How to Grow Curtain Creeper: Cuttings, Wall Wires and Pruning
To grow curtain creeper, root a pencil-thick stem cutting in the warm months, plant it in a deep box or the ground at the top of a sunny wall, and give it strong horizontal wires to drape over. In Karachi and the Punjab plains it can hang a green curtain down a boundary wall within a season or two. The plant is easy. The support is where most people go wrong.
Before you start
- Plant: curtain creeper, sold as Vernonia elaeagnifolia (now listed as Vernonia elliptica or Tarlmounia elliptica)
- Grown for: the hanging curtain of small grey green leaves; the whitish flower clusters are minor
- Sun: full sun, ideally 6 hours or more
- Water: low once rooted; more in pots and in 45C weeks
- Propagation: stem cuttings, which root readily
- Container: a planter box of 40 litres or more, or a 16 to 18 inch pot, at the wall top
- Best planting window: late February to April, or after the monsoon in September
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Where does curtain creeper grow well in Pakistan and North India?
It is a warm climate plant, probably from Indo China, and is planted on walls in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Dhaka as well as Karachi. It behaves like a tropical plant. Here is how it does by zone.
| Zone | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal humid (Karachi) | Plant | No frost, long growing season; the classic Karachi wall curtain |
| Hot dry (Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur) | Plant | Handles heat if the roots are mulched and watered deeply in June |
| Punjab plains (Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi) | Plant | Grows fast March to October; a few frost nights may scorch tips |
| Sub humid (Islamabad, Peshawar) | Maybe | Frost can burn it back; plant against a south facing wall |
| Hills (Murree, Abbottabad and up) | Skip | Too cold for long; it will not survive a snowy winter outdoors |
How do you grow curtain creeper from cuttings?
Cuttings are how almost every curtain creeper in a nursery was made, and they are the method to use at home. Seed is not sold and is not worth chasing.
- Pick the wood. In March to May or in September, cut 15 to 20 cm lengths from firm stems that are a little woody at the base, about pencil thickness. Soft green tips wilt before they root.
- Strip and trim. Remove the leaves from the lower half. Cut the base just below a leaf joint.
- Use a lean mix. Fill a 6 inch pot with half sand and half cocopeat or old compost.
- Plant three to a pot. Push each cutting in to about a third of its length, firm the mix and water once thoroughly.
- Shade and wait. Keep the pot in bright shade, out of the afternoon sun. Water when the top centimetre feels dry.
- Check for roots. New leaves after three to five weeks usually mean roots. A gentle tug that meets resistance confirms it.
- Move up. Plant out once roots fill the pot, ideally before the hottest June weeks or after the monsoon.
The wall trick nurseries rarely mention
Plant at the top of the wall, run two or three galvanised wires along it, and let the stems flop over and hang. That is how the dense Karachi curtains are made. Planted at the base, it gives a bare, leggy bottom. For a low wall that needs a clipped screen instead, a hedge such as clerodendrum inerme suits better.
What is the best support for curtain creeper?
The plant has no tendrils or suckers. It scrambles and then hangs, so it needs something to lean on. NParks Singapore notes it can climb but requires support and suits growing over walls.
- Wall top wires: 3 to 4 mm galvanised wire on eye bolts set into the masonry every metre or so, with turnbuckles to keep it tight.
- Steel railing or grill: fine if it is welded and solid. Thin decorative balcony railings bend under a full grown curtain.
- Bamboo or wooden trellis: fine for the first year, but it rots and sags in the monsoon. Replace with steel later.
A mature curtain holds a surprising amount of leaf and stem, and after rain it holds water too. Wind then pulls on that wet mass like a sail. Anchor into concrete or brick, not into plaster alone. For narrower spots like a balcony, see our guide to a vertical garden on a railing first.
Pot, soil and planting: what does it need?
In the ground, dig a hole about 45 cm wide and deep and mix a bucket of compost into the soil you took out. In a container, go big: a long planter box of 40 litres or more, or a pot of at least 16 to 18 inches across. Small pots dry out in hours in a Multan May.
A good mix is two parts garden soil, one part compost and one part coarse sand or cocopeat. Our potting mix ratio guide explains why each part is there. Drainage holes are not optional. The roof edge must also carry the weight of a wet planter, so check with whoever knows your building before lining a parapet with heavy boxes.
How fast does curtain creeper grow?
Fast from March to October; a well fed plant in the ground can cover a stretch of wall within one to two seasons. Pot grown plants are slower. Almost nothing happens in a Lahore or Delhi December, and that pause is normal.
Watering, feeding and care through the year
- March to May: water deeply when the top 3 to 5 cm of soil is dry. Feed with a handful of compost or a balanced NPK fertiliser, applied at the rate on the pack, once a month.
- June and July heat: in pots, water daily in the evening when it is 45C; in the ground, a deep soak two or three times a week. Mulch the root zone with dry leaves.
- Monsoon: let rain do the work. Check that planters drain and do not leave water standing, which breeds mosquitoes.
- Winter: water every week or two. No fertiliser. On frost nights in the north, a sheet over the lower stems helps young plants.
Why is my curtain creeper not flowering?
Mostly because it is not really a flowering plant in the garden sense. The flowers are small whitish to pinkish clusters, and many people never notice them. If a plant is also thin and pale, the cause is usually shade, a tiny pot, or too much nitrogen fertiliser making soft leaves. Give it more sun and a bigger root run. Do not expect a bougainvillea style show.
Curtain creeper pruning: when and how?
Trim the hanging ends with clean secateurs whenever the curtain reaches the length you want, mostly from April to September. Cutting the tips makes the stems branch, which thickens the curtain. A harder cut to shape the top can be done in late February in the plains, just before growth starts. Keep it off electric wires, out of gutters and away from a neighbour’s side. Dispose of trimmings rather than dumping them on empty plots, where pieces can root.
The real hazard is the structure, not the plant. A loaded curtain can pull down a weak railing or loose wall top fittings, and work on parapets and roofs is a fall risk: use a ladder with someone holding it, never lean over an edge alone. Keep planters off parapets that children climb. There is no good toxicity data for this plant, so treat it like any garden ornamental and keep small children and pets from chewing it; for the plants that are known to be poisonous, see the site’s list. If you spray anything beyond soap and water, read the label, wear gloves and keep children away until it dries.
Curtain creeper questions people ask
Can curtain creeper grow in a pot?
Yes, if the pot is large. A planter box of 40 litres or an 18 inch pot at the top of a wall can give a decent curtain; small pots give thin stems and dry out too fast in summer.
How long do curtain creeper cuttings take to root?
Usually three to five weeks in warm months. In winter they can sit for much longer without rooting, so March to May or September is the time to take them.
Does curtain creeper need full sun?
It grows best with six hours or more of direct sun. It survives in part shade but turns thin and sparse, which defeats the purpose of a curtain.
Is curtain creeper good for a boundary wall?
It is one of the best for hot plains and coastal walls because it hangs instead of climbing. Plant at the top, wire the wall well, and it makes a soft green screen that also shades the masonry.
Can curtain creeper survive winter in Islamabad?
Often, but frost can kill back the tips and sometimes the whole top. Plant against a sunny, sheltered wall and cover young plants on frost nights.
Does curtain creeper damage walls?
The plant itself does not grip or root into masonry. Damage comes from weak anchors pulling out under the weight, or planters leaking water onto the wall top.
What is curtain creeper called in Urdu or Hindi?
In Hindi it is often called parda bel, and most nurseries simply say curtain creeper. Ask for it by that name rather than the botanical name, which has changed several times.
How do I make my curtain creeper thicker?
Pinch or trim the hanging ends every few weeks in the growing season. Each cut makes the stem branch, and more stems mean a denser curtain.
Why are the leaves on my curtain creeper turning yellow?
In a pot it is usually soggy soil, no drainage hole or a pot that is too small. Mealybugs on soft spring tips can also yellow leaves; hose them off, then use a mild soap spray if they return.
More climbers, hedges and flowering plants for local gardens are in Phool aur Paudhe.