About the speciesABOUT THE SPECIES — Ripe Cissus verticillata berries on the vine. Fruit not included; this listing contains seeds for growing.
Passion Fruit & Fruiting Vines
Bejuco Uví Seeds
Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & C.E.Jarvis
Cissus verticillata • Bejuco Ubí • Possum Grape • Princess Vine
$8.89for 10 Seeds
SEEDS FOR GROWING
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This listing contains Cissus verticillata SEEDS FOR GROWING—not medicine, supplement or fruit. Select your quantity above; FREE SHIPPING applies to every option.
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1
Seeds of Bejuco Uví (Cissus verticillata), the vigorous tropical American grape-family vine with dark berry clusters and a deep Caribbean ethnobotanical history. 10–100 seeds, free shipping.
- Free shipping on this listing
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- Carefully packed in Puerto Rico
- Detailed growing guide included
- Scientific name
- Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & C.E.Jarvis
- Family
- Vitaceae (grape family)
- Product type
- Seeds for growing
- Habit
- Perennial climbing vine with tendrils
- Native range
- Tropical America, including the Caribbean
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Sowing depth
- About 1/4 inch
- Support
- Trellis, fence or pergola required
In Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, Bejuco Uví (also written Bejuco Ubí) is a well-known climbing vine of hedgerows and forest edges. 'Bejuco' is the Spanish word for a woody climbing vine.
Its grape-family identity is easy to see: tendrils opposite the leaves, branching fruit stalks, and clusters of round berries that ripen unevenly from green through purple to black. Older stems can send down long aerial roots, earning it the name 'princess vine' in some places.
It is a vigorous climber that needs a real support—fence, trellis or pergola—and grows quickly in warmth once established.
Not to be confused with Cissus quadrangularis, Cissus discolor or Costus igneus, the unrelated plant also sold as an 'insulin plant'.
What You Receive
- 10 Bejuco Uví (Cissus verticillata) seeds
- Seeds for growing
- Fruit is not included
- Free shipping
- Access to the dedicated Bejuco Uví growing guide
This listing contains Cissus verticillata SEEDS FOR GROWING—not medicine, supplement or fruit. Select your quantity above; FREE SHIPPING applies to every option.
Seeds for Growing — Not a Medicine or Supplement
Photographs show Cissus verticillata berries for species reference. You receive seeds only.
The folk name 'plant-insulin' does not mean the plant contains insulin. It is not a diabetes treatment and must never replace prescribed insulin or medication.
Anyone taking blood-glucose-lowering medication should not substitute herbal preparations and should seek professional guidance before any medicinal use. Germination is not guaranteed.
From seed to trellis
Starting Bejuco Uví Seeds
- 1
Clean and soak
Soak seeds 24 hours in warm water to hydrate the coat.
- 2
Sow shallowly
Sow about 1/4 inch deep in a light, free-draining mix.
- 3
Keep warm and moist
Hold steady warmth and even moisture; emergence can be slow and uneven over several weeks.
- 4
Give light early
Move seedlings into bright light as soon as they emerge to keep them compact.
- 5
Pot on
Transplant seedlings with a few true leaves into individual pots, root ball intact.
- 6
Add support
Provide a stake or trellis as soon as tendrils appear.
CORRECT ✓
Soaked seed sown shallowly in warm, evenly moist mix, with support ready as tendrils form.
AVOID ✕
Cold, soggy trays; deep sowing; letting young vines sprawl without support.
A Grape-Family Climber of the Caribbean
Cissus is one of the largest genera in Vitaceae, and Bejuco Uví shares the family's toolkit: coiling tendrils, alternate leaves and cymes of small flowers followed by berry clusters.
Native from Mexico and the Caribbean through much of South America, it is part of the everyday flora of Puerto Rico—familiar on fences, forest margins and old stone walls.
Fresh fruit FAQ
Questions about fresh cacao pods
- Does 'plant-insulin' mean it contains insulin?
- No. It is a folk name only. Cissus verticillata does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
- Is this the same as the 'insulin plant' Costus igneus?
- No. Costus igneus is an unrelated plant. Bejuco Uví is Cissus verticillata in the grape family.
- Can I eat the berries?
- They are not a recognized edible grape, and we don't recommend eating them. This product is seeds for growing.
- How much space does it need?
- Plan for a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola several feet wide; established vines grow vigorously and can be pruned to size.
Traditional Medicinal Uses & the 'Plant-Insulin' Name
Traditional use: Cissus verticillata appears in ethnobotanical records across tropical America. It has traditionally been associated with diabetes and elevated blood sugar in folk medicine, stomach and digestive complaints, inflammatory conditions, external applications for wounds, bleeding and abscesses, and fever.
In parts of Latin America, popular herbal traditions call it 'insulina vegetal'—roughly 'plant-insulin' or 'vegetable insulin'. This is a common name only. It does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
Fresh fruit FAQ
Questions about fresh cacao pods
- Does 'plant-insulin' mean it contains insulin?
- No. It is a folk name only. Cissus verticillata does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
- Is this the same as the 'insulin plant' Costus igneus?
- No. Costus igneus is an unrelated plant. Bejuco Uví is Cissus verticillata in the grape family.
- Can I eat the berries?
- They are not a recognized edible grape, and we don't recommend eating them. This product is seeds for growing.
- How much space does it need?
- Plan for a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola several feet wide; established vines grow vigorously and can be pruned to size.
What Science Is Studying
Laboratory and preclinical research: researchers have investigated Cissus verticillata extracts for glucose-related (hypoglycemic) activity and mechanisms of glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism (anti-lipemic activity), anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, gastroprotective and antimicrobial activity, mostly in cell and animal models.
Human clinical evidence: well-designed clinical trials in people are very limited. Experimental findings do not establish that the plant treats, cures or prevents any disease and should not be interpreted as a substitute for established medical treatment.
Safety: people using blood-glucose-lowering medications should not replace prescribed treatment with herbal preparations and should seek professional guidance before medicinal use.
Fresh fruit FAQ
Questions about fresh cacao pods
- Does 'plant-insulin' mean it contains insulin?
- No. It is a folk name only. Cissus verticillata does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
- Is this the same as the 'insulin plant' Costus igneus?
- No. Costus igneus is an unrelated plant. Bejuco Uví is Cissus verticillata in the grape family.
- Can I eat the berries?
- They are not a recognized edible grape, and we don't recommend eating them. This product is seeds for growing.
- How much space does it need?
- Plan for a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola several feet wide; established vines grow vigorously and can be pruned to size.
Training and Mature Vine Care
- Install a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola before planting out
- Guide young stems toward support; tendrils do the rest
- Full sun to part shade; free-draining soil
- Regular water while establishing, less once mature
- Prune annually to control size and remove tangles
Fresh fruit FAQ
Questions about fresh cacao pods
- Does 'plant-insulin' mean it contains insulin?
- No. It is a folk name only. Cissus verticillata does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
- Is this the same as the 'insulin plant' Costus igneus?
- No. Costus igneus is an unrelated plant. Bejuco Uví is Cissus verticillata in the grape family.
- Can I eat the berries?
- They are not a recognized edible grape, and we don't recommend eating them. This product is seeds for growing.
- How much space does it need?
- Plan for a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola several feet wide; established vines grow vigorously and can be pruned to size.
Common Propagation Problems
- Seed rotting in cold, saturated mix
- Leggy seedlings from low light
- Root disturbance during late transplanting
- Vines sprawling and tangling without support
- Confusing the species with other 'insulin plants'
Fresh fruit FAQ
Questions about fresh cacao pods
- Does 'plant-insulin' mean it contains insulin?
- No. It is a folk name only. Cissus verticillata does not contain pharmaceutical insulin and cannot replace insulin or any diabetes medication.
- Is this the same as the 'insulin plant' Costus igneus?
- No. Costus igneus is an unrelated plant. Bejuco Uví is Cissus verticillata in the grape family.
- Can I eat the berries?
- They are not a recognized edible grape, and we don't recommend eating them. This product is seeds for growing.
- How much space does it need?
- Plan for a sturdy trellis, fence or pergola several feet wide; established vines grow vigorously and can be pruned to size.
Why grow it
Why grow Bejuco Uví?
Tropical American grape-family vine
Deep Caribbean ethnobotanical identity
Glossy black berry clusters on mature vines
Vigorous cover for fences and pergolas
Accurately explained 'plant-insulin' history
Free shipping on every quantity
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