Solanum laxum (Potato Vine)

Potato Vine is one of the most free-flowering climbing plants you can put on a fence or trellis in a mild-winter garden. The star-shaped white flowers with their bright yellow anthers appear in loose clusters from summer through fall, carrying a light fragrance, and are followed by small ornamental berries. The semi-evergreen foliage is small, glossy, and dark green, staying on the plant through mild Oregon coast winters and giving the trellis a furnished look even in the off-season. Mature plants can reach 20 to 30 feet, covering a fence or arbor with vigorous, twining growth.

The species is borderline hardy in Oregon's Zone 9 coastal areas, where it typically comes through mild winters with minimal dieback and rebounds quickly in spring from the root system even after harder freezes. The southern Oregon coast is generally warm enough to treat this vine as a reliable perennial, though it may die to the ground in an unusually cold winter and regenerate from the base.

Note that potato vine is a member of the nightshade family, and all plant parts are toxic if ingested, including any berries that form.