The botanical name for this vine is Cissus Discolor plant while the common name is Rex Begonia Vine or tapestry plant and belongs to the Vitaceae plant family. The Cissus Discolor plant is native to Java, Cambodia, and the rest of Southeast Asia and is a popular houseplant that can be grown outdoors and indoors. In this article, we cover Cissus Discolor Plant Care and How to grow and care for Rex Begonia Vine Plant
Cissus Discolor Height, Length, Appearance
Cissus Discolor vine can grow to 8 to 10 inches long if left unhindered. Rex Begonia vine has leaves that are heart-shaped as well as elongated and have a variegation that is striking. Leaves, when they are young, are burgundy in color and when they grow up they have a center an underside, and outer margins that are burgundy wine in color but the main leaf is dark green with a white center in the veins. When you grow this vine across a trellis or a fence they will climb up as they grow while if you grow them in hanging pots then they will cascade downwards giving a beautiful look through their foliage.
Cissus Discolor Care
The best light conditions for the Cissus Discolor plant are bright but indirect sunlight when grown indoors and partial shade when grown outdoors. The best water requirements for rex begonia vine indoors is to water it every 8 to 10 days when in pots less than 8 inches and every 10 to 14 days in larger pots and for the outdoors is to water it daily in small pots and every few days in large pots. The best fertilizing requirement for rex begonia vine is to fertilize it every 3 to 4 weeks with an organic liquid fertilizer from spring to late in the summer
Light requirements Indoor
Cissus Discolor plant requires bright but indirect sunlight when grown indoors which means that sunlight should be bright but the rays of the sun should not directly hit the leaves of the plant. Indoors you can grow it in a hanging basket or even a large pot and place it near east-facing windows for the best light as it can get the sunlight from the morning sun and is protected from the heat of the afternoon sun. If east-facing windows are not available the second best option is south-facing windows but you have to take care that the pot is some distance away from south-facing windows so that sunlight is indirect.
Light requirements Outdoor
When growing a Cissus Discolor plant outdoors you should provide it with partial shade which means morning sunlight or shaded afternoon sun while hot and direct afternoon sun should be avoided
Water requirements Indoor
When growing a Cissus Discolor plant indoors water the plant only when the soil seems dry to touch if the diameter of the pot you are growing is less than 8 inches then you need to water it every 8 to 10 days and if the diameter of the pot you are growing is more than 8 inches you will need to water every 10 to 14 days. Make sure you have pots with drainage holes don’t leave any water standing
Water requirements Outdoor
When growing a Cissus Discolor plant outdoors and if you are growing it in a small pot or in a hanging container then water it daily during summer and if you are growing it in a large pot then water it every few days. As you should be keeping it away from the direct sun the water will not dry out quickly but do touch the soil and make sure that it is moist after watering and water it again if it feels dry. If you are moving the plant indoors during winter after planting it outdoors then during winter only water it once every 4 weeks as the plant is dormant in winter.
Fertilizer requirements Indoor
When growing a Cissus Discolor plant indoors fertilize it with a liquid fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks from spring to late in the summer and stop fertilizing in autumn and winter when it will be dormant.
Fertilizer requirements Outdoor
When growing a Cissus Discolor plant outdoors you can fertilize it anytime during summer whenever you are adding fertilizer to the rest of the garden as it is not picky.
Cissus Discolor Indoors vs Outdoors
You can plant this vine both indoors and outdoors but when planting it outdoors you will have to plant it as an annual plant as it cannot handle frost and cold temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or you can plant it outdoors during summers and bring it indoors during winters. If you grow rex begonia vine indoors as a houseplant you can enjoy this for years as it is a perennial. If you grow it outdoors then you can enjoy it from spring to fall and then add it to compost in winter or bring it inside indoors during winter. Before you move your rex begonia vine indoors in winter you will also have to cut it around half the size so that it can tolerate the shock of the change in its environment otherwise its leaves may turn yellow and die.
Cissus Discolor Propagation
You can propagate the rex begonia plant by rooting stem cuttings in soil, and water, and by layering just make sure when rooting you use that end of stem cutting that was closer to the root and not the terminal end that was away from the roots as otherwise plant will not propagate.
Propagation by Soil
To propagate the Cissus Discolor vine by soil first cut off a piece of stem that is around 6 inches long and has at least 3 to 4 leaves. Take the stem cutting and remove all and keep just 1 leaf and then apply a rooting hormone on the bottom 1 inch. Take the bottom end of the stem cutting that has rooting hormone and place it in a pot that is filled with soil. Water the plant and cover the plant with a plastic bag to maintain humidity and after 4 to 6 weeks you will see the plant has rooted at which point you can remove the plastic covering.
Propagation by Water
To propagate the rex begonia vine by water first cut a piece of stem that is around 6 inches long and has at least 3 to 4 leaves. Take the stem cutting and remove all and keep just 1 leaf and then place that cutting into a jar of water so that the bottom 2 inches are in the water. After 4 to 6 weeks the plant will develop roots and then you can remove the plant and place it in a pot with soil
Propagation by Layering
To propagate the rex begonia vine by layering make sure you pin the vine to a pot filled with using a hairpin or bent wire so that you make one of its leaf nodes ( the point where the leaf is attached to the stem) be in contact with the soil. Make sure you water the soil to keep it moist and leave it for a few weeks you will see that roots have started to develop at the node at that point you can cut off this section of the vine and pot it separately as a new plant.
Cissus Discolor Pruning
If you are growing this plant outdoors pruning is recommended in the fall so that you can move this plant indoors during winter you should use a pruner to cut down its size by half and then move the plant indoors however if you are growing this plant indoors then you only need to prune when you feel this vine has grown too much so that you can maintain the look of the plant.
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