Ceropegia haygarthii
| Light | Bright, filtered light; a few hours of gentle direct sun suit it well |
|---|---|
| Water | Water regularly in growth, letting the mix dry between; keep much drier in winter |
| Soil | Open, free-draining mix with plenty of grit (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Warmth-loving; protect from frost, roughly USDA zones 10–11 |
| Propagation | Cuttings and seed; trailing stems also root where they touch the ground |
| Toxicity | Generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Ceropegia haygarthii is a climbing, twining succulent from southern Africa, grown above all for its extraordinary lantern or parachute flowers. Each bloom is an inflated, cage-like tube, mottled cream and maroon, whose five lobes fuse at the tip into a delicate umbrella — and from the centre of that umbrella rises a slender stalk crowned by a small, hair-fringed knob that trembles in the slightest breeze. It belongs to the large genus Ceropegia, the twining hearts and lantern flowers of the family Apocynaceae.
Description
Ceropegia haygarthii is a scrambling, vining succulent with slender, greyish stems that twine through surrounding vegetation for support. The stems are fleshy and somewhat brittle, thickening a little at the nodes, and carry small, thinly succulent leaves that are often shed in dry spells so that the green stems do much of the plant's photosynthesis. Unlike the familiar tuber-forming ceropegias, it has a fibrous root system and readily takes root where its trailing stems touch the ground.
The flowers are the reason growers seek this species out. Each is an intricately shaped tube, swollen at the base into a bulb over the reproductive parts and narrowing before flaring into a canopy of five lobes that join at their tips to form an open, five-windowed "lantern". The whole structure is pale, translucent and heavily spotted and streaked in wine-red to purple-brown. Most distinctive of all is a fine stalk that projects from the centre of the fused canopy, ending in a knob clothed in tiny, movable club-shaped hairs — a lure that quivers and helps attract the small flies that pollinate the plant. Like other members of the genus, the flowers are a temporary trap: visiting insects are held briefly among the downward-pointing hairs inside the tube until the flower ages and releases them, dusted with pollen.
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in southern Africa, centred on South Africa (including the KwaZulu-Natal region) and reported also from neighbouring countries such as Mozambique and Angola, where it scrambles through scrub and dry forest. It favours warm, frost-free situations and roots in well-drained ground, sending its stems up through shrubs and grasses into brighter light while its base stays shaded and cool. As with many Ceropegia, it tolerates seasonal dryness by relying on its fleshy stems.
Cultivation
Ceropegia haygarthii is an easygoing and rewarding plant for anyone who can give it warmth and good drainage. Grow it in an open, gritty mix in a pot that drains freely, and provide a small trellis, hoop or other support for the twining stems to climb — left unsupported it will trail attractively from a hanging pot instead. Give it bright, filtered light with a little gentle direct sun; too much shade produces weak, drawn stems and few flowers.
Water regularly through the warm growing season, always letting the surface of the mix dry before watering again, and ease off sharply in winter when the plant rests — the fleshy stems are prone to rot if kept cold and wet. Feed lightly during active growth. See Watering and Repotting for general technique; the plant appreciates warmth and does well on a bright windowsill, in a greenhouse, or outdoors in frost-free climates.
Propagation
This is one of the more obliging Ceropegia to increase. Stem cuttings root readily: take a length of stem, allow the cut end to callus for a day or two, then set it in a gritty, barely moist mix in warmth. Because the trailing stems root wherever they touch the ground, rooted layers can also simply be detached and potted up. Where flowers are pollinated they produce paired, horn-like seed pods releasing plumed seeds that can be sown fresh on a warm, well-drained surface — see Propagation — seed. The species also hybridises easily with related lantern-flowered Ceropegia, and several such crosses are grown by enthusiasts.
Common problems
- Rot — the commonest cause of loss, almost always from a cold, wet, or poorly draining mix, especially in winter; stems go soft and translucent at the base.
- Etiolation — too little light gives thin, over-long stems and sparse flowering.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in leaf axils and on roots) and the occasional aphid on soft new growth are the usual visitors; see Pests and diseases.
- Bud or leaf drop — often a response to sudden changes in watering, temperature or a cold draught.
See also
- Ceropegia — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — seed · Repotting · Pests and diseases