Struggling Candy Corn Vine
My mom has a candy corn vine. It gets these little red-orange to yellow cone shaped flowers that are reminiscent of candy corn. The problem is that on every leaf the tip or leaf margin turns very dark and then the leaf dies. The plant seems to be struggling but it keeps growing up the trellis and is now 4 feet tall.
This plant, reported hardy in zones 10 through 12, is botanically known as Manettia luteorubra and has gained popularity over the past few seasons. The interesting flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees outdoors. When moving it indoors give it lots of light, keep the soil only slightly moist and don't fertilize unless the plant is actively growing and appears to need a nutrient boost. Over or under watering and over fertilization can cause the symptoms you describe. Move the plant to a sunnier window if possible or add an artificial light to supplement the light of the rather dreary days of winter. Adjust your watering to avoid soggy or droughty soils. Place pebbles in the saucer so the plant sits on the pebbles and above any water that may collect in the saucer. In time you should see a decrease in browning and increase in healthy growth.
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