Mikania is a quick-growing trailing house plant which is one of the new generation of house plants – it entered the shops in the 1980s. Mikania is colorful; the veins are purple and the leaf surface is distinctly red or purple when the plant is kept in a brightly lit spot.
Growing Mikania can be tricky until you give it the right conditions. Mikania care can be narrowed down to two important ingredients: water and light. Mikania is not really happy house plant in the living room – it needs moist air, but misting can damage the leaves.
There is a single species of Mikania sold as a house plant: Mikania ternata. The palmate leaves are green with a purplish sheen, slightly hairy above and densely hairy below.
Mikania plant
Secrets of success
Temperature: Average warmth – minimum 50° – 55°F in winter.
Light: Bright light with some direct sunlight. You can safely put the plant in a sunny spot, where the colors will be at their best.
Water: Keep compost moist at all times and reduce watering in winter.
Air humidity: Mist Mikania with care – tepid water, very fine spray and keep misted plants away from sunshine.
Propagation: Take stem cuttings in spring.
