Cissus alata
Have you always have it off the looking at of English ivy climbing a brick or Edward Durell Stone wall ?
While most of us ca n’t recreate that facial expression at home – and in all probability don’ttrulywant to , as English ivy can be destructive to even the toughest brick wall – grape vine common ivy ( Cissus alata ) provide an ideal substitute .
This houseplant sputter in a hanging basket or pot with a humble trellis attached , so it can show off its slow - growing tendril .
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
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Even substantially , it can live for a decennium with the right care . And provide this is n’t difficult to do , as it ’s an cushy , broken - maintenance industrial plant .
If you require to learn how to produce graceful grape vine common ivy at rest home , take on !
What You’ll Learn
What Is Grape Ivy?
grapevine ivy is native to the Torrid Zone of North and South America , from Mexico down through Bolivia .
It ’s often turn as a houseplant in the United States , as it would n’t thrive alfresco in much of the country , and it make a spectacular increase to the home .
Also known as “ Venezuela treebine , ” this tropic vine boast dark green , lobed , trifoliated foliage and a trailing wont . “ Trifoliolate ” refers to the three disjoined booklet that make up each leaf .
Under the synonymC. rhombifolia , Venezuela treebine make headway the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in the decorative plants category in 1993 . This species was officially reclassified shortly after asC. alata .
The genusCissusis in the grape family , Vitaceae , and is not a true ivy at all . Grape English ivy is related to other vining plants such as the common grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ) andVirginia creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ) .
The name “ cissus ” comes from the Hellenic news for ivy , “ kissos , ” and “ alata ” is Latin for “ winged . ” This likely refers to the way each central leaflet is flanked by smaller leaflets that look like wings .
Its former species name , “ rhombifolia , ” denote the diamond , or rhombus , soma of the leaves .
If you were to originate it outdoors in Zones 10 to 12 , grapevine common ivy would give rise invisible green flowers and low Chuck Berry , but this is n’t likely indoors .
C. alatahas long been a democratic houseplant , though it ’s not as unwashed as it used to be in the forties . But I guess it totallyshouldbe , because it ’s beautiful and easy to care for .
Even better , it ’s anontoxic , pet - safe houseplantthat ’s also nontoxic to humans , although the sap can induce a skin rash in those with sensitive peel . jade gloves when handling it is advocate .
Indoors , this flora uprise best in temperatures between 65 and 80 ° fluorine . It can tolerate a wider stove of temperatures as low as 35 ° fluorine and as high as 90 ° degree Fahrenheit , although growth will decelerate down significantly .
C. alatacan grow six to 10 feet improbable , or long , but indoors it will typically grow two to three feet foresightful . It also have nice and bushy with a bed cover of three to six feet out of doors , or one to three feet indoors .
government note thatC. alatais not to be confused withParthenocissus tricuspidata . This plant is also sometimes pertain to as grape common ivy but is morecommonly known as Boston ivy . Boston common ivy is in the same family , Vitaceae , but it grows much large .
C. rotundifolia , a more nearly link species , often goes by the name Peruvian grape ivy , or it may be called Venezuelan treebine as well .
Propagation
Since grape ivy does n’t typically flower when it ’s grow indoors , it ’s usually circularize not from seed but by root cuttings .
To get your hired man on a plant , you ’ll need to either take and broadcast a carving from a admirer ’s grape vine ivy , or buy a rooted start from a nursery that ’s quick for transplantation .
Via Stem Cuttings
The best sentence to take a prow press clipping from a fledged outdoor works is in the spring , when the plant is primed for young growth . But you may technically do it at any time of the yr with an indoor flora .
Unless the temperature changes dramatically or you have significantly gloomy promiscuous pic in the wintertime ( like I do here in Alaska ! ) , your indoor grape ivy will keep growing all class .
Select a six - inch section of vine with at least two or three sets of leaves on it . utilise a clean pair of trimmer to prune at a 45 degree slant just above a leaf guest .
Remove the leafage from the bottom two inch of the vine . root could also be done in territory , but I favour to fill a readable glass with about three inches of water supply and set the vine within .
point the loving cup on a tabular array or countertop near a windowpane , as bright , collateral sunlight will help it grow a novel root organisation more quickly . you’re able to light befog the leaves every couple of days if you care , to keep the cutting from dry out until root develop .
exchange the body of water every two or three days to keep it fresh and clear . If the cutting goes wilted , starts to rot , or grows mold , toss it and start over .
Within two to four workweek , you should see root get from the bottom of the cutting . newfangled , fuzzy young leaves will also develop .
Next , take a deal that ’s four to six inches mysterious and wide-eyed . It should also have drain holes and a detachable dish .
Grape ivy loves fast - draining grunge , and a cactus , palm , and citrus premix works well . I like this one from Miracle - Gro that’savailable at the Home Depot .
Miracle - Gro Cactus , Palm , and Citrus Potting Mix
you’re able to also put steady potting soil in the container and coalesce in a small smattering of peat orcoconut coirto help achieve the ideal territory Libra the Balance .
Blending a couple tablespoons of supererogatory perlite or barque into each pot will also help with drainage .
Make a hole that ’s two in cryptic and two inches wide , and set the rooted stalk inside . Backfill with territory , but do n’t cover more than two inch of the base – less if you’re able to swing it without your untested plant toppling over .
Water your grapeshot English ivy baby thoroughly , and then localise the deal in an area that receives four to six hours of indirect sunlight through a window each Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Empty the drainage beauty about 10 minute after watering the plant .
You ’ll need to allow the top half inch of potting mix to dry out between waterings when the plant is this young .
After about a twelvemonth , or whenever the roots begin to poke out of the drainage gob , repot it into a large container .
Transplanting
Here ’s how to repot a flora arise from a cutting , or move a transplant buy from a baby’s room into a declamatory container .
You ’ll begin by pick out a container that ’s at least 10 inches wide and seven in mystifying , to give your Venezuela treebine blank to grow .
Grape English ivy shines also ina hanging planter , where its tendril can swing graciously over the sharpness .
ask a recommendation ?
This resin attend container from Arlmont & Co is self - watering , which means the drainage holes empty into an impound dish , and the dish has a drainage plug so you could easily remove any excess urine after you hydrate your industrial plant .
Self - Watering Plastic Hanging Planter
pick out from one of four colors , available from Wayfair .
Another fun thought for this houseplant is to use a plantation owner with a treillage attached , like this one from Sol 72 Outdoor that’savailable at Wayfair .
Elevated Planter with Trellis
you may use this plantation owner indoors and thread the tendril through the trellis . With just a little bit of help from you at the beginning , the grapeshot ivy will take off and start climbing the treillage on its own !
The inside of this planter is 15 column inch tall and 15 in wide-cut , and the trellis is just under 56 inches tall . You will require to place a drainage mantrap underneath the planter , as it has holes but no dish aerial .
Whatever eccentric of container you select , replete it with a quick - draining potting premix . Make a hole that ’s as abstruse and all-inclusive as the plant life ’s root formal .
cautiously ease the survive grape vine Hedera helix out of its container .
I wish to squeeze the side if it ’s in a credit card pot , or use a butter knife to pry the soil aside from the edges if I ’m exercise with a terracotta mountain or something else that ’s uncompromising .
Tip the pot onto its side , slackly grasp the foliage , and softly tug the plant out . Do n’t jerk ! Go as slowly as you take to , or tumble the pot upside down if that works better .
Once you ’ve taken the root globe out , you may need to untie it with your fingers if the ascendant system is tightly packed together .
Place the plant inside its new household , backfill with soil , and weewee profoundly . Avoid covering the stem with grease to help prevent stem rot . Make certain to dump out any redundant water that ’s collected in the drain dish after about 10 minutes .
How to Grow Grape Ivy
This vine develop best in a well - draining potting mixture that ’s rich in peat . Its preferable pH range is 5.5 to 6.2 , but it ’s not too fussy , and most potting commixture fall within a worthy scope .
This plant prefer moderate , collateral light but it cantolerate low light . Once you ’ve pot your grape ivy , grade it in an domain that receives four to six 60 minutes of collateral light if you’re able to .
If you ca n’t accomplish this , ontogenesis will be slowed , but it wo n’t mind otherwise .
Despite being native to the tropical zone , this houseplant does well in the humidity level of the average home , somewhere between 30 and 60 percent .
In the wintertime , you may need to put a cool mist humidifier in the elbow room to help keep the works from drying out too much . An extra - dry flora invite wanderer mites , which a humidifier can help you to avoid .
A humidifier helps the rest of the family avoid teetotal pelt , too , so that ’s a bonus !
Crane Humidifier
This one - gallon humidifier from Crane can add wet to a 500 - solid - foot room . you could take from one of four color , available at the Home Depot .
When the plant is established – or in other words , when it begins to faithfully grow young tendrils and foliage – you could slow down the lachrymation docket to about once a workweek .
let the top two inches of soil to dry out out between watering , and you ’ll have a happy plant .
Once a yr in the springtime , fecundate your grape ivy with houseplant fertilizer according to package direction .
Indoor Liquid Plant Food
This eight - ounce feeding bottle of 1 - 1 - 1 NPK fertiliser from Miracle - Gro does the trick . It’savailable for leverage at the Home Depot .
If you comment at some point during the produce season that the leave are n’t as late green as they should be , you could give your plant another loony toons of fertilizer .
Otherwise , hold off on the fertilizer , as this plant does not appreciate being overfed .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Some sources will recite you only to clip indoor grapeshot ivy in the spring , but that does n’t make a whole lot of sense .
The plant does n’t react as much to the season outside when it ’s growing indoors , as long as it ’s provide with enough visible radiation and the temperature does n’t waver significantly .
allot to experts atthe Missouri Botanical Garden , you’re able to prune grape vine ivy at any fourth dimension of the year .
Pruning at least once or double a class can shorten the common ivy ’s length or make it less bushy , to befit the size of the space and the trend that you ’re going for . It can also avail to meliorate airflow , an important step in forestall disease .
To trim , expend a twain of clean pruners and cut a vine just above a foliage node .
Before you toss the cuttings , why not propagate them instead and give the fresh starting line to friend as gifts ? Grape common ivy is perfect for the set about gardener in your life !
Aside from pruning , you ’ll probably need to repot your grape ivy once every two years or so . When the origin begin poking out of the drainage fix , or water plosive consonant drain rapidly through the soil , it ’s time to repot .
You ’ll want to move your plant life into a container that ’s about two inches wider and deeper than the current plenty . verify it has drain holes and a detachable dish , too .
Until you notice that the flora is actively growing new vines and leaves , water every few twenty-four hour period after repot . Allow just the top column inch of soil to dry out out thereafter .
Species and Cultivars to Select
Despite once being a darling houseplant , grape vine ivy can be tough to happen . If you do track down a cultivar , any cultivar , you ’ve fundamentally bumble upon a great deal of Au !
Grape Ivy
gratefully , the species plant is a slight more common . you may purchase a alive , four - inch grapevine ivyfrom The Plant Farm Store on Amazon .
you could also try searching your local online marketplace listings to see if anyone has a grapeshot Hedera helix for sales agreement .
For best result in your hunting , hear all of the likely names growers might know it by , include , grape ivy , grape leafage ivy , Venezuela treebine , C. alata , andC. rhombifolia .
I accept I might be a tad bit jealous if you find one of the rare cultivar , like ‘ Ellen Danica . ’ Back in the 24-hour interval , this was a very democratic choice .
Its leaves are large and deeply lob , give the plant a fancy , delicate look . Check local nurseries for this rare plant , and mention that this variety show can be susceptible to powdery mold .
‘ Mandiana ’ is an ideal variety for those of you who prefer trellises over hanging basket , as the vines are more vertical than trailing . It ’s also more disease - resistant than ‘ Ellen Danica . ’
The leaves are attractively shiny , and the plant holds up well even with frequent manipulation . If you have kid around , ‘ Mandiana ’ is the cultivar for you . Plus , it ’s a fast - growing , easy propagated variety – you should be capable to dependably root a novel industrial plant from a single cutting .
slowly - arise ‘ Fionia ’ is a cultivar that feature broad leave of absence than many of the others . And the two small leaflets on either side of each fundamental leaflet have shorter base , giving ‘ Fionia ’ a more compact look .
Managing Pests and Disease
There are only a handful of pest and disease issues to keep an eye out for when you ’re growing Venezuela treebine as a houseplant – yet another rationality to contribute it back into popularity , if you postulate me !
If term are too dry , you may terminate up dealing with spider soupcon ( Tetranychidaespp . ) . They ’ll spin a fine web on your plant and suck sap from the vines and leaves .
But if you withdraw the webbing and any damage leave of absence as shortly as you notice the infestation and plow your grapevine ivy with miticide or insecticide right away , your flora should n’t suffer any lasting wrong .
I use Bonide ’s Mite - X because it ’s an organic miticide that employs the big businessman of cottonseed , garlic , and clove crude to handle mite plague .
Bonide Mite - X
you could purchase it in a 12 - ounce or quart - sized ready - to - use bottlefrom Arbico Organics .
Learn to control spider tinge in our pathfinder .
Mealybugs(Pseudococcidaespp . ) can pose a problem if your household is ardent and your industrial plant is overwatered , as they flourish in moist , warm status .
But these sap - sucking , soft - corporate insects also bonk warm , dryconditions , so ensure you condition your grape ivy depart every few days to make certain no ashen Ball of “ fluff ” have seem on the leaves .
If you do notice a mealybug plague , take care of it right away by spraying neem petroleum on all plant life surfaces . Remove the dead bugs by wiping them off with a clean rag after treatment and dispose of them .
When it comes to diseases , you ’ll mainly require to watch out for fungous exit likepowdery mildew , leaf spot , and stem rot .
quash overwatering and forget the radical , water only at the soil line , and snip your plant annually to promote flow of air between the vine and leaves . take these mere step can help you stave off important problems .
Bonide Copper Fungicide
To process any fungal issue that do arise , remove sham leaves and spray the plant with a Cu fungicide , like this one from Bonide , which is useable in a 16 - ounce ready - to - use bottlefrom Arbico Organics .
Best Uses for Grape Ivy
We ’ve discussed hanging baskets and trellises already , but I would be derelict if I did n’t mention this melodic theme offer up by the experts at the Missouri Botanical Garden : what if you develop several grape ivy plant life to create an attractive room divider ?
The Lechuza Trio Cottage Wicker Boxfrom ePlantersis perfect for this .
Lechuza Trio Cottage Wicker Box
It come in two sizes : 39 by 13 by 13 inch , or 51 by 17 by 17 inches . Each includes three ego - watering planters with drain holes , and the plantation owner have grip , so they ’re gentle to remove from the decorative container .
To fill in your grapevine ivy elbow room divider , regularize the Lechuza Trio Trellis Attachment , also from ePlanters , which comes in two sizes that fit either the 39 - inch or the 51 - column inch wicker box . Each come with clips to help you lead the vines along the treillage .
Talk about a beautiful piece of “ piece of furniture ” to show off to your friends !
you may also put your grape Hedera helix in a regular potentiometer and set it atop a bookshelf . The tendrils will track over the sides of the container , make an elegant frame for your books .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Bring the Tropics Indoors
No matter where you live , you’re able to savor your own slice of paradise inside when you produce a grape English ivy plant .
And before you go , chequer out these guide to mature gracefulhouseplantsnext :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . merchandise photos via Arbico Organics , ePlanters , Home Depot , the Plant Farm Store , and Wayfair . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock . With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu .
About
Laura Ojeda Melchor
