Banisteriopsis caapi aka Caapi

Banisteriopsis caapi is a vine in the Malpighiaceae family. It stays green all year. People call it caapi, yagé, yajé, and ayahuasca. It comes from the tropics of South America. There, it grows in rainforests. Its range spans Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. It also grows in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. It grows in warm, wet places from near sea level. Records reach about 3,280 feet [1,000 metres] above sea level.

This large vine has woody stems. It winds around other plants, which give it support. Its stems can grow 98 feet [30 metres] long. That is stem length, not a fixed garden height. Plants For A Future gives its spread as 3.3 feet [1 metre]. The plant keeps its leaves all year. The sources say little about leaf shape or bark. They give no clear account of its flowers or fruit. A Useful Tropical Plants photo shows it in a greenhouse. That plant has flowers.

Caapi needs moist soil and warm growing conditions in the tropics. Plants For A Future lists sun and part shade. The vine grows in sand, loam, and clay soils. It accepts ground from very acid to neutral. The same source lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12. It also lists growing indoors and in pots. The long stems need room and support as they climb. That source gives seed as the way to grow new plants. The evidence gives no set guidance on pests or disease.

People gather wild plants and grow caapi in South America. Indigenous groups grow it for healing and religious rites. They make a drink from its bark, leaves, and twigs. This drink causes hallucinations. Sources also note uses for roots, shoots, and stems. These records describe how people have used the plant. They do not prove that it is a safe treatment. Useful Tropical Plants notes trade on a small scale outside its native range. The listed uses focus on these practices, not growing food.

Plants For A Future warns that plant parts can poison people who swallow them. It gives caapi a food-use score of zero out of five. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known food uses. Reported effects include vomiting and purging. They also include a strong stimulus to the nervous system. The bark holds several alkaloids, such as harmine and harmaline. These effects matter more for safety than its use in drinks. Its long use does not prove it is safe to consume.