Cissus quadrangularis, also known as Veldt Grape, is one of the most unusual plants in my garden. I have it contained in a hanging basket, but when a piece is knocked off, it will readily root on the ground. Cissus prefers to climb and will wind its way into the tree limbs if allowed. In early fall, the plant has small insignificant white flowers and, occasionally, small red berries that are are sterile.
Native to India, the oddly shaped perennial succulent is quadrangular in shape, segmented, and climbs (although some will fall in long strands from a hanging basket). Each section will root and produce another plant. Cissus actually belongs to the grape family. The leaves of the quadrangularis definitely resemble those of grapes.
For hundreds of years Cissus has been known to have medicinal properties. Uses for this succulent are described for digestion, blood disorders, asthma, and healing bone fractures, just to name a few. The stems, tendrils, and leaves are all beneficial and considered safe to ingest. The juice of the plant is sometimes used as a tonic and the entire plant can be made into a poultice to treat bone fractures externally.
I’ve actually tasted this curious succulent and can report it is crisp with a peanuty flavor, not at all unpleasant. I’ve sliced small rounds of a four-inch segment and have eaten it raw. There’s a bit of a light peppery aftertaste. After no ill effects, I tried a few in a salad. I have since sauteed it in a stir fry mix.
This amazing perennial succulent is difficult to find in most nurseries. It’s more of a pass-along plant. I received a small cutting as a door prize at one of our garden club meetings years ago. I plopped it into a small pot that it quickly outgrew. It is now a large hanging basket of lengthy segments with very long tendrils.
It has taken me a long time to appreciate this ugly duckling of my succulent collection. I have recently been given another Cissus that has more rounded leaves. I’m sure I’ll find a spot for it, and I'll come to value it also.
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