The genus Cissus belongs to the Grape family. Plants are distributed mainly in the tropics, much less in the subtropical regions of the Western and Eastern hemispheres. The genus name comes from the Greek kissos (“ivy”) and refers to the way of life of plants. Most types of cissus are decorative leafy evergreen climbing plants with flexible stems. Cissus are very hardy and unpretentious, they are great for indoor cultivation.
Types of cissus
Cissus antarctica (Cissus antarctica) is a vine that grows up to 3m in length. Shoots and petioles of leaves are covered with rusty pubescence. The leaves are oval, dark green above, lighter below, 10-12 cm long. Small green flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences.
Cissus bicolor (Cissus discolor) is an evergreen vine with thin branched stems. The leaves are heart-shaped, velvety, 8-15 cm long and 4-8 cm wide, finely serrated along the edges. The color of the leaves combines olive-green, silver-gray and reddish-violet tones, the leaves are dark purple below. The flowers of bicolor cissus are small, yellowish, densely clustered in false umbrellas.
Cissus round-leaved (Cissus rotundifolia) – climbing vine with hard stems. Green leaves are shiny, glossy, with a wax coating on the surface. The shape of the leaves is rounded, serrated along the edges. The leaves are up to 8 cm in diameter.
Cissus rhomboidus
Cissus rhombifolia (Cissus rhombifolia) is a vine with thin branching stems and trifoliate dark green leaves covered with reddish hairs underneath. The leaves are rhomboid, the upper ones are located on a larger long petiole.
The photo of cissus shows that the lower pair of leaflets is asymmetrical, in the upper half it is serrated. At one node with a leaf, a spirally curved tendril develops, forked at the end. Stems, antennae and petioles densely pubescent with brown hairs. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. At home, houseplant cissus does not bloom.
Very popular variety “Ellen Danica” .
Cissus houseplant care at home
The plant is given a bright or slightly shaded place, away from midday direct sunlight. More luxuriant growth is observed when the cissus is lit by the sun in the morning and evening. Indoor cissus flowers are undemanding to heat, the optimum temperature during the year is 16-25 ° C. The Antarctic species is the most shade-tolerant, preferring cool conditions in winter (10-12°C).
Water regularly, keep the ground constantly slightly moist. With an excess of moisture or in a cold room, the leaves partially fall off the plant and the shoots are exposed. When cared for at home, cissus responds well to regular frequent (morning and evening) spraying, especially if it is in a room with central heating. After the end of the dormant period, the plant is washed under a warm shower to wash off the accumulated dust. Cissus multi-colored does not tolerate dry air; a pot with a plant is placed on a pallet with wet moss.
Feed with complex mineral fertilizers two to three times a month. Bare shoots are cut and pinched. Transplanted in spring into loose soil: young plants annually, adults – after two years or as needed. The soil mixture is prepared from leaf and sod land, peat, sand (1: 1: 1: 0.5).
Cissus is propagated by apical cuttings, which quickly take root in water at a temperature of 20-25 ° C. For rooting cuttings of bicolor cissus, the temperature should be higher – 26-28 ° C. Roots appear within 18-20 days. Rooted cuttings are planted in pots with a soil mixture of soddy and leafy soil and humus, taken in equal amounts.
The main pests of indoor flower cissus are spider mites and scale insects. With excess moisture, powdery mildew may appear on the leaves.