How to Grow and Care for Lifesaver Cactus (Huernia)

Huernia zebrina

With spreading, spineless stems, lifesaver cactus (Huernia zebrina) is a unusual succulent.

Gracing a windowsill, trailing from a dangling basket, or serving as floor cowl, the shiny crimson facilities and tiger-striped petals of the flowers are uniquely mesmerizing!

Lifesaver cactus is an evergreen succulent that has branching, leafless stems lined with spikes.

These spikes might appear to be spines, however they don’t seem to be sharp to the contact, and regardless of its widespread title, H. zebrina shouldn’t be a real cactus!

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Often known as lifebuoy huernia, owl eyes, little owl eyes, and zebra-striped huernia, the stems have 4 to 6 angles, and are inexperienced, turning reddish purple when uncovered to intense mild or cool temperatures.

Able to be taught extra about this distinctive succulent? Right here’s what I’ll cowl:

These succulent crops attain three to 6 inches tall and have a creeping progress behavior, spreading to 12 inches huge or extra.

On the base of the stems is the place the intriguing flowers seem, in pairs or small clusters.

These blooms are pretty giant – measuring between one and three inches huge – and are star-shaped, with yellow and crimson tiger stripes or mottling, and a shiny spherical ring on the heart, inspiring the plant’s widespread title.

Prepared for a much less picturesque element?

Because the flowers are pollinated by flies, they give the impression of being – not less than, glancingly – like rotting flesh.

However these flowers don’t stink, not like these of a number of the kin of this species.

If they’re pollinated, the flowers will give option to giant seed pods that may ripen, dry, and break up open.

In these areas, H. zebrina populations happen amongst rocky limestone soils or onerous loam soils in dry scrubland.

H. zebrina is classed botanically throughout the Apocynaceae or dogbane household, associated to members of the family that will appear surprising – hoyas, string of hearts, and milkweed!

Throughout the dogbane household, lifesaver cactus is grouped into the taxonomical subtribe Stapeliinae.

And mature specimens can be used as hanging and trailing succulents in hanging baskets.

You may also embody it in a blended succulent planter, or in case you’re feeling fairly whimsical, in a succulent fairy backyard!

Open air in USDA Hardiness Zones 10b to 11b, lifesaver cactus might be cultivated in a container, or planted in a xeriscape as a floor cowl so long as you present glorious drainage and safety from considerable rainfall.

The right way to Develop

To efficiently develop lifesaver cactus you’ll want to supply the suitable mild, water, and soil.

You’ll additionally need to learn about its temperature necessities, significantly in case you are rising open air for half or all the 12 months!

Let’s begin with mild.

Gentle

Lifesaver cactus wants 4 to eight hours of direct daylight to thrive.

Whether or not you’re rising indoors or out, that direct solar publicity needs to be through the morning and night, fairly than when the solar is at its hottest.

Should you’re holding it open air for all or a part of the 12 months, remember to select a spot so it receives filtered mild through the hottest a part of the day.

Indoors, a south dealing with window is your finest guess, though you could want to hold a sheer white curtain for the most popular a part of the day.

Are you utilizing a develop mild as a substitute of or as a complement to direct solar publicity? Be certain the plant is getting not less than 800 foot candles as an equal to that direct solar.

Unsure how you can measure foot candles? Use a lightweight meter!

Soil and Containers

Lifesaver cactus wants a considerably gritty potting medium to supply good drainage, and it ought to have a pH of between 6.1 and seven.8.

When selecting a container, the very first thing to search for is that it has drainage holes, a should when tending to any succulents.

These crops don’t have deep roots, so shallow succulent planters which can be wider than they’re deep will work completely, plus giving them the lateral house to increase right into a clump.

For rising medium, you’ve got choices – lifesaver cactuses aren’t significantly fussy so long as they’ve good drainage.

Chances are you’ll need to make your individual succulent combine, utilizing roughly 50 p.c cactus and succulent soil with roughly 50 p.c further grit corresponding to pumice added.

I like to make use of Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent combine, which is offered in four-quart baggage by way of Walmart.

Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent Combine

Should you dwell in a very arid location, you may need to skip including further grit to the succulent and cactus soil, since it should dry out extra shortly than in areas with further humidity.

Water

Permit the rising medium to dry totally or nearly totally between waterings – there’s a little bit of flexibility right here. Should you use a moisture meter, the needle ought to level to the dry vary.

Should you hold your plant sitting on a saucer, be certain that to empty it after watering, to keep away from root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

Lifesaver cactus will thrive with humidity ranges between 40 to 50 p.c.

And whereas some gardeners declare to have the ability to hold lifesaver cactus open air at temperatures all the way down to 42°F, to be secure it is best to carry them indoors whereas temperatures are nonetheless above 50°F.

In case your lifesaver cactus is uncovered to temperatures round 50°F, remember to hold the potting medium or soil dry, since cool, moist situations can result in rot.

The place to Purchase

You’ll be able to usually discover lifesaver cactus accessible at shops specializing in succulents or from on-line distributors.

Lifesaver Cactus

You should purchase an H. zebrina specimen in a four-inch pot from Wekiva Backyard Foliage by way of Amazon.

Along with the species plant, there’s a cultivated selection, H. zebrina ‘Variegata.’

With the identical fascinating flowers, this cultivar has yellow and inexperienced mottled stems.

Variegated lifesaver cactus isn’t as straightforward to search out because the species plant, so test with sellers specializing in stapeliads if this one is in your succulent want listing.

Upkeep

Should you had been hoping for a low upkeep succulent, with lifesaver cactus you’ve obtained it!

For essentially the most half, you received’t have to fret about eradicating spent foliage, as you’d with echeverias.

Nonetheless, do snip off spent flowers as you see them with a pair of fresh, sterilized scissors or backyard snips to keep away from spreading illness.

Fertilizing

To offer lifesaver cactus with vitamins, use a mild fertilizer formulated for succulents, corresponding to Dr. Earth’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Plant Meals.

Apply the fertilizer solely through the rising season, following the producer’s directions.

Dr. Earth Succulence

Dr. Earth Succulence is offered in 16-ounce pump bottles from Arbico Organics.

You’ll be able to be taught extra about fertilizing succulents right here.

Repotting

Each two to 3 years you’ll need to repot or not less than clean up the rising medium if the plant hasn’t outgrown its container.

If the lifesaver cactus is rising within the improper kind of rising medium, one which lacks drainage, it’s smart to modify out the rising medium instantly.

If the plant is changing into root sure, with its roots filling the pot, it is best to transplant to a barely bigger container, whatever the time you final repotted.

Place the basis ball centered into the brand new pot, and maintain the plant in place in order that the floor of the soil will likely be a few half an inch to an inch under the rim of the container.

Then fill in across the sides of the basis ball with rising medium.

Gently tamp the medium down, and wait per week earlier than watering.

Propagation 

Lifesaver cactus might be propagated from seeds or from stem cuttings.

Right here’s how:

From Seed

For this mission you have to some small nursery pots or a seed-starting tray, cactus and succulent rising medium, and – after all – some seeds.

1. Fill your pots or seed-starting trays with rising medium, leaving a half inch to an inch hole between the floor and the rim of the pot or tray.
2. Sow the seeds on the floor of the medium one to 2 inches aside, however don’t cowl.
3. Spray with a mister in order that the seeds and rising medium are moist however not soggy.
4. Place the pot or tray beneath a humidity dome. You are able to do this by putting a nursery pot inside a sealable plastic bag, or placing a number of pots or a tray into a transparent plastic bin.
5. Discover a location in shiny, oblique mild, and hold them heat, between 77 to 86°F – utilizing a warmth mat if obligatory.
6. After the seeds germinate – inside per week or two – take away the pot or tray from the warmth mat, and progressively transition the seedlings to decrease humidity and extra intense mild.
7. Permit the seedlings to maintain residing in the identical pot or tray for a 12 months or extra, till they’re too crowded and require transplanting.

Our information to beginning succulents from seed has step-by-step directions.

From Stem Cuttings

One of the best time to propagate lifesaver cactus from stem cuttings is in spring or summer time when situations are heat.

When taking cuttings, skip the blades and easily twist branches off on the elbow.

In case you have a protracted chopping – six inches or longer – you possibly can reduce it in half to make two cuttings, simply remember to bear in mind which finish goes up, and use clear, sterilized scissors or backyard snips to chop it.

Permit the cuttings to callus over in a dry location out of direct daylight for a few week.

The eliminated branches might have already got aerial roots, which can assist them take root when planted.

Along with cuttings, you’ll additionally want rising medium and pots.

Beginning on the heart, poke holes into the medium a few half an inch or so aside, and insert the stems about an inch or so deep.

Tamp down the soil across the cuttings firmly, to assist hold the stems upright.

Situate the pot in a location the place the cuttings will obtain shiny, oblique mild.

Fairly than watering the cuttings instantly, wait till they present indicators of latest progress since they don’t have roots but.

If the branches you’re planting have already got aerial roots, you possibly can go forward and water instantly.

The lifesaver cuttings needs to be well-rooted inside a month or so. At this level, begin watering as you’d an grownup specimen and transition the succulent to elevated mild publicity.

Our information to propagating succulents has extra info.

Managing Pests and Illness

The one kind of insect pests you’ll have to fret about with these crops are mealybugs that are keen on feeding on their comfortable stems.

They’ll be seen on the outer fringe of the basis ball in the event that they’re current.

Whether or not above soil or under, mealybugs suck vitamins from crops, weakening them, and may ultimately kill these crops if left untreated.

Our information to managing mealybugs has extra details about these pests.

If it’s too late and you have already got an infested lifesaver plant in your arms, don’t panic!

Neem oil is sort of efficient at eradicating these pests so long as you’re thorough and in keeping with remedies.

Monterey Neem Oil

Want some neem oil? Monterey’s Neem Oil Focus is offered in quite a lot of sizes by way of Arbico Organics.

Spray down your complete plant with neem oil, together with the rising medium, diluted in keeping with the producer’s directions.

The primary illness you’re more likely to encounter is rot, on account of overwatering, inadequate drainage, or utilizing a poorly draining or compacted rising medium.

Study extra about how you can cope with rotting succulents in our information.

Save a Succulent Life

Keep in mind to supply plenty of direct daylight, permit the medium to dry out between waterings, and develop in a gritty, well-draining potting medium.

Add to that some vigilance for mealybugs, and this stapeliad will produce a great deal of spiky stems and attention-grabbing flowers.

Do you’ve got any remaining questions on rising these succulents? Or do you’ve got any rising ideas of your individual you’d care to share with our readers?

Go away your questions, feedback, and lifesaver cactus pictures within the feedback part under!

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