Ceropegia armandii
| Light | Bright light; some direct sun, with a little shade from the fiercest midday sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Moderately in the growing season; let the mix dry out between waterings, keep nearly dry in winter |
| Soil | Very free-draining, gritty mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above about 10 °C; not frost-hardy (roughly USDA zones 10–11) |
| Propagation | Cuttings of the stems; division of clumps; seed where available |
| Toxicity | No serious toxicity reported; best kept away from nibbling pets as a precaution |
Ceropegia armandii is a succulent member of the milkweed family Apocynaceae, native to Madagascar, where it forms tidy clumps of erect, finger-like green stems. Unlike the familiar trailing "string of hearts" relatives, this species stands upright, its cylindrical succulent stems topped in season with the small, tubular "lantern" flowers — yellow and cage-like — that give the genus Ceropegia its charm and its many common names.
Description
Ceropegia armandii is a dwarf, clump-forming succulent. It produces clusters of stiff, upright, finger-like stems that are cylindrical and fleshy, storing water against the dry season. The stems are typically green, sometimes faintly mottled, and the plant spreads slowly at the base to build up a small colony rather than a single stem.
The flowers are the classic Ceropegia form: a slender tube swollen at the base and flaring at the mouth into a cage of fused lobes, like a tiny lantern or bird cage. In this species they are small and yellow, held near the stem tips. As in the rest of the genus, the flowers are pollination traps — small flies are lured in, held briefly by inward-pointing hairs, then released carrying the flower's pollinia (its paired pollen sacs) once the hairs wither.
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to Madagascar, where it grows in seasonally dry habitat among rock and sparse scrub. Like many succulents from such settings it experiences a warm, wet growing season followed by a long dry rest, and its swollen stems and clumping habit are adaptations to storing water and enduring drought.
Cultivation
Ceropegia armandii is an easygoing succulent for a bright windowsill or greenhouse, asking mainly for sharp drainage and restraint with the watering can. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a pot that is not too large, and give it bright light with some direct sun to keep the stems compact and upright; too little light leaves them thin and floppy.
Water moderately while the plant is in active growth and the mix has dried out, then taper off sharply for winter, keeping it nearly dry and above roughly 10 °C. As with most fleshy-stemmed succulents, cold wet compost is the main danger, causing the stems and roots to rot. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The simplest method is stem cuttings: remove a healthy stem, allow the cut end to callous for a few days, then set it in a gritty mix kept barely moist until roots form. Established clumps can also be lifted and divided (see Propagation — offsets), and the species can be raised from seed where it is available, though seed is less commonly offered.
Common problems
- Rot — the usual cause of loss, from overwatering or a slow-draining mix, especially in winter; stems soften and blacken from the base.
- Etiolation — in too little light the stems stretch, thin and lean, losing their neat upright form.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the leaf axils and on the roots) and the occasional aphid on flower buds; see Pests and diseases.
See also
- Ceropegia — the genus overview
- Apocynaceae — the milkweed and dogbane family
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets · Repotting