Wire Vine

I've had this weird little vine for maybe 15 years in several different pots. I love the little olive green leaves and the reddish stems.  Sometimes it's sold with houseplants in garden centers. I cannot imagine being able to grow it indoors!    I got a plant when I saw an adorable planting on a little birch branch trellis at the old Sassafrass Nursery(long gone) in Topanga Canyon.  It's called Wire Vine or Muehlenbeckia complexa. Say MULE-N-bek-E-uh.   It's native to New Zealand and is said to grow up to 30', though mine has never grown over 2' in containers.   I've seen it at The Huntington Library & Gardens growing in the ground and there it grows into little twisted piles climbing upon itself.  I'm sure if it has somewhere to attach itself it could go a long way.

Mine is such a little monster that you can't even see the pot! I moved it to the walkway to take the photo. But I keep it set upon an upturned pot to give it some height and to keep it from trailing upon our porch and tripping the mail carrier!

 Several days ago I noticed that it has a few super tiny cream colored flowers.   It has no fragrance. 

I read that the plant is semi-deciduous in colder winters. But here is stays green all year.   It does best in part shade here inland where it's still summer in Oct. and 87º today. But it's the last hot day dipping down to the 70ºs the rest of the week.  Thank goodness! 

Happy Gardening! 

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