Can I Use The Bathroom Vine

Can I Use The Bathroom Vine

A houseplant vine can become curtains on a window, or add a layer of texture to a bare brick wall, or inject life into a sterile, tiled bathroom—if only you can convince it to actually grow indoors. Some will climb. Others will trail. Here's a guide to growing and training our favorite vines to behave like happy houseplants.

Vitaceae

Above: See more of this neon pothos in Jamie's Jungle: At Home with Houseplants in London. Photograph by @Jamie Song.

When we talk about "houseplant vines," we're describing a category of twining, trailing, and climbing plants that includes a lot of species that may not be true vines.If we were being strict about the definition of "vine," we'd be limited to draping a bookshelf or framing a kitchen doorway with about 70 species of Vitis in the Vitaceae family, which which cling and climb via means of tendrils.

True vines include chestnut vine (Tetrastigma voinierianum), which isn't the easiest plant to get your hands on but makes a vigorous houseplant. It's good for covering larger spaces speedily. Grape ivy (Cissus rhombifolia) and miniature grape ivy (Cissus striata) have beautiful compound leaves of a more modest size than the chestnut vine, and are far more widely available. They are happy in lower light areas, as is kangaroo vine (Cissus antarctica) another old favorite that will tolerate a wide range of conditions without turning up its toes: just keep it out of direct sunlight. Begonia vine (Cissus discolor) is the diva of the group, requiring similarly high humidity to the rex begonias who it resembles (but is not related to).

Ivies

Above: English Ivy is will tolerate low light. See more in Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light. Photograph by Mimi Giboin.

There's a logic to the idea that English ivy (Hedera helix) will do well indoors. After all, it takes over in the garden if given half a chance. And yet ivies often suffer in modern homes, because they aren't suited to the warm temperatures and dry air found within.

Tree ivy (x Fatshedera lizei) is a cross between English ivy, Hedera helix, and Japanese araliaFatsia japonica.Like traditional ivy, it won't do well in centrally heated rooms, especially in winter, but is ideal for a cool conservatory or covered porch.

Cape ivy (Senecio macroglossus) and German ivy (Delairea odorata) are the ivy-lookalikes to grow if you don't like to live in an icebox, as they're both much better adapted to average room temperatures and humidity levels. Just bear in mind that German ivy is considered an invasive weed in many parts of the world, so don't go planting it outside.

Aroids

Above: Monsteras are climbers. Read more at Gardening 101: Monstera. Photograph courtesy of CenteroftheWebb.

You say Araceae, I say aroid. This plant family is huge, but there are a few species from the clan which make successful vining houseplants, the best known of course being the Swiss cheese plant, Monstera deliciosa. Coming up on the rails is its relative, Monstera adansonii, another vining aroid with windowed leaves.

Above: A philodendron trained as a trailing vine, a Vining Kokedama is $36 at Pistils Nursery.

And let's not forget the pothos vines or epipremnums, and the Philodendrons, too. All of these, given time and good care, will grow huge, but they will all tolerate a hacking back when they get out of line. Rather than relying on tendrils, these plants grow thick aerial roots from their leaf nodes and grasp onto anything convenient to cling to.

Can I Use The Bathroom Vine

Source: https://www.gardenista.com/posts/houseplant-vines-growing-care-tips-everything-you-need-to-know/

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