Vietnamese Jello Plant

This is one of several different tropical plants with foliage that contains a polysaccharide gum used as a thickening agent in soups and ...Read Moredrinks, with some alleged benefits to health. Most commonly, the leaves are kneaded in water by hand until the gum and chlorophyll has been extracted. This is another tropical species that hasn't gained much attention in the west, but has longstanding ethnobotanical value in southeast Asia.

The plant itself is an attractive climber that succeeds in a warm, humid environment, and appears tolerant of at least partial sun. While it should be able to survive outdoors in appropriate zones, I've experienced no trouble in overwintering a container specimen indoors in a bright location.