Princess Vine (Cissus verticillata) 錦屏粉藤 @Singapore Botanic Gardens

Princess Vine (Cissus verticillata) 錦屏粉藤 @Singapore Botanic Gardens (2023 0110)

Locate: Plant House, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Address: 1 Cluny Rd, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569

Getting There:

MRT Napier (TE9) Exit to Tanglin Entrance

Family Name:         Vitaceae

Synonyms:               Cissus sicyoides L.

Common Name:      Princess Vine, Possum Grape Vine, Curtain of Roots

Native:                     Tropical America

This vine from tropical Central and South America produces heart-shaped leaves and many clusters of attractive, small, black grapes, but its most attractive feature are its incredibly long aerial roots that, if left undisturbed, can reach more than 10 m in length and grow so densely that they literally form a curtain of roots, hanging from the tree it grows on. These roots also grow incredibly fast, up to one centimeter per hour!