Muehlenbeckia complexa - Maidenhair Vine

Muehlenbeckia complexa is a beautiful New Zealand voluble plant, both climbing and creeping, often used in containers and hanging baskets, where it cascades in light curtains. Its slender stems climb on any available support or root in contact with the ground, forming a thick tangled carpet. Their dark colour contrasts pleasantly with the small round leaves of a lovely bright green, which persist in winter. Easy to grow in our not too cold regions, resistant to drought and wind, extremely flexible and versatile, this unusual bush is precious for adorning the base of trees or shrubs, festooning a sunny rockery or a vegetated wall, stabilising an unattractive slope, or dressing a fence.

Muehlenbeckia complexa is a plant from the Polygonaceae family, a cousin of sorrel and knotweed. This species is native to New Zealand. In this dioecious bush, there are plants that bear female flowers and others that bear male flowers. Its foliage persists until -6°C (21.2°F) in winter. Its stems can be destroyed by frost, but the stump regenerates in spring to -10°C (14°F) in very well-draining soil.

It thrives in well-drained dry soil, even sandy or limestone, and tolerates wind and sea spray perfectly. Muehlenbeckia complexa develops long stems that can reach up to 4m (13ft) long. They are reddish-brown to blackish in colour, and covered with hairs that can root upon contact with the ground. Its growth is rapid. Its foliage consists of very small tough, almost round leaves, 6 to 7mm (1in) long, arranged alternately along the branches. They are initially a bright and rather light green, becoming dark green over time. Discreet flowering takes place in August-September, depending on the climate. The flowers are tiny, gathered in clusters of 2 to 4 units measuring less than 1cm (1in) in diameter. Their colour is pale-yellow to cream-white. They are nectar-rich and highly popular with bees and butterflies.

The main assets of Muehlenbeckia complexa are its robustness, rapid growth, and versatility. It can be planted in open ground in mild regions, or in pots or hanging baskets to decorate a patio or balcony. It is a worry-free plant that finds its place and thrives among other plants, as ground cover in a rockery, at the base of shrubs and trees with which it tolerates root competition, in a hedge, or on a wire fence as a windbreak or privacy screen. Its association with small spring bulbs (crocuses, narcissus, botanical tulips, hyacinths) is interesting for adding a splash of colour to the garden or flowering pots from the first beautiful days of spring. It can also be placed above low walls, for example with creeping rosemary, aubrietas, and wall bellflowers. It is also useful for stabilising sloping ground, with periwinkles, Algerian ivy, and creeping junipers, for example. It can be used in topiary art to vegetate a frame, with frequent and precise pruning.