Muehlenbeckia complexa
Maidenhair Vine

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy^[1]. Botanically speaking it is actually the swollen flowers that are eaten![K].

Fruit

Unknown use

Material uses

Very salt and wind hardy, it is an excellent plant for clothing wire netting fences in very exposed positions, making a good windbreak hedge^[2]. It responds well to trimming and can be grown as a free-standing shrub or hedge^[3]. The plant makes an excellent ground cover when it is grown in a sunny position[K].

There are no material uses listed for Muehlenbeckia complexa.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Muehlenbeckia complexa.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Climber or Soil surface

Ecological Functions

Ground cover

Hedge

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in autumn and overwinter in a cold frame. High percentage^[4]. Plant out in late spring.

Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, October/November in a cold frame. High percentage^[4].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Muehlenbeckia complexa. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Requires a well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade^[5]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure^[2].

This species is hardy to about -5°c^[3]. It does not withstand hard frosts, growing very well in south-western Britain but being killed back to the ground by severe frosts at Kew and further north^[6]^[7]. A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants etc^[7], though it can also support itself and grow more like a shrub^[3].. Polymorphic, there are many sub-species^[8].

Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Muehlenbeckia complexa. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Muehlenbeckia complexa.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 0-340-508302 (1990-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0900629649 (1974-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. ISBN 0-330-37376-5 (1998-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1 Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins ISBN 0-00-219220-0 (1983-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1 Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. (1961-00-00)

"image:Starr 070906-8442 Muehlenbeckia complexa.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-173-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 0-340-508302 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-29-2] ? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0900629649 (1974-00-00)

[PFAFimport-260-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. ISBN 0-330-37376-5 (1998-00-00)

[PFAFimport-78-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-5] ? ^5.0^5.1 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-6] ? ^6.0^6.1 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-219-7] ? ^7.0^7.1 Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins ISBN 0-00-219220-0 (1983-00-00)

[PFAFimport-44-8] ? ^8.0^8.1 Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. (1961-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Polygonaceae +
Belongs to genus	Muehlenbeckia +
Functions as	Ground cover + and Hedge +
Has common name	Maidenhair Vine +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Fruit +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has environmental tolerance	Maritime exposure + and High wind +
Has fertility type	Self sterile +
Has flowers of type	Dioecious +
Has hardiness zone	8 +
Has image	Starr 070906-8442 Muehlenbeckia complexa.jpg +
Has mature height	5 +
Has mature width	1 +
Has primary image	Starr 070906-8442 Muehlenbeckia complexa.jpg +
Has search name	muehlenbeckia complexa + and x +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Muehlenbeckia complexa +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Climber + and Soil surface +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates maritime exposure	Yes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Tolerates wind	Yes +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +