Muehlenbeckia platyclada
Say that three times really quickly!
It’s actually not that hard to say... I’ll break it down and then you can say it fast!
mule-en-beck-e-a
Plat-eh-clad-a
This strange looking plant has taken my heart and I can’t for the life of me work out why.
A few years ago we stocked this strange plant no one had ever heard of.. This was back when I used to try and convince you all having indoor plants was cool!
It was at the time when indoor plants had to be thick and lush and oddities weren’t accepted.
But alas, it wasn’t cool back then to buy ‘kooky’ indoor plants. Of course, nowadays everyone wants Kook and this plant has all the kook you can handle!
Muehlenbeckia platyclada used to be called Homalocladium platycladum and has some pretty ordinary common names like tapeworm plant, so we will keep it scientific today.
Muehlenbeckia platyclada comes from the tropical regions of New Guinea and Solman Islands. In its natural habitat it can handle sun, but requires a great deal of moisture and humidity and I have found an exceptionally well-lit indoor spot is perfect for this plant.
This plant is all Kook as it’s green stems are actually flat, as in 2d, and it’s usually leafless. These leafless flat stems branch out and weave their way up, forming a tall, bushy mass of green odd shaped ribbons. If it does form leaves, they are very little and alternate up the flat stems, with white with pink tinged flowers in spring.
These guys grow best when regularly looked after. You know the drill... fortnightly liquid feeds and three monthly granular feeds. Regular water, but not sitting in water. Best quality potting mix and given they can reach about 1-2m high and wide, I would regularly prune them out to keep them a little bit tidier .
These plants are very versatile and if you get tired of them indoors, move them outside. Jerry Coleby-Williams mentioned a while ago that he uses these plants for Victorian period horticulture-themed garden beds in the Palace Garden in Sydney Botanic Gardens.
I’m not sure pictures really do the plants Kook status justice, so if you want something really cool for your indoor space, simply call into Trevallan as we have them in stock now