Grow Dischidia in bright, indirect light, in chunky orchid mix, and water when the mix is mostly dry. Dischidia here is the trailing epiphyte sold as watermelon Dischidia or string of nickels (button orchid on some tags), not a Hoya and not a moth orchid.
Give it bright indirect light, chunky orchid mix, and water when the mix is mostly dry
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Bright, indirect light, such as an east window with a little morning sun | Do not set it in hot midday sun, and do not keep it in a dim corner |
| Water | Soak until water runs out, then wait until the mix is mostly dry | Do not leave a saucer of water under the pot |
| Mix | Orchid mix, or coco-husk chips with a little moss | Do not plant it in regular potting soil that stays wet |
| Humidity | A pebble tray or a humidifier if the room is dry | Do not keep the leaves wet for long |
| Pot | A hanging basket or small pot with a drainage hole | Do not grow it in a pot with no hole |
| Feed | A dilute feed in spring and summer | Do not feed in winter when growth slows |
Dischidia is an epiphyte, so the roots need air as well as water. Bright, filtered light keeps the vines compact, and a chunky mix lets a soak drain instead of sitting around the roots. Soggy mix is the primary cause of root rot. [1] watermelon Dischidia uses that same light and mix. Its oval leaves carry silvery stripes, and hot midday sun scorches them.
- Set the basket near an east window, or back from a brighter south or west window, so the leaves get bright light without a long blast of midday sun.
- Water until it runs from the hole, then water a second time because chunky mix sheds the first pass. Wait until the mix is mostly dry before you water again. [2]
- Use a dilute feed in spring and summer. Skip fertilizer in winter when growth slows.
- Empty the saucer after you water. A pot with no hole holds water around the roots.
How much light does Dischidia need?
Bright, indirect light. An east window with a little morning sun works. Dim rooms stretch the vines and dull the leaf markings.
How often should I water Dischidia?
Soak until water runs out, then wait until the mix is mostly dry. Chunky mix often needs a second pass so it is wet through.
Pot it in orchid mix, in a hanging basket with a hole
Knock the plant from its nursery pot and set it at the same depth it was already growing. Fill around it with orchid mix or coco-husk chips, not garden soil. A hanging basket with a drainage hole matches the trailing habit and lets the soak run out. [3]
- Choose a hanging basket or small pot with a hole, about an inch wider than the nursery pot.
- Fill it halfway with orchid mix or coco-husk chips.
- Set the plant at the same depth it was already growing. Do not bury the stems.
- Water until it runs, then water a second time so the chunky mix is wet through. Empty the saucer.
string of nickels uses that same basket and mix. It is the coin-leaf trailer, not a second watering calendar.
What mix do I pot it in?
Use orchid mix or coco-husk chips in a pot with a hole. Regular potting soil holds too much water around epiphyte roots.
Take a stem cutting and root it on damp moss
The usual way to make more Dischidia is a stem cutting. Aerial roots already sit at the nodes, so a short piece on damp sphagnum is enough. Wear gloves, because the milky sap can irritate skin. [4]
- Cut a healthy stem about three to four inches long, with two pairs of leaves, just below a node.
- Strip the lower leaves. Let the cut rest a day, or lay the stem on damp sphagnum moss.
- Keep it in bright, indirect light. The moss should be damp, not dripping.
- When roots show, pot the cutting into orchid mix and treat it like the rest of the basket.
How do I take a cutting?
Cut a three- to four-inch stem with two leaf pairs, rest the cut a day, then lay it on damp sphagnum in bright, indirect light.
Not a Hoya — and not a watermelon peperomia or an orchid
Hoya is the wax plant with thicker leaves and showier star flowers — see How to Grow Hoya. Dischidia is the smaller trailer in the same family. Read the Latin on the tag if the shop only says wax vine.
Watermelon peperomia is Peperomia argyreia, a clump of petiole leaves, not a trailing Dischidia — see How to Grow Peperomia. String of turtles is also a peperomia. String of pearls is a Senecio with bead leaves — see How to Grow String of Pearls.
Button orchid is a shop name for string of nickels, not a moth orchid — see How to Grow Phalaenopsis. Orchid cactus is Epiphyllum — see How to Grow Orchid Cactus.
Is this a Hoya?
No. Hoya is the wax plant. Dischidia is the smaller trailing cousin. Read the botanical name on the tag.
Is button orchid an orchid?
No. Button orchid is a shop name for string of nickels, Dischidia nummularia. It is not a moth orchid.
Set it in bright, indirect light in chunky orchid mix, and water when the mix is mostly dry.
FAQ
Can I leave it outdoors all winter?
Only where frost never reaches the patio. Everywhere else, grow it in a basket you can bring in before a freeze.
Is the sap irritating?
The milky sap can irritate skin, and it may cause mouth burning or vomiting if it is ingested. Wear gloves when you cut, and keep pets from chewing the leaves.
Do I need to feed it?
A dilute feed in spring and summer is enough. Skip fertilizer in winter, when growth slows.
Will it bloom indoors?
It may make small cream or white flowers in bright light. The plant is grown for the leaves. Flowers are a bonus, not the reason to buy it.
Do you hold million hearts or the ant plant?
No. Million hearts is Dischidia ruscifolia, and the ant plant is usually Dischidia pectinoides. This catalog holds watermelon Dischidia and string of nickels.
Can I mount it on bark?
You can wrap a cutting onto cork with damp sphagnum, but a hanging basket of orchid mix is easier to water in a dry room. Mounted plants dry out fast.
Do I need to prune it?
Only to shorten a long vine or to start cuttings. Snip just above a leaf pair and pin the extra stem back into the basket if you want a fuller top.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dischidia-ovata/ - [2] Gardener's Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/houseplants/grow-string-of-nickels/ - [3] Ohio Tropics -
https://www.ohiotropics.com/2019/05/26/dischidia-nummularia-string-of-nickels/ - [4] Botanapp -
https://botanapp.com/plant/dischidia-ovata
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors