Tolmiea menziesii
The primary time I noticed a piggyback plant, I used to be mountain climbing Mount Hood in Oregon with a buddy who lived within the area.
I noticed this cute herbaceous plant with a cool, tiny leaf rising out of its foliage.
I requested my buddy what the heck I used to be taking a look at, and he instructed me it was referred to as youth-on-age.
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Seems, not solely is piggyback plant, because it’s additionally recognized, a beloved native in my space, however it’s a valued decorative in different areas with an identical local weather.
On high of that, it’s a preferred houseplant in areas not blessed with the right Pacific Northwest local weather (I is likely to be biased).
Whether or not you propose to develop piggyback plant in a dangling pot in your kitchen, an urn to your entry, and even within the backyard, this information will provide help to out.
Right here’s a take a look at what I’ll cowl:
Tolmei menziesii is an herbaceous evergreen within the Saxifragaceae household, native to the Pacific Northwest within the cool, moist local weather west of the Cascade mountains in southern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and northern California.
When you stay in Zones 6 to 9, you possibly can develop it outdoors in shady, moist areas. In any other case, it makes a pleasant houseplant.
When not in its reproductive stage through the summer season, it appears somewhat like a small, herbaceous maple tree as a result of the leaves have an identical form to these of Acer species.
However then the tiny plantlets type on the level the place the stem meets the leaf and all of the sudden piggyback plant appears fairly completely different from every part else.
This plantlet will ultimately fall off and root within the floor. Principally, the kids stay on the mature plant, absorbing vitamins and moisture, till they’re prepared to go off on their very own.
Fast Look
Widespread title(s): Curiosity plant, pick-a-back, piggyback plant, youth-on-age
Plant kind: Herbaceous semi-evergreen perennial
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 6-9 (open air)
Native to: Pacific Northwest
Bloom time / season: Spring, early summer season
Publicity: Partial solar, half shade, shade
Soil kind: Free, loamy, effectively draining
Soil pH: 5.0-7.0, barely acidic to impartial
Time to maturity: 1 yr
Mature dimension: 2 ft huge x 2 ft excessive
Finest makes use of: Woodland or pollinator backyard, houseplant, floor cowl
Taxonomy
Order: Saxifragales
Household: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Tolmiea
Species: Menziesii
T. menziesii has a number of frequent names that replicate its funky reproductive behavior.
It could be referred to as curiosity plant, mom of hundreds (to not be confused with the succulent, Kalanchoe daigremontiana), pick-a-back plant, youth-on-age, and piggyback plant.
Along with forming plantlets, this species may reproduce through seeds and rhizomes.
The seeds type inside fruit capsules on tall stalks following uncommon chocolate brownish-purple flowers with yellow anthers.
The stems are bushy and the leaves bushy, heart-shaped or palmate with toothy margins.
There may be one other Tolmei species on the market that’s indistinguishable from piggyback plant, T. diplomenziesii.
This second species solely grows in Oregon and a small a part of northern California.
I point out it since you may often see T. diplomenziesii listed on the market as piggyback plant. It’s basically the identical, and solely botanists will know or care in regards to the distinction.
Youth-on-age grows to about two ft tall and huge when mature, so it’s not too demanding about house, and it’ll keep even smaller indoors, the place it really works effectively in a dangling planter.
Outside it’ll unfold readily through plantlets, seeds, and rhizomes in moist areas, so it’s excellent for rising as a floor cowl. When in bloom it’ll appeal to all of the pollinators.
The way to Develop
Piggyback plant is sort of simple to domesticate supplied you try to replicate its pure woodland habitat.
Soil
Piggyback vegetation love unfastened, loamy, wealthy soil, like what you’ll discover on a moist forest ground, with a number of decomposing natural matter.
Ideally, the soil must be well-draining, however this versatile species will tolerate each poorly draining and sandy soil. You’ll simply have to be conscious about watering.
A pH of between 5.0 and seven.0 is okay.
When you’re cultivating in a container, I like FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest potting combine.
I exploit it in my potted vegetation, raised beds, and to amend small areas of the backyard. It’s made utilizing earthworm castings, bat guano, forest humus, and sea meal.
FoxFarm Ocean Forest
You could find FoxFarm Ocean Forest in a single and a half cubic ft luggage accessible through Amazon.
Mild
When you’re rising piggyback plant open air, select a location in shade or dappled mild.
The vegetation will tolerate partial solar, however you’ll have to be meticulous together with your watering.
Indoors, vivid, oblique mild for a lot of the day is good.
Humidity
Many vegetation that develop within the Pacific Northwest want a great quantity of humidity to outlive, however piggyback plant is okay within the common house humidity.
Don’t hassle worrying about making an attempt to extend the humidity until you begin to see crispy brown edges on the leaves.
If that occurs, you possibly can group vegetation collectively or transfer yours into a toilet or kitchen, the place the humidity tends to be increased.
Water
In lots of components of the Pacific Northwest, there may be fixed moisture from October via Could, however it may be completely dry through the summer season months.
Piggyback vegetation have tailored to that form of shifting moisture stage. When you let the soil dry out somewhat in the summertime, will probably be completely wonderful.
Ensure you hold it evenly moist from fall via spring, however brief durations of drought shouldn’t be an issue.
Ideally, the soil or potting medium ought to really feel like a well-wrung-out sponge, not soggy and moist.
Fertilizing
Vegetation open air don’t have to be fed until your soil is extraordinarily depleted.
Indoors, it’s best to feed twice a yr: as soon as in spring and as soon as in late summer season. Whether or not indoors or out, use a fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 1-1-1 or 2-2-2.
Cultivars to Choose
Within the US, you’ll principally discover the species on the market at backyard facilities and nurseries, however cultivated varieties have gotten extra frequent, particularly in Europe and the UK.
Listed below are a couple of to look out for:
Cool Gold
Discuss eye-catching, ‘Cool Gold’ has golden foliage and it kinds dense clumps.
Past the foliage coloration, it’s the identical because the species in dimension and different traits.
Taff’s Gold
Large ‘Taff’s Gold’ is variegated with vivid yellow and inexperienced foliage. It grows a bit wider than the species however the identical peak.
The draw back is that this cultivar is susceptible to reverting again to inexperienced, so prune off any completely inexperienced leaves that type to encourage the gold variegation to stay.
Variegata
‘Variegata’ is a naturally-occurring selection that was discovered rising within the wild.
It has creamy yellow splotches on inexperienced leaves. In any other case, it’s identical to the species.
Upkeep
Pruning isn’t needed until you see useless or dying leaves. Be at liberty to snip these off.
In any other case, you possibly can prune leaves to create a form that you just like, however it’s not needed. If yours flowers, which doesn’t all the time occur indoors, you possibly can take away these on the base, as effectively.
Over time, the unique specimen will begin to grow to be a bit sparse. When this occurs, minimize it again to the bottom and it’ll re-emerge from the soil with a extra dense, compact progress.
In case your piggyback plant begins to unfold the place you don’t need it, you possibly can dig it up. It gained’t unfold into dry or sunny areas, so don’t fear; it’s not susceptible to taking up an space.
Propagation
You’ll be able to propagate piggyback vegetation from the tiny plantlets it produces, in addition to from seeds or by division.
From Seed
When you have entry to an current plant, you might have a ready-made seed supply. Or, you possibly can typically purchase them from firms focusing on uncommon or native seeds.
To reap your personal seeds, you’ll want to attend till late summer season after it has flowered and the pods have developed.
When the pods flip brown and a few of them start to open, it’s time to reap.
You’ll be able to pluck your entire pod or rub it between your fingers to launch the seeds. Acquire them in a bowl or cup beneath as they fall.
The seeds have to be cold-stratified for no less than a month earlier than sowing. To do that, fill a bag or sealable container with moist sand.
Place the seeds within the sand and set the bag or container within the fridge. Set a reminder in your cellphone to examine them each week to ensure the sand is evenly moist.
After a minimal of 1 month, however ideally two, they are often sown in pots or trays indoors for transplanting after the final frost date has handed.
Alternatively, you possibly can sow the seeds instantly within the floor outdoors in fall and let Mom Nature deal with the stratification.
Cowl the seeds with a little bit of soil after which lay rooster wire or another mesh over the world to guard the seeds from cats, crows, squirrels, and different critters that like to dig within the soil.
Divisions
Piggyback vegetation unfold through rhizomes and it’s simple to divide these to develop elsewhere.
To do that, search for a specimen with a number of clumps of stems. Gently dig down round one of many clumps and carry it out of the bottom.
You may have to snip away a number of the roots to completely separate the plant.
Set the division in a brand new spot by digging a gap the identical dimension because the roots. Place the division within the gap and fill in across the roots with contemporary soil.
Fill within the gap you left behind with soil.
From Offsets or Leaf Cuttings
These offsets are what make youth-on-age distinctive, and you realize you’re dying to attempt your hand at propagating them.
Spoiler alert: it’s tremendous simple.
The little plantlets that type on the middle of the mature leaves might be gently teased away and set it their very own containers.
Or, you possibly can simply take away your entire leaf with its piggyback and all. I want this technique as a result of there’s no threat that you just’ll take away the plantlet too early.
The offsets begin exhibiting up within the late summer season and are often passed by spring.
Search for these which are in regards to the dimension of a pencil eraser or bigger on a wholesome leaf. Use your fingers to softly tease it away from the dad or mum.
In any other case, pull or minimize a leaf with only a little bit of petiole and an hooked up plantlet. Stick the petiole in potting medium with the underside of the leaf simply touching the floor of the medium.
Moisten the soil and place the pot in an space with vivid, oblique mild.
Maintain the medium moist and whereas roots develop. Both the plantlet will leap off the leaf and begin itself within the soil, or the leaf will ship out roots. Possibly even each.
Both means, hold the newly rising specimen in its rising container till the next spring. Then you possibly can transplant it open air or repot right into a everlasting container.
Transplanting
Most houseplant specialists will carry youth-on-age. Your job is to maneuver it from the grower’s pot to a bigger, extra everlasting container or into the bottom open air.
This will probably be one of many best jobs you’ve ever achieved.
Prep the brand new container by placing somewhat potting medium within the base in order that the crown sits on the identical peak it’s in its current container.
Gently take away the specimen from the rising container and set it within the new pot. Fill in round it with extra potting medium. Water, add a bit extra potting medium if it settles, and also you’re achieved!
For planting within the backyard, dig a gap the dimensions of the rising container.
Decrease the foundation ball into the outlet and fill in round with additional soil, if wanted. Water, add extra soil if it settles, and voila.
Managing Pests and Illness
For probably the most half, piggyback vegetation are fairly easygoing.
Fungus gnats are annoying, however they aren’t the top of the world. They feed on useless materials within the floor and typically on roots.
Aphids and mealybugs may additionally make their method to your piggyback plant. Slugs may also chomp on the foliage.
When you develop piggyback vegetation in heavy clay or different unsuitable soil, likelihood is excessive that you just’ll find yourself dealing with root rot in some unspecified time in the future.
Whereas this species loves moisture, it doesn’t thrive in poorly-draining soil.
An excessive amount of standing moisture, whether or not from overwatering or poor soil, will deprive the roots of oxygen and trigger rot.
Root rot reveals up as brown, dying leaves, and the piggyback plant will ultimately collapse.
Be taught extra about root rot right here.
Carry the Woodlands to Your House
Whether or not you wish to fill a woodland-like house in your backyard otherwise you deliver the temperate rainforest vibe into your private home, piggyback plant is the right choice.
Even for those who simply wish to benefit from the look of the weird plantlets, you possibly can’t go improper.
What are your targets with this plant? Seeking to please the native pollinators? Or will it’s the right houseplant to your house? Tell us within the feedback part under!
When you discovered this information helpful and also you’re in search of a couple of extra vegetation with attention-grabbing foliage, try these guides: