Close-up of Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with delicate green leaves on interlacing dark stems

Full view of baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with fine wiry stems and tiny round green leaves

Baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' in a nursery pot with airy dark stems and small glossy leaves

Close-up of Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with tiny round leaves on thin dark wiry stems

Baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with a compact network of fine stems and rounded foliage

Baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with fine wiry stems and tiny round green leaves

Full view of baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with trailing threadlike stems and tiny green leaves

Leaf detail of Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with fine dark stems and small glossy green leaves

Baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' with an airy tangle of dark stems and small glossy leaves

Baby Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' in a nursery pot with small round leaves on slender wire-like stems

Polygonaceae

Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

Wire Vine

5 for 4

Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' has many small green leaves on fine, flexible stems. The branches trail, scramble and interlace through one another.

Read full guide to Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

€8,50

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Choose a size

Baby · XS Pot Ø 6 cm · approx. 10 cm tall

Variant

Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

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Care at a glance

Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

Light

Very bright / some direct • approx. 20,000–40,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~10–25% dry

Substrate

Aerated • Moisture-buffered • Balanced organic + mineral • Medium

Temperature

Ideal: 5–24 °C • Avoid below: -5 °C

Humidity

Average 40–50%

Growth habit

Scrambling shrub.

Support

recommended

Growth speed

High

Cultivated size guide

Height: 50 cm • Spread: 200 cm

Toxicity & safety

Pet safety unconfirmed

Origin & habitat

Cultivar of Muehlenbeckia complexa; species native from Lord Howe Island to New Zealand

Outdoor growing

Outside from 5 °C · winter-protected spot

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

'Maori' sends out fine shoots in several directions at once. As the stems cross and weave through one another, a young plant fills out through the centre while longer shoots continue to trail outward.

Older stems become firmer and stay in place as new shoots weave through them. The plant gradually becomes denser while fresh growth keeps extending beyond the older stems.

Form and structure of Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

Thin, dark, wiry stems branch freely and interlace as they grow.
Small green leaves vary from rounded and heart-shaped to slightly elongated forms.
Flexible shoots naturally trail, scramble and weave through nearby structures.
Tiny greenish flowers may be followed by black seed-like fruits surrounded by a pale, fleshy covering on female plants.

Origin & background

Identity and natural origin of Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

Muehlenbeckia complexa is native to New Zealand and nearby southwest-Pacific islands. In its natural range, its wiry stems scramble through forest edges, open ground and coastal vegetation.

You may also see this plant sold as 'Top Secret'; both names refer to the same plant.

Plant care

Keeping Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori' healthy

Light: Give it a bright position with direct sun or bright filtered light. Even light helps maintain leafy growth along the stems.
Temperature: Keep temperatures around 5–24 °C. Protect container-grown plants from sudden cold draughts, and give outdoor containers a sheltered position in colder conditions. Container-grown plants should be kept clear of extended periods below about −5 °C.
Humidity: Average indoor humidity with good air movement suits the dense wiry growth.
Water: Water as the surface begins to dry and allow the pot to drain freely afterward. It can handle a short dry spell.
Growing mix: Use a potting mix that drains well while still holding enough moisture for healthy growth.
Feeding: Feed lightly while the plant is making new shoots and leaves.
Training: Let the stems trail, guide them around a support, or trim them to keep the plant compact.
Repotting: Repot when roots fill the container or the mix no longer absorbs and drains water evenly.

Issues & solutions

Problems with Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

Leaves drop after the potting mix becomes very dry: A very dry pot can trigger leaf loss. Water thoroughly, let the pot drain, and water a little more consistently while new shoots develop.
Leaves yellow while the mix stays wet: The mix is staying too wet. Allow it to dry further, check that drainage is open, and repot into a faster-draining mix if the soil has compacted.
Long bare stretches develop between leaves: Low light can make new growth long with fewer leaves. Move the plant to a brighter position and check how the next new shoots develop; trim bare stems later if you want fuller growth.

Safety

Keep Muehlenbeckia complexa ‘Maori’ away from children and pets

Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Names & etymology

When was Muehlenbeckia complexa first published, and what does it mean?

Muehlenbeckia honours the physician and botanist Heinrich Gustav Mühlenbeck. Complexa is Latin for “interwoven”, “entangled” or “complex”, describing the dense tangled branching.

Carl Daniel Friedrich Meisner established the genus Muehlenbeckia in 1841 in Plantarum Vascularium Genera, volume 1, page 316.

Allan Cunningham first described it as Polygonum complexum in 1838 in Annals of Natural History, volume 1, page 455. Carl Daniel Friedrich Meisner later placed it in Muehlenbeckia as Muehlenbeckia complexa in 1841 in Plantarum Vascularium Genera, volume 2, page 227.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.

Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

€8,50