Muehlenbeckia complexa 'Maori'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.