PlantFiles: Chestnut Vine
Tetrastigma voinierianum

I just recently purchased my first Tetrastigma voinierianum at my local nursery! I am so stoked to see it grow like crazy. The staff member at the nursery was so enthralled that I was buying it because she herself has one! She was so incredibley helpful, even telling me that the tiny specks on the fuzzy underside of the leaflets were not insects but in fact sand crystals that the plant makes! From what she told me, every time that I water it I should feed it with a high nitrogen fertilizer at the same time. I'm to keep it on the dry side, and in intermittent light. What I love the most about it is its size and appealing characteristics. The perfect plant! Thank you for all the help Heather!!

Otherwise known as the "Man-Eating Plant" in this household, my Tetrastigma is quite happy being pinched back to a manageable four-foot height. It has a tendency to drop its new growth when the soil is allowed to become slightly too dry, but this has not been a problem since I prefer to keep it pruned. I have been able to start slips from softwood cuttings, although it's somewhat tricky.

Friends refer to the plant as a "presence" in my living room!

ive come up with several names for my specimen due to its size and its apparent ability to move: Audrey III (little shop of horror's "feed me Seymour!"), seymore, "IT" (not a reference to steven kings novel), and... Tetragrammaton; refers to the four hebrew letters usually transliterated as YHWH or JHVH, used as a biblical proper name for GOD (-: i took it from a bright, hot, dry, under watered, undernourished environment to a medium-low light, relatively cool (55-75 f), medium-high humidity environment (indoors-seattle, i let it dry out between waterings), and use an organic 4-4-4. also used some Superthrive vitamin/hormone to help the transition. there was some leaf drop, but it quickly came back with new growth: new leaves on an ever-elongating branch that can move a foot or two in one day for light or to reach something to kindly envelop. ive removed it from dried curly willow, a tv, and a piece of wall art --and i love it!! trains easily: just needs attention and a pet name.

6-10-05 time to repot... its currently planted in coco fiber and its original pot from the store. i would like something that would breakdown and work with a organic fertilizer, but this thing doesnt seem to like wet feet. a mixture maybe... anyone know whats worked well for them and there tetrastigma?