Dischidia Plant Care

What is Dischidia?

Dischidia nummularia, also known as string of nickels, are epiphytic plants with heart-shaped leaves natively belonging to the tropical regions of Asia and Australia.

The dischidia plant resembles Tillandsia, as the latter are air plants that reside on other plants to obtain moisture and nutrients for their growth. Belonging to the succulent group of plants, they do not need bright and direct sunlight to thrive. Instead, they need indirect sunlight and grow well in low-light conditions.

Dischidia makes for a cute indoor plant with its gray-green foliage. This unusual and easy-to-grow houseplant is quite the popular choice amongst plant enthusiasts, especially when hung up in a beautiful woven hanging basket.

Appearance

Dischidia is also known as the button orchid and produces white and yellow flowers.

The mature plant can grow 12 to 18 inches long and spread to an area of 15 to 24 inches. Dischidia plant thrives in USDA hardiness zones 10 to 11.

The plants look beautiful in hanging baskets or planters on covered patios.

How to Care For Dischidia Plants?

These tropical plants are easy-to-grow houseplants that require little maintenance.

The dischidia plants are easy to grow indoors as the plants thrive in warmer regions. However, if you are growing them outdoors, ensure that they are not subjected to cold spells.

Dischidia plants are easily grown outdoors in an area with warm climates year-round. The plants cannot tolerate frost in extremely cold temperatures.

The air plants need consistently moist soil and humidity so that the prolific growers are happy in their right growing environment.

You must repot the dischidia plants annually because the root bound can hinder their proper growth.

The plant’s trailing stems need trimming and shaping if they grow too large to accommodate, and the roots need plenty of aeration so that they can breathe and encourage better growth of the plant.

Soil

It is recommended to grow Dischidia in a well-draining, light, and airy growing media. Avoid using soil-based growing media.

The epiphytes need proper airflow around their roots so that the plant can thrive. A potting mix that is rich in organic matter, like orchid potting mix, shredded bark, or coconut husk chunks, will allow a sponge-like medium for the roots with plenty of air bubbles to absorb nutrients and water properly.

The fiber-like potting mix is essential for the sensitive roots, and regular potting soil can prove to be too dense for the roots, holding excessive moisture that can lead to the development of problems for the plant, like root rot.

Light

Dischidia is a no fuss plant that grows extremely well in low-light conditions. It is recommended to place the succulents in front of a north-facing or east-facing window, where they can receive adequate sunlight but diffused enough not to scorch their little cup-shaped leaves.

Soft morning or late afternoon light is perfect for growing healthy dischidia plants. If you are growing them outdoors, ensure that you are locating your plant in a shady location where it is protected from harsh sun rays.

Water

This unusual houseplant prefers moist sphagnum moss, which will not allow the plant to sit in waterlogged soil.

You can regularly mist your string of nickels plant as the air plants can absorb the moisture through their leaves. You must never allow your plant to sit in overly moist soil as excessive water can attract fungal diseases to the plant, like root rot.

Allow the plant to dry out between watering. The soil-based growing media can hold too much moisture, which is why you must use a porous growing medium to provide optimum moisture quantity to your dischidia plant.

Temperature and Humidity

The string of nickels thrives in warm and humid environments. These plants are not winter-hardy and cannot tolerate frost or cooler temperatures.

These plants grow well as houseplants, as typical humidity and temperatures present indoors suit their requirements.

It is recommended to provide additional humidity to the plant when weather conditions are too dry for its growth and appearance.

You can place the plant in a humid area of your house, like bathrooms or kitchen, as the plant can survive in low light and high humidity of these places.

Avoid placing your string of nickels near an air-conditioning or heating vent, as such places have fluctuations in temperature and humidity, which can pose additional stress on your plant.

When weather conditions are too dry for your plant, then you can place a small humidifier or pebble tray near your dischidia plant so that its surrounding environment is saturated with water vapors.

Propagation: Dischidia Plant

It is easy to propagate dischidia by stem cuttings. The cuttings allow new plant establishments which grow into a healthy and new string of nickels.

Take cuttings from a parent plant and allow them to callous for a few hours. Then root the stem cuttings in moist sphagnum moss and wait two to three weeks for the roots to emerge. Once the new roots are established and the cuttings are well rooted, you can repot them in an orchid potting mix.

Alternatively, you can use coco coir or coconut husk to care for the young plants.

Tell Me the Pest Problem Dischidia Nummularia Faces?

The most common disease that attacks dischidia is root rot, so it is highly recommended to plant your string of nickels into a porous growing medium that will allow proper airflow to the plant roots.

Do not overwater your plant so that the roots can breathe properly. Ensure that the plant has a suitable potting mix designed specifically for epiphytes.

Other common pests like spider mites, aphids, and mealy bugs can attack the succulent. These sap-sucking pests will suck the life out of your plant if you don’t get rid of them efficiently. Inspect your string of nickels regularly, and use appropriate treatment methods to eliminate these pests and diseases.