The Weird + Wonderful Ribbon Bush

Homalocladium Platycladum

Homalocladium platycladumn or Ribbon Bush is an amazing looking leaf-less plant with long, flattened stems resembling the shape of tapeworms.  Hence, it’s horrible nickname ‘Tapeworm Plant’.  The plant is from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and is totally unusual and incredibly beautiful. 

A very bizarre member of the rhubarb and buckwheat family, all you see are the stems.   The plant does not create leaves and only occasionally appear as the new growth.  The stems are segmented and utterly flat, smooth and sturdy.  It’s crazy looking as it branches out and weaves itself up, weirdly, forming a tall, bushy mass of tangled ribbons.  The plant gets to approx.,  300 cm tall and tends to flop over once it reaches about half that height unless you stake it, to help it stay upright.  The stems keep growing upward anyway, giving it an arty character, and full of movement and rhythm.  In bright light, the plant produces white flowers and attractive red fruit along the ribbon edges. 

The Ribbon Bush is easy to grow, and it grows quickly.  It suits warm climates and can grow happily in a pot and moved indoors over winter.  It likes part, to full sun and in hot climates, it will look best with some afternoon shading.  It enjoys regular watering and feeding and will grow in ordinary, well-drained soil.

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