Huernia zebrina
With propagate , spineless stems , lifesaver cactus ( Huernia zebrina)is a offbeat succulent .
Gracing a windowsill , trail from a cling field goal , or serving as ground cover , the shiny red centre and tiger - striped petals of the flowers are uniquely spellbind !
Lifesaver cactus is an evergreen succulent that has branching , leafless stem lined with spikes .
Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.
Those spikes may look like spine , but they are not piercing to the contact , and despite its common name , H. zebrinais not a true cactus !
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Also known as lifebuoy huernia , owl eyes , little owl eyes , and zebra - stripy huernia , the radical have four to six angle , and are green , turning red purpleness when exposed to intense light or cool temperatures .
Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.
Ready to learn more about this unique succulent ? Here ’s what I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
How to Grow
Where to corrupt
Maintenance
Propagation
Pests and Disease
These succulent plants reach three to six inches tall and have a creeping growth habit , spreading to 12 inches wide or more .
At the Qaeda of the stems is where the intriguing heyday appear , in pairs or small clustering .
These blooms are fairly with child – assess between one and three inches extensive – and are wizard - shaped , with yellow and crimson Panthera tigris chevron or mottling , and a shiny round tintinnabulation at the center , inhale the plant ’s common name .
Common name(s):Lifesaver cactus , lifebuoy huernia , owl middle , zebra - strip huernia
plant life type : evergreen plant succulent
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):10b-11b ( outdoors )
Native to : Mozambique , South Africa , Swaziland , Zimbabwe
Bloom time / time of year : Spring , summer
picture : Full sunshine , light tad
grime type : Succulent / cactus growing medium , well draining
Soil pH:6.1 - 7.8 , somewhat acid to more or less alkaline
Time to maturity:2 - 5 years
age size:12 in all-embracing x 3 - 6 inch high
Best use : advert basket , houseplant , ground cover , xeriscaping
Taxonomy
Order : order Gentianales
Family : Apocynaceae
Genus : Huernia
Species : Zebrina
Ready for a less picturesque item ?
Since the heyday are pollinated by flies , they look – at least , glancingly – like decompose flesh .
But these flowers do n’t reek , unlike those of some of the relatives of this metal money .
If they are pollinate , the flower will give direction to large seed seedcase that will ripen , ironical , and break up open .
The seed have bits of frivolity on them , which allows them to be dispersed by the wind .
This enthralling succulent is native to what is arguably the hot spot of succulent biodiversity in the world – the southerly part of Africa , where it grow inMozambique , South Africa , Swaziland , and Zimbabwe .
In these regions , H. zebrinapopulations occur among rocky limestone soils or hard loam filth in ironical scrubland .
H. zebrinais classified botanically within the Apocynaceae or dogbane family , related to family members that may seem unexpected – hoya , string of hearts , andmilkweed !
Within the dogbane menage , lifesaver cactus is grouped into the systematic subtribe Stapeliinae .
The members of this subtribe are known asstapeliads – and admit other like - looking succulent such asstarfish heyday ( Stapelia grandiflora)andOrbea variegata .
Lifesaver cactus makes an excellent houseplant on a gay windowsill or under a grow light .
And ripe specimen can also be used as hanging and tail succulent in hanging basket .
You might also admit it in a mixed succulent planter , or if you ’re feel rather impulsive , in asucculent poove garden !
Outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10b to 11b , lifesaver cactus can be cultivated in a container , or planted in axeriscapeas a ground cover as long as you provide excellent drainage and protection from abundant rainfall .
To successfully grow lifesaver cactus you ’ll need to allow for the right light , piddle , and dirt .
You ’ll also want to know about its temperature requirement , particularly if you are growing outdoors for part or all of the twelvemonth !
permit ’s begin with light .
Light
Lifesaver cactus need four to eight hour of direct sun to thrive .
Whether you ’re growing indoors or out , that direct sunshine vulnerability should be during the morning and evening , rather than when the sunlight is at its hot in the eye of the Clarence Day .
If you ’re keep it outdoors for all or part of the year , be sure to choose a spot so it experience dribble light during the heating system of the mean solar day .
Indoors , a south facing windowpane is your best stakes , although you may need to hang a sheer white curtain at sure time .
Are youusing a grow lightinstead of or as a supplement to guide sunshine photo ? verify the industrial plant is find at least 800 foot cd as an equivalent to that direct sunshine .
Not certain how to measure foot candles?Use a low-cal metre !
Soil and Containers
Lifesaver cactus needs a somewhat gritty potting medium to provide good drain , and it should have a pH of between 6.1 and 7.8 .
When choose a container , the first thing to look for is that it has drain hole , a must when tending to any succulents .
These flora do n’t have thick roots , so shallowsucculent plantersthat are wider than they are deep will work out perfectly , plus give way them the sidelong outer space to expand into a bunch .
For grow medium , you have options – lifesaver cactuses are n’t specially particular as long as they have salutary drainage .
You may want tomake your own succulent commixture , using approximately 50 percent cactus and succulent filth with roughly 50 pct additional grit such as pumice added .
I like to employ Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent mix , which is available in four - quart bagsvia Walmart .
Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent Mix
If you live in a peculiarly desiccate location , you might desire to skip adding extra grit to the succulent and cactus soil , since it will dry out more quickly than in regions with extra humidness .
Water
Allow the growing medium to dry fully or almost in full between lachrymation – there is a bit of flexibility here . If youuse a wet measure , the phonograph needle should level to thedryrange .
If in doubt , err on the side of under- rather than overwatering .
When you ’re ready to irrigate , use thebottom watering techniqueor urine the open of the filth with a narrow spouted tearing can .
If you keep your plant sit on a saucer , make trusted to empty it after lacrimation , to avoid root bunk .
Temperature and Humidity
Lifesaver cactus will expand with humidity levels between 40 to 50 percent .
And while some gardeners claim to be able-bodied to keep these plant outdoors at temperatures down to 42 ° F , to be secure you should get them indoors while temperature are still above 50 ° F .
If your lifesaver cactus is exposed to temperatures around 50 ° F , be sure to keep the pot medium or soil dry , since cool , wet experimental condition can lead to rot .
you’re able to in the main find lifesaver cactus uncommitted at stores that specialize in succulents or from on-line marketer .
Lifesaver Cactus
For exercise , you may buy anH. zebrinaspecimen in a four - inch potfrom Wekiva Garden Foliage via Amazon .
In addition to the mintage plant , there is a cultivated variety , H. zebrina‘Variegata . ’
With the same captivating flowers , this cultivar has yellow and green mottled shank .
Variegated lifesaver cactus is n’t as easy to find as the species plant , so tick off with vendor that narrow down in stapeliads if this one is on your succulent wish list .
If you were hoping for a gloomy maintenance succulent , with lifesaver cactus you ’ve got it !
For the most part , you wo n’t have to worry about removing spent foliage , as you would withecheverias .
However , do snip off off spent flowers as you see them with a pair of clean , unsex pair of scissors or garden snips to head off spreading disease .
Fertilizing
To provide your lifesaver cactus with nutrient , use a aristocratic fertilizer formulated for succulent , such as Dr. Earth ’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Plant Food .
Apply the fertilizer only during the growing season , postdate the manufacturer ’s instructions .
Dr. Earth Succulence
Dr. Earth Succulence is available in 16 - ounce pump bottlesfrom Arbico Organics .
you may get word more about fertilize succulents here .
Repotting
Every two to three years you ’ll require to repot or at least refresh up the grow medium if the plant life has n’t outgrow its container .
If the lifesaver cactus is growing in the ill-timed case of growing spiritualist , one that miss drainage , it ’s wise to switch out the spring up culture medium immediately .
If the plant is becoming root oblige , with its roots filling the kitty , you should transplant to a slightly larger container , regardless of the sentence you last repot .
To repot , remove the lifesaver cactus from its current container . If you are graft into the same eccentric of mass medium that was used antecedently , untie up the outer roots just a bit .
If you are switching to a dissimilar type of potting medium , hit as much of the old metier as potential from around the ascendent .
locate the base ball centered into the unexampled pot , and apply the industrial plant in topographic point so that the surface of the soil will be about a half an inch to an inch below the rim of the container .
Then fill up in around the sides of the root musket ball with grow medium .
Gently tamp the culture medium down , and wait a week before watering .
Lifesaver cactus can be propagate from ejaculate or from theme cuttings .
Here ’s how :
From Seed
For this task you will need somesmall nursery pots or a seeded player - lead off tray , cactus and succulent growing medium , and – of course – some seeds .
Ourguide to starting succulents from seed has step by footfall pedagogy .
From Stem Cuttings
The effective time to spread lifesaver cactus from bow cut is in spring or summer when conditions are affectionate .
When fill cuttings , skip over the blades and plainly twist branches off at the elbow .
If you have a long cutting – six inches or foresighted – you’re able to cut off it in half to make two cuttings , just be sure to recollect which goal goes up , and use clean , sterilise scissors or garden snippet to cut it .
provide the cuttings to callus over in a dry positioning out of verbatim sunlight for about a week .
The removed branches may already have aerial roots , which will help them take ancestor when planted .
In addition to cut , you ’ll also want growing spiritualist and pots .
you may habituate a variety of flock size , depending on how many cuttings you have . A three - inch can is a good size for a radical of three cutting .
When the film editing have callus , satiate the container with pot mass medium until the soil is about two inches below the rim of the pot .
Starting at the center , pound hollow into the spiritualist about a half an inch or so apart , and insert the stalk about an column inch or so deep .
Tamp down the soil around the cuttings firmly , to help keep the radical upright .
Situate the pot in a location where the cutting will pick up bright , collateral luminance .
Rather than irrigate the cuttings right off , look until they show signs of newfangled growth since they do n’t have roots yet .
If the arm you are plant already have aerial roots , you’re able to go onward and H2O flop away .
The lifesaver cuttings should be well - rooted within a month or so . At this point , start watering as you would an adult specimen and transition the succulent to increased light exposure .
Our guide to propagating succulent has more entropy .
Managing Pests and Disease
The only type of insect pests you ’ll have to worry about with these plants are mealybugs which are fond of feeding on their lenient stem .
When you first bring your lifesaver cactus home – or before you buy it , if possible – inspect the stems cautiously for downy , white residue , a foretoken of mealy bug .
Also lift the plant out of its pot and ensure the roots for root mealies , a type of pestilence that hides in the dirt , sucking food from the roots .
They ’ll be visible on the outer boundary of the rootage nut if they ’re present .
Whether above soil or below , mealybug suck food from plants , weakening them , and can eventually defeat these plants if leave untreated .
Ourguide to managing mealybugshas more selective information about these pests .
If it ’s too late and you already have an infested lifesaver plant on your handwriting , do n’t panic !
Neem oil is quite effectual at eradicating these pestilence as long as you are thorough and consistent with intervention .
Monterey Neem Oil
Need some neem oil ? Monterey ’s Neem Oil Concentrate is available in a variety of sizesvia Arbico Organics .
Spray down the entire plant with neem fossil oil , including the grow metier , diluted according to the manufacturer ’s instruction manual .
Keep the plant out of verbatim sunshine for a few days following treatment as the oil can make the plant to char .
Repeat treatments for six to eight weeks , and the mealies should be go !
The main disease you ’re potential to encounter is rot , as a final result of overwatering , insufficient drainage , or using a poorly draining or compress growing medium .
Learn more about how to deal with rotting succulentsin our guide .
Save a Succulent Life
Remember to provide lots of direct sunlight , allow the medium to dry out between lachrymation , and mature in a gritty , well - draining pot spiritualist .
Add to that some vigilance for mealybugs , and this stapeliad will bring about freight of spiky stem and eye - catching prime .
Do you have any stay on head about growing these succulents ? Or do you have any grow confidential information of your own you ’d give care to partake in with our lector ?
require to keepexpanding your lush noesis ? We have more meter reading for you in good order here :
photo by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © inquire the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Cartesian product photos via Arbico Organics , Walmart , and Wekiva Foliage . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock .
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