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Muehlenbeckia axillaris - (Hook.f.)Walp.

Author	(Hook.f.)Walp.	Botanical references	11, 44, 200
Family	Polygonaceae	Genus	Muehlenbeckia
Synonyms	Muehlenbeckia hypogaea - Colenso. Muehlenbeckia nana - Thurst. Polygonum axillare - Hook.f.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Australia to New Zealand.
Habitat	Gravelly and rocky places and open grassland southwards from 38° south in North and South Islands of New Zealand[44]. Scrub and river flats to the sub-alpine zone[173].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Climber growing to 0.3m by 1m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy[173]. The fruit is very small, only 3mm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Ground cover.

A fast growing ground cover plant for a sunny position but it requires weeding for the first year or so[197, 208]. Once established, it can swamp out small plants[197].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade[200]. Plants are not hardy outside the milder areas of Britain, but given a position sheltered from cold drying winds they tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c[200]. A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants etc[219]. Plants can become invasive, spreading by means of underground shoots[208]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

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[78]. 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[78]. Division in spring[200].

Links

References

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.

[197] Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989 ISBN 0-304-31089-1
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Muehlenbeckia axillaris

Gardeners_Hands Thu Sep 30 03:00:10 2004

9-29-04, picked up a pot of it at local store (Washington state). Labeled Muehlenbeckia axillaris 'Creeping Wire Vine' , sun to part shade, 4-6" height, space 18-24", plant in rich, well-drained potting soil, twining growth with dark stems and light green leaves, hardiness Zone 8 (10 degrees F). It has a second label that spells it as 'Wirevine'.

I would disagree with the 'dark stems and light green leaves, they had rows of them and all had dark reddish brown stems and dark green leaves. The crisp, slightly glossy, little leaves are a bit like the sedum 'Dragon's Blood', being almost oval, small as a little fingernail (abt 3/8 - 5/8" sideways and 1/2 - 7/8" from stem to tip. Dainty appearance, tendancy to trail might be nice in hanging baskets and window boxes. Stems are branching at every other, or every third, leaf. I just went to look at the info on the site listed on the label before I posted it for 'public consumption'. It is overly dramatic and overblown, but I guess that is typical Nursery Eagerness. It is not 'Different, odd, down right strange. This New Zealand gem has dark, wiry stems that contort, curl, and bend like nothing you've seen. Small, attractive emerald-green leaflets. A choice and very hardy addition to combos." I stopped to look at it in the first place because it had a vague familiarity about it, it looked slightly like a very miniature periwinkle (vinca minor). No blooms yet, though. And if my plant is going to "contort, curl, and bend like nothing" like nothing I'VE ever seen it had best get with it, the stems are already 14" long in a 4" pot and only slight wandering and curling. The photo they show on this site is very accurate, the first photo shows leaves at approx real size, the enlarged photo is abt 4x real size.

Link: Proven Winners

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