The stunning leaves of Adenia perrierii struck my eyes the moment they popped up while on the internet. The intricate shape. The contrast between the deep green and white spots. It was something that I wanted to grow YESTERDAY!
However, this plant turned out to be very hard to find. And after a while I stopped my search. And then it was there. Just randomly standing between some other plants at a plant fair.

I now grow it for a few years and noticed that this plant has the potential to become a popular houseplant, as it is easy on the windowsill, and it can be propagated by means of cuttings.

It comes from Madagascar, where it receives seasonal drought. It can lose all its leaves, which is fully natural. My plant does that in winter, which is perfect, as the low light levels are not good for the leaf development anyway. In spring I water it well and place it in a warm and bright spot. It then wakes up, and from that moment, it requires regular waterings and fertiliser.

There are also fully green forms of this plant. This is why it is best to see what you buy. Like its more famous relatives, the passion flowers, this plant is a climber. Though not nearly as vigorous. The small flowers are green and white. Nice, but definitely not the reason why people grow this plant.

So far I haven't heard that people were successful in producing seeds. This might indicate that most plants are cuttings of the same individual and that it is unable to pollinate itself.