Tolmeia menziesii Common name: Piggyback plant                         Youth-on-age	Indicates sun requirement      Full sun      Half sun      Semi-shade      Shade   Indicates water requirement          High water requirement.     Water every 1-2 days.          Medium water requirement.     Water every 3-7 days.          Low water requirement.     Water every 7-14 days.
Description A bushy, evergreen foliage plant reaching about 35cm. It has a bushy, clump-forming, spreading habit and its long-stalked mid to light green leaves are soft, heart-shaped or rounded and covered with tiny white hairs, resulting in a velvety appearance. It is a great container plant that can be grown indoors or outside in full shade. Given high light and a cool room it might produce a few greenish flowers lined in maroon. (Near a bright window is good!) Its common name is due to the tiny plantlets borne at the base of each mature leaf, which makes it look as if a small leaf was riding piggyback on a mature one.
Growing Plant in a soil mixture that is mainly rich loam. Use soil Potting mix only if growing in a container, and a neutral pH soil if growing in garden beds. The plant will tolerate some surface drying without damage, but generally the potting mixture should be kept moist. Grow indoors or in full shade only. Although this plant requires a position where it gets medium to bright light (eg near a window), it will not tolerate direct sun! To encourage new growth and bushiness pinch back old leaves. Feed established plants 3 times a year with a water-soluble fertiliser, high in nitrogen, or use a slow release fertiliser. Propagation: By seed or leaf cuttings with plantlets. Each leaf blade has buds on its base from which new plants arise. By allowing the leaves to remain with the mother plant until they bend their stems and touch the potting mixture, they will root. Common problems: If tips and edges of leaves turn brown - and also in dry weather - raise humidity. (Place the pot on a pebble filled water saucer, but never spray the foliage, as the leaves resent being wet!). Check for mealybugs at leaf nodes and axils. Most suited to warm coastal to subtropical districts if grown outside, but indoors Tolmeia menziesii will do well in all but cold conditions.