Contributed by Ethan Mimnaugh, Mooloolah Landcare Nursery
GROWING plants inside is extremely rewarding, if not a little challenging at times. From ferns to palms to succulents, there are many kinds of popular and beautiful plants that we enjoy in our homes. However, some very common indoor plants are actually fairly devastating to our environment. Today, I’ll discuss all the joys, and some of the pitfalls, of growing vines inside.
A good indoor plant has a combination of good traits, namely low light tolerance and hardiness. Oftentimes this means ferns or palms, but often it means we grow rainforest vines. These types of plants are adapted to growing under the shade of large trees, making them perfect for growing within our walls. Vines are also hardy plants because they do not invest energy into trunks, giving them extra energy for vigorous growth.
As I mentioned, there are some indoor plants which are often sold that are actually weeds when they get into the bush. In fact, not only are they weeds, but they can be some of the most damaging of them all. This is because they are rainforest vines from other countries. Golden Pothos is from the Pacific Islands, Monstera from Central America, and Syngonium and Philodendron are from South America.
It is important to be a responsible carer for your plants and make sure that any trimmings of these exotic vines don’t find their way into the bush. If they do get into the bush, these plants will climb to the tops of trees and crush them with their weight. In a very short time, this can cause an ecosystem to change completely, affecting all kinds of other plants and animals.
There are native vines that are perfectly suited to indoor situations. The Native Pepper Vine (Piper hederaceum) is one of the oldest lineages of flowering plants and has beautiful, glossy green, heart-shaped leaves. It is well adapted to low light and will grow perfectly fine away from a window, along with Native Hoya (Hoya australis). Native Hoyas may take time to establish, but once they settle in, they will stun you with their succulent, oval leaves and incredible red flowers which look like a fist-sized firework.
Closer to the window, you can grow some vines that have beautiful flowers. The Climbing Guinea Flower (Hibbertia scandens) has yellow flowers, and the Bower of Beauty (Pandorea jasminoides) has large pink flowers. Both flower for most of the year. Even more stunning is the Native Wisteria (Austrocallerya megasperma), which drips in blue/purple flowers during late Winter/Spring. These vines that want a bit more light can be trimmed or trained occasionally to promote more flowering and additional branches.
One of the best things about an indoor plant is taking a small cutting and then leaving it in a beautiful vase of water to grow without soil. Our native vines are capable of this, especially the Pepper Vine mentioned earlier. The commonly mistaken Blue Dayflower (Commelina diffusa), which flowers year-round with blue flowers that last a day, can be trained or hung over all kinds of surfaces. This is another plant that does exceptionally well in water.
Don’t stress if you have exotic plants! You don’t have to throw away any plants, because more plants are always better! If you’re interested in adding some indoor vines to your current collection, or would like to learn more about natives, exotics, and proper plant ownership, then come to Mooloolah River Landcare for a chat.