Dischidia nummularia
A tropical epiphytic trailing plant with round coin-shaped, water-storing leaves that cascade from hanging baskets, thriving in bright indirect light with high humidity and well-draining media.
Common Names
Button Orchid, String Of Nickels, Pebble Beach Plant, Button Plant
Summary
An epiphytic trailing climber with slender stems and opposite round coin-shaped leaves forms hanging masses on tree trunks and branches in tropical Asia, Australia, and nearby regions; leaves are thick and succulent and the plant is evergreen, with small white flowers arranged in clusters along the nodes.
Cultivation favors very well-draining media such as orchid mix or shredded bark, bright indirect light with protection from harsh direct sun, and media kept evenly moist but not soggy, with higher moisture during growth and gentler watering in rest periods; warmth around 18–26°C, humidity roughly 50–80%, and good air movement; suitable for hanging baskets or mounts to showcase trailing habit; propagation mainly by stem cuttings; commonly grown as an ornamental indoors or in sheltered outdoor spots in USDA zones 10–11; watch for pests such as mealybugs and spider mites.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-18 inches
Spread
10-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial sun or partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-draining, airy orchid-based potting mix (orchid bark, perlite, and coco coir)
Soil Drainage
Well-drained, airy, porous soil; not waterlogged.
Soil pH
5.7-6.5, Slightly acidic to neutral, Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green, Greenish-yellow, Yellowish-green, Bronze
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Slow-growing, 5–10 cm per season.
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Ants attracted
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- R.Br.
- Publication
- Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. : 461 (1810)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Dischidia
Synonyms
Collyris minor Dischidia actephila Dischidia beiningiana Dischidia copelandii Dischidia dirhiza Dischidia gaudichaudii Dischidia glabra Dischidia horsfieldiana Dischidia microphylla Dischidia minor Dischidia orbicularis Dischidia rhombifolia Dischidia schumanniana Dischidia sepikana Dischidia nummularia var. gracilis Dischidia nummularia var. minor Dischidia nummularia var. rhombifolia Leptostemma truncatum Dischidia aemula Dischidia decipiens Dischidia ridleyana Dischidia nummularia var. orbicularis