Hello all! I purchased a Zebrina pendula a few weeks ago at Lowe's. I always admired these plants, but never had one, so I brought this one home. I love the contrast between the silvery-green and deep shades of purple on this plant.

Ours lives on our front porch, as the centerpiece of our patio furniture sitting area.
It is still in the original plastic pot (it was a hanging pot, but I removed the hangar hook) and gets 2 or three hours of direct morning sun each day and then gets indirect sun the remainder of the day. I water it ever day or two and I also placed a ceramic dish beneath it to help retain water.

So far this plant has REALLY lived up to its name! When I brought the plant home, it's longest tendrils did not extend below the bottom edge of the pot or dish. Now, however, they are dangling well past that mark, extending down the legs of the bar stool upon which it sits. This is not a problem for me, but I want to know the best way to prune this plant if/when the time comes to cut back some growth.

Pruning is a matter of personal taste. Some people like to have really long vines trailing down to the ground and below. Others prefer to keep it shorter and more compact as yours now is.

Understand that new growth is almost always limited to the tip ends of each stem or vine, If the soil gets too dry or stays too wet, the plant will sacrifice the older leaves closest to the pot first. That also happens as some of the older leaves age. The result can be long sparse stems with leaves only at the ends.

The other thing to understand is that new growth will emerge on any stem starting at the point where you make a pruning cut and then grow down from there. This allows you to determine its overall length and shape.

When your plant has reached the length you prefer, I suggest that every week or so, you select one of the longest vines and cut it back to within a few inches of the soil. That pruned off vine won't be missed among all the others and new growth will then start close to the pot and grow down from there. This selective pruning is the best way to keep a plant at the size and fullness that you prefer and to also rejuvenate it. Just pruning off the tip ends of the vines is not as effective long-term.

Thanks Will! I'll keep this in mind. My plant seems to do very well currently. I give it some water every other day or so, and it seems to get the right amount of light on our covered front porch. So far, it's growth is pleasing, so I don't want to prune it, but when I start to see some dead foliage, I may consider pruning.

Last weekend, I noticed some pretty purple flowers on one of the vines. I took some photos, and am glad, because we had a bad storm that night which blew them off. Any idea how I can encourage more of these blossoms?

It is better not to wait for leaves to turn brown before pruning. Your choice.

Lots of good light and a tight pot are the keys to more flowers.