Bottle Plant Plant Care
Fockea multiflora K.Schum.
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Fockea multiflora, or python vine, is a plant of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, native to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip, and Malawi. It is a large semisucculent liana, growing to some 15m in length and up to 60 cm in diameter, found primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.
Every 14–21 days
Bright indirect light
60–80°F
40–60%
At a glance
How do you care for Bottle Plant?
Water Bottle Plant every 14–21 days, letting the top layer of soil dry out between waterings, and give it bright indirect light. It prefers temperatures of 60–80°F (16–27°C) and 40–60% humidity. Fertilize it every 6 months during the growing season.
Where Is the Bottle Plant Native To?
What Is the Bottle Plant?
Bottle Plant (Fockea multiflora) belongs to the Apocynaceae family within the Fockea genus. Bottle Plant is native to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip, and Malawi.
Bottle Plant displays a vining, succulent shrub growth habit, reaching up to 2 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1.5 ft. Bottle Plant produces small, star-shaped white flowers.
Leaf size: approximately 3 inches.
How Often Should You Water a Bottle Plant?
Fockea multiflora requires watering every 14–21 days. Allow the top layer of soil to dry between waterings to prevent root rot. Reduce watering frequency during winter when growth slows.
Watering Frequency
Every 14–21 days
Let soil partially dry between waterings
What Light Does the Bottle Plant Need?
Bottle Plant thrives in bright indirect light. Avoid placing Bottle Plant in direct, harsh sunlight for extended periods, as this can scorch the foliage.
Light Requirement
Bright indirect light
What Temperature and Humidity Does the Bottle Plant Prefer?
Fockea multiflora grows best at temperatures of 60–80°F. Bottle Plant prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.
Temperature
60–80°F
Humidity
40–60%
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Bottle Plant?
Well-draining succulent mix with sand and perlite. Good drainage is essential for Bottle Plant to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Often Should You Fertilize a Bottle Plant?
Feed Bottle Plant every 6 months during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced fertilizer diluted to the strength on the label.
Pause feeding in autumn and winter, when growth slows, and never fertilize dry soil — water first.
Fertilizing
Every 6 months
During the growing season
The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.
How Do You Repot a Bottle Plant?
Repot every 2-3 years in early spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a Bottle Plant?
Bottle Plant can be propagated through stem cuttings, tuber division. Similar propagation techniques also apply to edible fockea plant care, which shares the same genus.
Is the Bottle Plant Toxic to Pets and Children?
Pet safety not verified
The ASPCA does not list Bottle Plant, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Keep pets from chewing it as a precaution.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the Bottle Plant?
Bottle Plant is susceptible to mealybugs, spider mites. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
What USDA Hardiness Zone Does the Bottle Plant Need?
Bottle Plant grows outdoors in USDA Zone 13a. It survives winters down to planting zone 13a. Bottle Plant is native to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, including the Caprivi Strip, and Malawi. In cooler regions, grow Bottle Plant as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.
Hardiness Zone
Zone 13a
Keep exploring plants
Bottle Plant is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Fockea genus — compare its care with other Fockea species on PlantoScan.
Fockea is part of the Apocynaceae plant family — browse all Apocynaceae genera and species.
Bottle Plant thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
Related Plant Care Guides
Closely related plants with similar care requirements:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Fockea multiflora K.Schum., family Apocynaceae (first published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 17: 145 (1893)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Pet safety not verified: the ASPCA does not list Bottle Plant, so we can't confirm whether it is safe for cats and dogs. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 13a, calculated from the plant's minimum temperature.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
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