Geitonoplesium cymosum aka Scrambling Lily

Geitonoplesium cymosum is also known as scrambling lily. It climbs, lives for years, and keeps its leaves year-round. Kew puts it in the Asphodelaceae family. Its home range spans the Lesser Sunda Islands to Fiji and Victoria. It grows in moist eucalyptus woods and open rainforest. It also grows at rainforest edges and by creeks. These sites show its need for moist soil.

Garden sources give a height of about 13 feet [4 metres]. Long stems can reach 26 feet [8 metres]. One figure gives plant height; the other gives stem length. Stems trail on the ground or climb through nearby plants. They wind round thin branches for support. The plant grows from a tuberous rootstock, a thick base below ground. Its flowers grow in terminal cymes, or clusters at stem tips. Their sweet scent draws insects that pollinate them. Each flower has both male and female organs.

It grows in climates from tropical to warm temperate. It prefers loam rich in humus, or decayed plant matter. It also grows in sand and clay. The soil can be mildly acid or mildly alkaline. Keep the soil moist. Garden accounts from Australia favour shade, but it accepts sun too. In Britain's cooler climate, a sunny, sheltered site may suit it better. This climber suits woodland edges and sites near sheltered walls. Growers also plant it for its looks.

PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 8–11, but adds key warnings. Plants in Australia have lived through about 19°F [−7°C]. This does not prove they can take Britain's cold as well. Cooler summers and longer, wetter winters may mean fewer plants survive there. PFAF says to use a greenhouse in Britain for protection. The rootstock may cope with more cold than the stems. Seeds sprout at mixed rates, sometimes taking over a year. Sow them in spring under glass. Keep young plants under glass for their first two winters. You can also split plants to grow more.

People gather and cook the young shoots for food. They eat them in place of asparagus. PFAF lists leaves as edible too. The sources give no separate way to prepare the leaves. People have used the strong stems as simple rope. Neither source reports known hazards. This does not prove the plant is safe for pets. The sources report no use as medicine. These accounts name no specific pests or diseases. PFAF does not flag this plant as weedy.