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Common Name: Maidenhair Vine

General Information

Muehlenbeckia complexa is a Deciduous Climber up to 5.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Australia - Victoria, New South Wales. New Zealand.

Habitat

Coastal, lowland and lower montane forests, especially marginal, also in open and rocky places in North South and Stewart Islands[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	5.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade[]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure[].
This species is hardy to about -5°c[]. It does not withstand hard frosts, growing very well in south-western Britain but being killed back to the ground by severe frosts at Kew and further north[, ].
A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants etc[], though it can also support itself and grow more like a shrub[]..
Polymorphic, there are many sub-species[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy[]. Botanically speaking it is actually the swollen flowers that are eaten![].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Very salt and wind hardy, it is an excellent plant for clothing wire netting fences in very exposed positions, making a good windbreak hedge[]. It responds well to trimming and can be grown as a free-standing shrub or hedge[].
The plant makes an excellent ground cover when it is grown in a sunny position[].

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, mid summer in a frame. Pot up in autumn and overwinter in a cold frame. High percentage[]. Plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[].