Gynostemma pentaphyllum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Jiaogulan (Sweet Tea Vine)

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

£15.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerant
Pot size
12cm / 1L £15.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Gynostemma pentaphyllum, better known as jiaogulan or the sweet tea vine, is a fast, graceful herbaceous climber from the cucumber family. Its fresh green, five-parted leaves have been brewed for centuries across southern China and Japan as a naturally sweet, grassy herbal tea, and the vine itself scrambles elegantly through trellis and wires by curling tendrils.

We rate it around RHS H4. The top growth is not frost proof: the first proper autumn frosts cut it to the ground, and that is entirely normal. The roots overwinter to around -10C as long as the soil drains sharply, then send up vigorous new shoots each spring that can make 4 to 6 metres of growth in a single season.

Grow it up a warm fence or obelisk for fast summer cover, weave it through exotic borders, or keep it in a large pot by the kitchen door for picking. For an evergreen flowering partner on the same wall, try Passiflora caerulea.

What you receive: an established plant in a 12cm pot, ready to plant out or pot on.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Jiaogulan (Sweet Tea Vine)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Jiaogulan (Sweet Tea Vine)

Gynostemma pentaphyllum needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Screening & Privacy

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

We rate it around H4 and it behaves as a herbaceous perennial in the UK: the first real frosts kill the top growth back to the ground, and the roots overwinter to around -10C provided the soil drains sharply. Mulch the crown with dry material in colder gardens, or grow it in a pot and move it into a shed or greenhouse for winter. Some growers report established clumps shrugging off colder snaps in free-draining soil, but do not rely on it in a cold, wet site. See what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Give it a warm, sheltered spot in full sun or partial shade, with wires, netting or a trellis for its tendrils to grip. A little afternoon shade keeps the leaves soft and lush for picking. Trained on a fence it makes quick summer cover alongside our other screening plants, dying back neatly each winter.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH

Fertile, free-draining loam or sandy soil suits it best, slightly acid to neutral. Winter wet is the main threat to the roots, so work grit into heavier ground before planting. It also thrives in a large container with drainage holes, like the rest of our plants for pots, which makes overwintering under cover easy in cold gardens.

Watering

Keep the root zone evenly moist through the first growing season while the deep roots establish. Established plants appreciate steady summer moisture but must never sit in cold, waterlogged soil over winter. Read moreShow less

Keep the root zone evenly moist through the first growing season while the deep roots establish. Established plants appreciate steady summer moisture but must never sit in cold, waterlogged soil over winter.

Mature size

Height4-6 m
Spread1-1.5 m

Reaches full size in 1-2 years

Growth habit

Climbing

Flowering

Jul-Aug

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets. The leaves are traditionally brewed as jiaogulan herbal tea.

Native range

China to Japan and SE Asia

Family

Cucurbitaceae

Also known as

Gynostemma pentaphyllum

Genus

Gynostemma
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jiaogulan hardy in the UK?

Broadly yes, with one honest caveat. We rate Gynostemma pentaphyllum around RHS H4: the roots overwinter to about -10C in free-draining soil, but the top growth is herbaceous and dies back with the first proper frosts. In cold or wet gardens, mulch the crown or overwinter a potted plant under cover.

Does Gynostemma pentaphyllum die back in winter?

Yes, completely, and that is normal. The vine is cut to the ground by frost each autumn. Clear away the dead growth over winter and vigorous new shoots will push up from the roots in spring, quickly reclothing their support. See what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons.

Can I make tea from jiaogulan leaves?

Yes. The five-parted leaves are the classic jiaogulan tea of southern China and Japan, brewed fresh or dried into a naturally sweet, slightly grassy infusion. Pick regularly through summer; harvesting the tips also keeps the vine bushy and productive.

How fast does jiaogulan grow?

Very fast. From ground level each spring it can make 4 to 6 metres of twining growth in a single warm season, gripping trellis and wires with tendrils. That makes it a brilliant quick fix among our screening plants for summer cover, resetting neatly each winter.

Can I grow jiaogulan in a pot?

Yes, very happily. Use a large container with free-draining compost and a small obelisk or canes, and keep it evenly watered in summer. A pot also solves the winter question in cold gardens: move it into a shed or greenhouse once the top growth dies back. Browse more plants for pots.

Does jiaogulan need full sun or shade?

Either suits it, within reason. It grows well in full sun or partial shade in a warm, sheltered spot; a little afternoon shade keeps the leaves softer and better for tea. For a sunnier evergreen companion on the same wall, try Passiflora caerulea.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£15.99