The Chinese lantern plant is a plant from Africa with small heart-shaped leaves that can be light green to dark green. Another name for the plant is Ceropegia. The plant grows in long and thin stems and is therefore mainly used as a hanging plant for cupboards or in a hanging pot. The name of the plant comes from the flowers that can grow on the stems. Those small flowers are very similar in shape to Chinese lanterns. The care of this popular plant is not difficult at all and the cuttings of the lantern plant is very easy. A very suitable houseplant for beginners.
Taking care of the Chinese lantern plant
Taking care of the Chinese lantern plant is very easy. The plant does not require any special nutrition and repotting is not necessary. If the plant is properly cared for, the small flowers will appear several times a year.
Place in the house
The plant can be in different places in the house, but the lighter the more beautiful the plant will become. The plant will also grow in a dark place, but then the leaves will turn light green to white and the plant will become very gray. The more light the plant gets, the darker and more beautiful the heart-shaped leaves will become. The plant prefers to grow in the warmth of a living room and is therefore not suitable for keeping outside.
To water
The roots and stems of the Chinese lantern plant grow from a tuber. These tubers do not tolerate water very well, because they rot quite quickly. Therefore do not make the soil too wet. In the summer, a small splash of water once a week is more than enough. In winter this may be even less. Then a small splash of water once every two weeks is enough.
Pruning
If the stems of the plant are especially long and thin without leaves, these ugly pieces can safely be pruned. This is no problem for the plant, because the stalk will simply grow back. Another option is to tie the long stems up towards the pot and then grow down again to get a full, but not very tall plant.
Cuttings of the Chinese lantern plant
Cuttings on water
There are two different ways to propagate the Chinese lantern plant. The first way is cuttings in water. Cut a piece of about 10 to 15 centimeters from the mother plant. Remove the leaves from the bottom of the stem and place the bottom of the cutting in the water. After a while roots will start to grow on the cutting and you can move the cutting to a pot with soil. Once in the soil, the growth of the cutting will stop for a while, because the plant will mainly grow underground. After a few weeks, however, the cutting will start to grow again and form a new plant.
Cuttings with tubers
In addition to leaves, the Chinese lantern plant also has small tubers on the stems. New plants can grow from these tubers and can therefore be used to propagate the plant. Cut a tuber from a stem of the mother plant with about 5 centimeters of stem on each side. Place the tubers on the soil in a pot and press the tubers a little bit into the soil. The tuber must lie on the ground and certainly not go underground. Give a tiny amount of water around the bulb about once a week. After a while a new stalk will grow from the tuber and the mother plant has succeeded in propagating.
