Scientific name: Muehlenbeckia complexa
Synonym: Muehlenbeckia axillaris
Family: POLYGONACEAE
Common names: “Wire vine” “maidenhair vine” “Australian ivy” “necklace vine”
“wire plant” “mattress vine”
Plant Type: Evergreen or deciduous vine or shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 8-10
Light: Full sun – semi-shade
Exposure: Sheltered from cold winter winds, handles seaside
Soil: Moderately fertile, prefers less clay
Moisture: Moist well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: 10-30′ H & W
Leaf and Stem shape: A dense masses of slender, wiry, much interlaced stem with small, dark green leaves
Flower: Greenish white flowers, borne in small terminal and axillary spikes in autumn, followed by white waxy fruits enclosing a black nutlet on female plants
Pruning: Cut back to maintain shape and size, can be pruned hard
Maintenance: Low – medium, shallow roots are relatively easy to pull if it spreads
Landscape use: Containers, banks and slopes, coastal cottage, informal garden, groundcover
Propagate: By seed and cuttings
Pests & Disease: None in Victoria
Comments: New Zealand native, Dioecious, can take over the garden if not contained
