The Teddy Bear Vine, also known as the teddy bear plant, is a distinctive houseplant native to South Africa.
Its scientific name, Cyanotis Kewensis, is another term commonly used to refer to this vine.
The teddy plant features trailing or spreading stems covered with unique fuzzy, tear-drop-shaped, chocolate-brown leaves, giving it the appearance of a teddy bear’s ears.
Due to its soft and fuzzy texture, this plant has earned the nickname teddy bear plant, teddy bear tradescantia, or tradescantia teddy bear. It also is known by the synonym Cyanotis beddomei.
The growth shape of the plant makes it ideal for small hanging baskets or containers and for growing horizontally on any flat surface.
With its slow growth, you won’t have to worry about the teddy plant becoming too unruly.
Cyanotis Kewensis Quick Care Tips
- Botanical Name: Cyanotis Kewensis
- Common Name(s): Teddy Bear Vine
- Synonyms: N/A
- Pronunciation: Sy-an-NOH-tiss Kew-EN-sis
- Family & Origin: Commelinaceae family, native to South Africa
- Growability: Easy to grow
- Grow Zone: USDA zones 10a to 11b
- Size: Grows 6” – 8” inches tall and 12” – 24” inches wide
- Flowering: Produces mauve shade flowers in late spring, late summer, and early fall
- Light: Bright or medium-light spot
- Humidity: Prefers high humidity
- Temperature: Thrives in temperatures between 60° to 80° F
- Soil: Enriched, well-draining soil that is mildly alkaline to mildly acidic
- Water: Water when the top inch of soil is dry
- Fertilizer: Fertilize during spring and summer with general-purpose houseplant fertilizer
- Pests & Diseases: Susceptible to mildew and fungi
- Propagation: Propagate through tip cuttings
- Plant Uses: Used as a trailing plant in hanging baskets, rock gardens, container gardens, or as a ground cover in terrariums.
Teddy Bear Vine Care
Taking care of the teddy bear Cyanotis vine is relatively easy. This includes providing proper teddy bear plant care to ensure healthy growth.
Size and Growth
The teddybear plant resembles a small fuzzy wandering jew and grows up to 6” – 8” inches tall with a spread up to 12” – 24” inches.
Flowering and Fragrance
The Cyanotis plant sprouts flowers during late spring, late summer, and early fall.
The flowers are hardly an inch in size and are mostly in the mauve shade.
Some also produce blue-violet or pinkish purple colored flowers.
Light and Temperature
Cyanotis Kewensis prefers to be placed in a bright spot or medium-light conditions.
In most areas, teddy bears can tolerate direct sun through a window.
However, this is ideal in the morning (east-facing window plants) and not in the afternoon because a harsher amount of sunlight can start burning its foliage.
Like the majority of houseplants, the teddy bear vine can easily grow under grow lights, regular fluorescent lights, and plant lights.
These plants can flourish in normal room temperatures but prefer high humidity.
Put the Teddy Bear Vine succulent on a tray filled with warm pebbles to keep it humid.
The ideal temperature for this plant is 60° – 80° degrees Fahrenheit (15° C – 27° C).
It can still tolerate cold temperatures, a minimum of 50° degrees Fahrenheit (10° C), without experiencing any damage.
Moreover, the teddy bear wandering jew grows well in warmer climates in USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b.
Teddy Bear Plant Care: Watering and Feeding
Water Cyanotis Kewensis if you feel the top inch or so of the soil has become dry.
This plant would rather be consistently drier as compared to consistently wet for a long time.
Since the teddy bear vine plant actively grows all through the year without having a resting period, moderately water it during all seasons.
Occasionally, letting the soil dry out is beneficial for the plant and can enhance the color of the olive-green leaves.
Moreover, this plant prefers high humidity levels but can tolerate average room humidity.
To achieve high humidity levels, try placing the plant on a tray filled with warm pebbles, which can help maintain moisture.
Fertilize Cyanotis beddomei to enhance its growth.
The ideal feed time for this plant is usually during the spring and summer seasons.
It’s best to utilize a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer.
Make sure you check the instructions on the packaging before feeding the tradescantia teddy bear vine.
However, keep in mind you should not overdo the fertilizing.
Being an ever-growing plant, teddy bear wandering jew needs feed once every two months, no more.
Liquid fertilizer is the ideal fertilizer for Cyanotis Kewensis.
Soil and Transplanting Teddy Bear Vines
Cyanotis Kewensis prefers enriched, well-draining, and even ordinary soil, which is mildly alkaline to mildly acidic.
It will also do well in high-quality succulent potting mix. Or you can make your own potting soil by adding perlite, coarse sand, vermiculite, or pumice to regular potting soil.
It’s not necessary to repot this plant since it is sparse for ornamental leaf plants to spread too much.
If your teddy bear vine has gotten old, it should be repotted every five years in a new mixture at the beginning of the growing season.
In the majority of cases, there is no need for a larger pot.
Grooming and Maintenance
Indoor Teddybear vines do not require much grooming and maintenance.
- Trim off the stems using scissors if you don’t want them to grow too long.
- Place this plant in a location with sufficient light, but avoid direct sunlight.
- Watering once a week is fine since it doesn’t need a lot of water to grow.
Cyanotis Teddy Bear Vine Propagation
If you’re interested in expanding your Teddy Bear vine collection, you can easily propagate them from cuttings.
How to Propagate Teddy Bear Vine using Tip Cuttings
- Simply cut off a tip cutting or a stem with three pairs of leaves
- Remove the bottom leaves
- Place the stem cutting in a pot with a well-draining soil mixture.
- Place the potted cutting in bright, indirect lighting.
- Mist the soil regularly to enhance rooting and growth.
- Once the plant starts to grow, resume the usual watering schedule.
Cyanotis Pest Or Disease Problems
If the teddy bear vine is constantly moist or stays at a cool temperature for a prolonged period, it will result in root rot.
The soggy soil may turn the plant brown.
Since Cyanotis species are typically robust, the plant’s vulnerable to pest infections if placed in the wrong location.
Examples of pests to look out for include spider mites and aphids. To prevent the further spread of disease, isolate the affected plant and treat it with horticultural oil.
The Teddybear gets attacked by mildew and fungi, which can result in leaf damage.
The major threat, however, for this plant is low temperatures and too much watering.
Therefore, you must place this plant in the right location and water moderately.
Suggested Uses For Cyanotis Vine
There are numerous uses for the teddy bear vine plant.
The ideal usage is as a houseplant, and perfect for kids. It also works well in rock gardens, container gardens, and hanging baskets and is placed in any nook to brighten it up.
You can also place the fuzzy bear plant on a flat surface like a tabletop or office desk to add a pop of color.
This plant also attracts butterflies and makes excellent groundcover and hanging planters!
If you want to add some variety to your indoor garden, the teddybear vine is an excellent choice. The plant doesn’t require much care and is sure to brighten up any space.
Now, you might ask: Is the teddy bear vine toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets?
While the Teddybear Vine is a beautiful addition to any indoor garden, it is important to note that the teddy bear vine can be toxic to pets.
Keep the plant out of the reach of your furry friends to ensure their safety.