Fallopia Multiflora Variegated Care

About:

Fallopia Multiflora Variegated is an herbaceous perennial vine native to central and southern China that can reach lengths of 6 -12 ft. Also known as "Chinese Knotweed."

Family: 

Polygonaceae

Light Requirements: 

Bright indirect to semi-shade - I keep my mother plants pretty close to a grow light (about 200-250 PPFD (µmol/m²/s) and they're doing very well. That said, in their native habitat they can be found in the forest undergrowth, so I suspect they'd do fine in shadier spots as well.

Temperature & Humidity: 

55 - 80° F (12.5 - 26.5° C) / 60% + Humidity.
(The listed values are the averages for their native habitat.)
I've actually not found these guys to be very picky about temperature and humidity, within normal ranges. They do not do as well in temps above 90° F and are prone to melting if they get too hot. If you live in a place that experiences colder, dryer, winters (like myself) you might just want to consider moving it near a humidifier, at least during those months.

Watering: 

These plants are so. so. so. thirsty. I strongly recommend you Do NOT let their substrate dry out completely. I cannot stress enough how quickly they will crisp up on you if it does. (A very expensive lesson I learned early on the hard way.)

Luckily, they'll usually warn you before you've crossed the point of no return by very dramatically wilting as if they've never had a drop of water in their whole life. Even though you watered them less than 24 hours ago. 

Mine get a drink every 2 days via bottom watering (or "butt-chugging," as we professionals say.) My plant tent is kept very hot though, so your mileage may vary. Until you get a feel for how they behave in your environment I would recommend checking frequently (every few days) and watering as needed. 

Grow Media: 

I grow mine in a coir Potting Mix but even a standard bag o' dirt from Home Depot would be fine. These guys prefer a denser, more water retentive, medium. They can also be grown in moss, and I do all my props in a Fluval mix (more on that in a moment) though I wouldn't recommend leaving them in Fluval long-term. 

I would caution against any of the chunkier type mixes, or LECA. I do know some people that have had success in Pon, though I've not tried it personally so I'm hesitant to make any guarantees there.

Growth Rate: 

On a scale of 1 (slowest) to 5 (fastest) they are a 10. Value your personal space? Too bad. Your house is theirs now. 

Propagation: 

On a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (most difficult) I would say they're a 3 for beginners. Getting them in the right media and growing them under the right conditions will make a big difference. If you're experienced propagating other vining plants, you likely wouldn't struggle at all. They're really not as bad as everyone says, and even if they were, they grow so fast the losses aren't as catastrophic as with other plants. 

They're propagated by stem cuttings, I prefer one established leaf per section, top cuttings always seem to choose death, but that might just be me. I like to do mine in a semi-hydro prop mix (a combination perlite, Fluval and, optionally, vermiculite) but they also do fine in straight Fluval Stratum, moss or even directly planted in soil. 

Toxicity: 

In humans - Reynoutria multiflora is actually listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is one of the most popular perennial traditional Chinese medicines. Caution must be taken, however, as overconsumption can lead to hepatitis. 

In animals, THIS is all I could find - "No toxicity or death was observed in mice [given] oral doses up to 100 g/kg during 14 days of observation." But as with anything that causes liver toxicity, I probably would not recommend letting kitty (or doggy) (or baby) chomp on it.

Additional Information: 

• Fertilizing: I fertilize mine with about 1tsp per gallon of Foliage Pro every watering. Foliage Focus is another great one. Anything with a decent N-P-K should be fine -  EXCEPT:
  • I do not recommend NutureSystem No. 1 for these. While other plants seem perfectly happy with it, Fallopia do not. I have tried it (a couple times) and in both instances it lead to pronounced chlorosis when applied at the recommended dose. 
• Pruning: Can help encourage variegation. If you notice a vine is starting to revert (or go too pink), give it a trim to activate new growth points along the stem. 
• Reputation: Lastly, while they have a reputation for being dramatic plants, I don't really feel that's a bad thing - If they're unhappy, they'll let you know it. Underwatering will cause the plant to crisp up on you, overwatering may cause edema especially on the variegated leaves. If the plant becomes stressed about... anything, it will wilt on you. Listen to what it tells you, and you'll get on A-OK.

If you have any questions, or some advice of your own to offer, please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!