Anredera

Family. Basellaceao.

Origin. Paraguay, southern Brazil and northern Argentina.

Description. Anredera is a fast-growing perennial climbing plant - a vine with succulent leaves and fragrant white flowers. It has thick rhizomes, usually 3 - 6 m long. The stems are bare, brittle, thin, young ones often have a reddish tint, with age they darken and become grayish-brown, climbing 3 - 6 m in height in one growing season. The leaves are oval, or lanceolate, heart-shaped, thick, fleshy, 1 - 11 cm long, 0.8 - 8 cm wide, bright green, shiny, sessile or on short petioles, 1 - 2 cm long, usually with small tubers in sinuses, located alternately.
An abundance of fragrant, creamy flowers are located on paniculate drooping inflorescences, which sometimes branch into 2 - 4 racemes up to 18 cm long. The inflorescences are pubescent, evenly spaced around the central stem. The flowers are numerous and small – about 5 mm. diameter, white, star-shaped, with 5 petals, fragrant. Pedicels 2 - 3 mm. length. In nature, the plant behaves aggressively - it entwines and strangles trees and other vegetation, it can easily break branches and even entire trees, and since it easily spreads from any part, it is very, very difficult to get rid of this weed.

Height. A fast-growing vine, in nature it grows up to 20 m in length.

Care at home

Soil

Suitable for sandy, loamy soils with good drainage, there are no special requirements for pH.  Requires soil rich in humus. 

Temperature of the flower content

This indoor vine is heat-loving, does not tolerate frost, and normal room temperature is suitable for growing it.

Lighting for the stage

Can grow in partial shade, but loves direct sunlight, but not on a hot summer day or very light shade. Sunburn may occur.

How to care for the plant

Brittle shoots require very careful handling and support, as they can break even under their own weight. During the winter, the entire above-ground part may die off, but in the spring the plant is reborn from tubers, which must be stored in a fairly dry and cool place.

Feeding

The plant loves organic matter very much, but also responds well to fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, which are carried out regularly during the growing season - 2 times a month.

Purpose

Anredera is widespread in tropical regions of the world. In frost-free climates it can form a very decorative hedge on a trellis and be used in rock gardens.

Flowering time

From July to October.

Air humidity

Not demanding, tolerates dry air of heated rooms well. 

Soil moisture

Watering is quite moderate, but do not allow the earthen clod to dry out. Prefers moist soil, but can tolerate drought.

Transplanting the underbed

Try to replant anderera as rarely as possible, as the fragile stems break very easily.

Reproduction

Easily propagated even from small vegetative parts, as a result it is very difficult to eradicate from forest areas. Can propagate by tubers and rhizome fragments. Although this species has both male and female flowers, it rarely reproduces sexually and produces offspring. 

Pests and diseases

Trees that receive good care rarely get sick. Sometimes aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs appear.

Note

The leaves are edible and used like spinach. The underground roots can be boiled and baked.

Varieties:

Anredera cordifolia

        An evergreen perennial plant from South America. Anredera cordifolia reaches 9 m in length and grows very quickly - it adds up to 3 - 6 m per season. Stems are thin, burgundy. The leaves are green, heart-shaped, with a glossy surface. The flowers are small, creamy white, collected in long, sometimes branched racemes, and can be male or female.