Maidenhair vine

Maidenhair vine (Muehlenbeckia complexa) is commonly grown as a houseplant and is almost hardy in Denmark. It can be cultivated in pots or used as a ground cover in the garden, provided it is protected with spruce branches or leaf mulch during winter.

The species is native to New Zealand, where it grows along coastlines, in scrubland, and on rocky slopes. There, its long, wiry stems scramble over rocks and through shrubs, often forming dense tangles of vegetation.

The English name maidenhair vine refers to the plant's delicate, lace-like appearance. Its fine, wiry stems and small leaves resemble the graceful fronds of maidenhair ferns (Adiantum).

Many plants have scientific names that may seem puzzling at first. The genus name Muehlenbeckia was given in honour of the Swiss physician and botanist H. G. Muehlenbeck. Curiously, he was best known for his studies of mosses and other cryptogams rather than the flowering plants that later came to bear his name.

The small greenish flowers are rather inconspicuous, but after flowering they develop into small fruits. In some species, these are surrounded by a white, fleshy floral envelope. Birds feed on the fruits and help disperse the seeds in the wild.