Why people love it
The Hindu rope plant is a form of the wax plant with a twist, literally. Its glossy leaves fold and curl so tightly along the stem that each vine looks like a thick, knotted rope. Grown in a hanging pot, the ropes spill over the edge. Mature plants can produce round clusters of waxy, pink, star-shaped flowers.
Care in a nutshell
- Bright, indirect light. It grows slowly in dim spots and rarely flowers there.
- Let it dry out. Water when most of the soil is dry. Its thick leaves store water, so it handles a missed watering better than too much.
- Leave the flower stalks. After flowering, don’t cut off the short, bare stalks. New flowers grow from the same spot.
Watch out for
- Mealybugs. The tight folds are a favorite hiding place. Check inside the curls now and then. The pests guide explains how to deal with them.
- Soft, yellow leaves usually mean too much water. Let the soil dry out more between drinks.
Growing more
Cut a piece of rope with at least two or three leaf nodes, let the cut end dry for a few hours, then root it in a chunky mix or in water. It’s slower to root and grow than a plain wax plant, so be patient.
Fun fact: Like other wax plants, its flowers can drip sweet, sticky nectar. Put something under the pot while it’s in bloom.
