Jade Vine Plant Guide: How to Propagate Jade Vine

Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) is a perennial woody vine (called a “liana”) and legume in the bean plant family (Fabaceae) native to the tropical rainforests of the Philippines. Its other common names include turquoise jade vine, emerald vine, or emerald creeper.

These climbers can grow up to fifty feet long, with oblong, pale green foliage that blooms showy, claw-shaped flowers with blue-green petals in the late spring and early summer. Jade flowers grow in long racemes or trusses, creating a chain of flowers that can reach several feet in length. Jade vines produce seed pods following their bloom time.

These tropical plants commonly appear in damp areas like ravines or the sides of streams. They creep up supports like trees, trellises, or pergolas to search for the best sun exposure, while bats pollinate their flowers.

Jade vines currently qualify as an endangered species due to the deforestation and degradation of their natural habitat.

There are a few different types of jade vine that you can find at your local garden center.

1. 1. Black jade vine (Mucuna nigricans): These jade vines can grow upwards of fifty feet long, with dark purple to black colored flower clusters that bloom in the early spring and winter. Unlike the blue-green jade vine, these flowers grow in grape-like clusters rather than claws.
2. 2. Scarlet jade vine (Mucuna bennettii): Also known as a New Guinea creeper or red jade vine, this plant is native to Papua New Guinea. Unlike the turquoise color of the blue jade vine, scarlet jade vine blooms bright, red flowers. Some vines can reach one hundred feet in length.
3. 3. Yellow jade vine (Mucuna sloanei): Yellow jade vine—also known as gold jade vine— prefers damp areas and grows seedpods with needle-like hairs. These vines are native to South America and disease-resistant.

Plant jade vine year-round when growing it inside a greenhouse or as a houseplant, which will give you the ability to create the perfect tropical environment. Jade vines are not frost-hardy and can only tolerate a minimum temperature of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They thrive in hot and humid environments, mainly in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12.

Jade vine propagation is a popular method for growing this tropical plant inside your home. Follow these steps to propagate a cutting:

1. 1. Obtain the cutting. Jade vines propagate easily through fresh cuttings from mature plants. During the late spring, select a healthy stem from an existing jade vine that is at least six to twelve inches long. Remove the leaves from the bottom two inches of the cutting. Dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone powder.
2. 2. Prepare the soil. Fill a small container with a seed-starting mix. Make a hole deep enough in the mix to fit the bottom half of the cutting. Stick the cutting in the hole, then press the soil around it to keep it in place. Place a few stakes taller than the cutting in the soil around it.
3. 3. Root the cutting. Place a plastic bag over the entire plant (the stakes hold the bag up without bending the plant). Place the growing container in a warm area with lots of bright light, and remove the bag every few days to mist the cutting. Once your cutting sprouts new growth, remove the plastic bag altogether.
4. 4. Transplant the cutting. Transplant your jade vine cutting into a large clay pot filled with a well-draining, peat-based potting mix. Plant the cutting at the same level in the new soil as it was in its original container. Insert a trellis or stakes into the soil mix to give the jade vines a sturdy support to wrap themselves around as they grow and climb.
5. 5. Place the pot in direct sunlight. Jade vines prefer full sunlight so place the container in a warm area that receives direct sunlight.

Jade vines need a bit of special care to grow successfully, though they are mostly pest and disease resistant. Follow these care tips to help your jade vines thrive.

1. 1. Aid pollination: Jade vine flowers are dioecious, meaning that different specimens have male or female characteristics, and they do not self-pollinate. Aid their pollination by using a paintbrush to spread pollen across the blooms.
2. 2. Water sparingly: Wait until the top inch of the soil is visibly dry before watering your jade vine. Water your plant slowly until you see a few drops run out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. Overwatering may lead to root rot. However, brown leaves are a sign your jade vine is not getting enough water.
3. 3. Prune as necessary: Trim back some of the vines of your jade after the blooms fade. However, over-pruning will delay next season’s blooms.
   
4. 4. Fertilize biweekly: To feed your jade vines, use a weak, balanced fertilizer twice a month throughout the growing season. Jade vines prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil pH. Learn how to adjust soil pH.
5. 5. Provide sunlight: Jade vines prefer full sunlight and should receive direct sun exposure all year round.
6. 6. Manage humidity: Tropical jade vines prefer high humidity, but they can tolerate average levels. Add humidity to the growing environment with a pebble tray or a humidifier.
7. 7. Harvest the seeds: Only fertilized flowers will produce plantable seed pods. Once the jade vine blooms fade, seedpods emerge containing up to twelve seeds. Gather these seeds and plant them about a quarter of an inch beneath fresh potting soil (keeping part of the seed visible on the surface). Water the seeds, then let them germinate for up to three weeks in a warm area with no direct sun. Transplant to a larger clay pot with a trellis after the seedlings take root.

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