Wire vine

Muehlenbeckia complexa

In other languages: Muehlenbeckia (Nederlands) · Muehlenbeckia (Français)

Muehlenbeckia complexa comes from New Zealand and is called wire vine in English, after its thin, dark brown, wiry stems that tangle in every direction. They carry small, round to fiddle-shaped leaves of 1–2 cm. It is evergreen, climbs or trails and reaches about 3 m tall and 2 m wide. In summer it bears tiny, greenish-white flowers that are easy to miss; in autumn small, white, fleshy fruits follow. Gardeners use it in pots, against fences, over metal topiary frames and as ground cover. In Flanders it can be cut back by frost in a hard winter, but it usually shoots again.

Caution: It can spread strongly by underground runners and rooting stems. In milder regions elsewhere in the world it is a troublesome weed; keep it in a pot or well contained and do not dump clippings in the countryside.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
down to -10 °C
protect in harsh winters
Size
3 m
tall, 2 m wide

Key facts
Pruning months	April and July
Height	3 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Wire vine: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Climber or trailer with thin, wiry, twisting stems; up to about 3 m tall and 2 m wide. It forms a dense, tangled mass.
Leaves: Small, 1–2 cm, round to fiddle-shaped, glossy dark to light green. The shape can vary from plant to plant. Evergreen.
Flowers and fruit: Very small, greenish-white flowers in summer that are easy to overlook. In autumn, small, white, fleshy fruits with a black nut inside.
Stems: Thin, tough, dark brown to black and intertwined; they wind round supports and over other plants.
Roots: It roots where stems touch the ground and can form underground runners, which lets it spread.

Plants: April–May and September · Pruning: April and July

In your garden

Why grow it?

Delicate, fine foliage that looks good all year: a soft, airy climber or ground cover.
Ideal in pots, hanging baskets and over metal shapes or frames, because it is easy to train.
It tolerates trimming: you can keep it in shape whenever you like.
Grows in sun and part shade and is happy in almost any free-draining soil.
After a hard frost it usually shoots again from the base.

Wire vine: where does it grow best?

Sun to part shade; in full sun the foliage stays more compact.
Free-draining soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. Not in waterlogged or compacted soil.
Moderately moist; once established it also tolerates a little drought.
A sheltered spot is best, especially against cold east wind in winter.
Allow 50–100 cm per plant as ground cover; give a mesh, trellis or wire frame as support for a climber.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Normal
Size: 3 m tall, 2 m wide
Hardiness: Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

Lavender: A sturdy, sun-loving neighbour with grey-green leaves and purple flowers.
Ornamental grasses: Soft plumes and long stems alongside the fine, twisting stems.
Coral bells: Dark or bright foliage contrasts nicely with the small leaves.
Hardy geranium: Flowers freely in sun and part shade and fills the edge of the border.

Maintenance

Wire vine: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

Plant in April–May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in a few spadefuls of compost; in heavy clay add some sand too.
Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, spreading the stems out in all directions.
Water in generously straight away and spread a thin layer of bark or compost mulch around the base.
In a pot: choose a pot at least 30 cm wide with drainage holes and a layer of clay pebbles, and fit the support frame at the same time.

Care

Water: In the first year water regularly in dry spells. In a pot keep the compost lightly moist, but never soggy. Once established in the garden it rarely needs extra water.
Feeding: In spring, a granular feed for foliage plants or a layer of compost. In a pot, a little liquid feed every 4 weeks from April to August.
Mulching: A thin layer of bark or compost in spring keeps the soil moist and protects the roots in winter.
Tying in: Guide the shoots gently along the support at first and tie them in loosely; later it twines by itself.
Repotting: Repot a potted plant every 2–3 years in spring, or divide it when the pot is full.

Tip: Grow it in a pot with a wire frame: within a few seasons it forms an attractive, dense shape. Trim in April and in summer, and wait until spring to prune so you can see what the frost has spared.

Wire vine: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and July.

When: In April, cut it back after winter; during the growing season (up to August) you can trim it whenever you like.

How:

In April, remove dead or frosted stems and shorten shoots that are too long.
You can prune it hard, to 20–30 cm above the ground: it usually shoots again from the base.
Keep shapes or screens tidy with scissors or small hedge shears; trim little and often rather than a lot in one go.
Thin out a dense, tangled mass by removing old stems at the base, so light and air can get in.

Caution: Do not trim it too late in autumn: young shoots that have no time to harden off are easily killed by winter frost.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings: June–August: cuttings of 8–10 cm from young shoots, lower leaves removed, in sand and potting compost under plastic. They root in a few weeks.
Division and layering: In spring, split off a piece with roots, or pin a stem down on the ground: where it touches the soil it forms roots.

Wire vine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

Hardy to about −10 °C. In a hard winter the foliage can turn brown or the plant can die back to the ground, but it usually shoots again from the base.
In November, put a 5–10 cm layer of leaves or bark over the base and plant it, if possible, in a sheltered spot, against a wall or out of the wind.
In a pot: stand it against the house wall, wrap the pot in hessian or bubble wrap and bring it into a frost-free place in severe frost.
Only cut away damaged stems in April–May, when you can see which parts are truly dead.

Diseases and pests

Frost damage: Brown, limp leaves after a hard winter or cold east wind. Wait until May to prune; the plant usually shoots again from the base.
Spreading: It spreads by rooting stems and by runners. Keep it in check by trimming, with a root barrier or by growing it in a pot.
Root rot: Yellow, limp leaves in a waterlogged pot or compacted soil. Provide drainage holes and free-draining soil, and do not overwater.
Spider mite or aphids: In a dry, sheltered spot or a warm room: tiny webs or sticky shoots. Rinse off with water and mist a little more often.

Through the year

March: Look at frost damage, but do not prune yet.
April: Cut back and shape. Plant. Apply mulch.
May: Plant. Fit and tie in the support. Start feeding.
June: Trim. Take cuttings.
July: Trim. Water in dry weather.
August: Last trim. Take cuttings.
September: Plant. Divide potted plants.
October: Put mulch around the base.
November: Protect pots or move them somewhere frost-free.
December: Rest. Water a pot only in frost-free weather, if needed.

You and this species

Did you know?

In New Zealand, where it grows wild, it is called pōhuehue.
It belongs to the Polygonaceae, the knotweed family, along with rhubarb, buckwheat and Japanese knotweed.
The leaves vary a lot in shape, from round to fiddle-shaped, sometimes on one and the same plant.

Garden plants · All species