainly in the winter dry season. The fruits, are round berries about 5cm diameter but rarely seen in cultivation.

 Solandra maxima usually is propagated from stem cuttings taken in summer and rooted with bottom heat. It is a fast growing vine that thrives in most any well-drained soil. It tolerates severe pruning and blooms on new growth, so it can be cut back at any time of year. It can tolerate brief periods of freezing weather, but prolonged frost will make it die down to ground level.

Cup of Gold is toxic to human, contains atropine along with other toxins. Rubbing eyes after handling this plant may cause the pupils to dilate. This causes sensitivity to light and blurred vision. Nausea, vomiting, headache, hallucination and diarrhea are the symptoms after consumes the plant’s flowers or leaves.

Use at Landscape: Solandra maxima is often grown on large pergolas or trellises, or trained to grow up the side of a house where the spectacular flowers can spill down the walls over windows and doorways. Tolerant of salt spray and salty soils, excellent for seaside gardens. If there is danger of frost, Cup of Gold could be kept as a pot plant with occasional pruning and taken indoor in cold season.