Parthenocissus striata, commonly known as Sugarvines, are as sweet as their name. Belonging to the same family as Virginia Creepers, their leaves have that characteristic star shape, consisting of 5 scalloped leaflets that come together to form clusters of lush, green snowflakes. The vines can be easily trained up a pole or left to cascade down like a curtain of leafy stars. 

Treat Sugarvines like you would most tropical plants. Give them a warm home in bright, indirect light and water once a week. Just as you take sugar in your morning coffee, give your Sugarvine morning sun. For those of you who are busy bees and don’t have the time to do much more than water, this is the plant for you! They’re low maintenance and fast growing, giving you time to focus on the sweeter things in life. Though there are few sweeter things than being surrounded by beautiful houseplants!

You may be wondering how the Sugarvine got its name. As they mature, they develop tiny white crystals on their leaves from releasing excess glucose, as though they’ve been sprinkled with sugar! This is a totally natural process that doubles as a defense mechanism against pests, but is generally harmless to humans and animals. We don’t recommend munching on handfuls of Sugarvines for breakfast, but rest easy knowing that ingestion will only cause mild discomfort for you or your furry friends.

As with many trailing houseplants, propagation is easy as one, two, three! Cut a stem with at least 2 nodes, stick it in a jar of water, wait for roots to form and voila! Your new Sugarvine is ready to be potted into soil. They make the perfect gift for your sweetheart or someone that simply needs a little more sugar in their life.