Chameleon plants

[Esther]

I put this on the terrestrial plant side but was to impatient for someone to answer. Will Chameleon plants put in pots do OK if brought in the house for the winter in Michigan?

[Joyce]

Do you have a cold garage?

Or can you dig the pots in the ground for the winter?
Up against the house foundation surrounded/covered by leaves would be OK too.

[crazyfishlady]

I don't believe you can kill Chameleon plants. I made the mistake of planting it as a ground cover years ago. It spreads with runners and we worked for 10 years to get rid of it. Round-up, brush killer nothing could harm it.

[Esther]

No what I meant was----will it survive as a house plant? I have had it outside for about 3 years and thought it would be a pretty house plant. I suspect it won't. It's hardy in Michigan. I had stuck some of the wandering pieces that I pulled up in a couple of pots on the deck. It is a pretty plant there.

Some of it was coming up in the cracks between the patio blocks. I added some water to a bunch of table salt and dribbled it on the stalks. Then I poured dry salt on it. It shriveled rather quickly. But of course underground, it will be heading a different direction by now probably.

[Missa]

I have some in a place that doesn't get much sun & it doesn't get the red & cream ... it stays all green.

[karen J]

That plant is so strange. It doesn't survive winter when planted in the pond, yet it's incredibly invasive outside the pond. Esther, If you need "guinea pig" plants to try inside, I've got tons of it for you. 

[perplexed ponder]

Esther,
I haven't had any luck with chameleon plants in the pond either. I keep looking for plants I can just leave that will come back in the spring. So far mint is the best performer for me. On the pond tour in Port HUron I saw all sorts of plants people just leave and they tell me they keep coming back. The didn't even sink them. I am trying some forget me nots and grasses this year.

[Joyce]

That's because chameleon plant really isn't a pond plant.
It's a garden perennial that likes moist to wet soil.
Just like Cardinal Flower, hibiscus and a lot of the irises.

Take it out of the pond and plant it in moist to wet soil and watch 'em take off and thrive.
In a pond, they simply survive.
 

[Esther]

Kathy if I ever tear up my top shelf that has the rocks, I'll have about $7,000 worth of pond plants, two types of mint, a type of bamboo, a tri corner grassy thing, water celery, and I forget what else. I didn't plant any of it. I just plunked rocks on top of the roots and the stuff took off until now it is a tangled mess. The mint has jumped the pond a few years ago and I just rip it up to try to keep it from overtaking the world. The celery is the same way. I'm worried it'll find a crack in the house foundation and end up in the basement. When I tear it up, I'll mention that I have it and you can get some. If you really want some now, I can go in the pond and rip some out. The mint that you have, what kind is it?

[perplexed ponder]

Thanks Esther! It can wait till next year, unless you are ripping before then! haha! I want to just put plants in the rocks too, no pots.
My mint is Chocolate mint. When you rub the leaves it smells like chocolate mint. It takes over too.
I am trying a pickerel rush taht way. Have you tried that one? I did have 2 hostas come back this year as well.

[Esther]

No pickeral rush. The chocolate mint sounds cool. I have a spearminty one and the other is supposed to be peppermint but I don't really think it is much that way. I'll hollar if I get energized and start ripping. If it turns out that the leak in my pond is in the tube between the pump and the Skippy, then we'll have to start digging I guess. Then the plants will have to go.