Ceropegia rupicola

Ceropegia rupicola flower

This is one of those thick-stemmed Ceropegia which if left to its own devices ends up as a long bare stem with a couple of leaves and flowers at the top.  You are unlikely to discover this until you see the plant in the flesh because photographs, unsurprisingly, tend to focus on the interesting features, namely the leaves and flowers.  In the interests of honesty, I have tried to photograph the whole plant although not entirely successfully.  To be fair, I have not worked that hard on making it presentable and it does have its own kind of ‘style’ in the flesh which is hard to capture photographically.

Ceropegia rupicola in its full glory

The problem with this as a houseplant, is that the few leaves which are formed seem to die off naturally. At the same time, common wisdom seems to suggest that some of the naturally ‘leggy’ Ceropegia should not be cut back because this will inhibit flowering. However, there are other sources on the internet which suggest that this is one Ceropegia which should be cut back. And there are certainly some lovely pictures with lots of lush new growth which suggest that this is the case. Now that I have got the plant to flower for myself and seen what it has to offer, I haven’t got much to lose and will experiment with cutting it back when the flowers are over.  The other option is to twin two Ceropegia together, allowing a vigorous but more delicate climber to grow up the thicker stem, which happened by accident with my Ceropegia succulenta and carnosa.

Ceropegia rupicola flower in detail

Ceropegia rupicola comes from Yemen and is known locally as Bukira – if anyone knows why or what this means, please let me know.  Apart from its length and the associated problems of support, it is an easy plant to grow.  I watered it very sparingly in the Winter, stepped up the watering early in the year and the buds began to form a few weeks ago.  I have not yet fed any of my Ceropegia, unless by accident, because there seem to be so many dos and don’ts that it seems easier to err on the side of caution.  The flowers apparently vary from plant to plant.  Most are some shade of red, either pure or with other colouration.  Those on this plant are very dark red and speckled a kind of yellow-green.  (The speckling on the undersides of the leaves is red on yellow-green offering an interesting reverse image.)  This speckling seems to decrease with age, being most prominent in the younger buds and almost absent from the older flower.  All the flowers have slits which are so small as to be barely visible – in complete contrast to the more showy Ceropegia sandersonii.

Ceropegia africana ssp barklyi

Ceropegia africana ssp barklyi

It may lack the more obvious attractions of Ceropegia Woodii but this lovely and very well-behaved Ceropegia deserves more recognition.  I bought mine as Ceropegia Barkleyi but the longer name is apparently correct and, helpfully, indicates where the plant comes from.  However, there seem to be a variety of plants which the name applies to.  I was attracted to those plants with silver markings on the leaves whereas mine are an all-over mid-green colour, albeit an attractive shape and highly succulent.  In addition, other pictured plants have a spiral-like arrangement at the end of the flower.  One explanation is that there are one or more naturally occurring clones of this plant.  The less attractive explanation is that mine is an imposter.  Naming is an issue with many of the plants I am growing, the same plant often goes under several different names or different plants are sold under the same name.  Maybe its a lesson that one shouldn’t get too hooked on the names, or trying to collect every plant within a species, and instead enjoy the plants for what they are.

Ceropegia africana ssp barklyi

I was a bit disappointed when barklyi (for short) arrived, mainly because of the lack of markings on the leaves, but over the last few months I have succumbed to the eagerness with which this unassuming little plant sends out new shoots, especially at a time when everything else seems to be in hibernation, and its willingness to flower late into the winter.  It seems to adapt well to ordinary household conditions and makes very few demands.  The hanging vines have a pretty grace to them, especially when in flower.  As with most Ceropegia, it is the unusual flowers which are the main attraction.  These are elongated and a greenish colour which, whilst not in itself overly attractive, contrasts very prettily with the lovely purplish interior markings.

I keep my plant on the dry side.  If it gets to dry, it does start to look a little limp and flaccid but quickly perks up again once watered.  It is still in the soil it came in which is a very gritty, well-draining mix.  And I grow it in a south-facing window, opposite my Ceropegia woodii.  Stem cuttings root easily in a bit of cactus compost and/or sand.

Rhipsalis neves-armondii f megalantha

Rhipsalis neves-armondii f megalantha flower

My view of Rhipsalis as delicate, graceful and elegant plants was quickly broken with the arrival of this monster in the post.  Completely my fault for having only looked at the flowers and ignoring the description of the 1cm thick stems or doing any kind of independent research.  And so I am left wondering what on earth to do with it and how to keep it stable.  I seem to have sorted both problems for the moment, having confined it to the bathroom and potted it in such a way that it doesn’t immediately climb out.  But I’m not sure how long this will last.

The flowers, as can be seen, are very pretty.  These appeared shortly after arrival in November and each lasted about a week.  There can be 2 or 3 at each tip and they opened up almost simultaneously, making for quite an extravagant display.  But now all the flowers are dead and I think I must have done something wrong because they seem to be shrivelling up and dropping – no sign of any berries to come.  I may have kept it too dry.  I find it much harder to judge the watering needs of established plants, as opposed to younger ones.

Rhipsalis neves-armondii f megalantha

The plant itself, however, is a monstrosity! The ungainly branches are almost rigid, as well as ridged, decorated with prominent red spots, and protrude any old way, forming an unsightly mass.  Nor does it seem to do anything much.  I haven’t seen any new growth since it arrived, although that might be expected given that it is winter.

So can I justify the space for just a few weeks of flowers?  Well, let’s see if any berries appear and what they look like.

Aeschynanthus radicans “Lipstick Plant”

Aeschynanthus radicans in bud

This distinctive and garish plant is one of the first plants I ever wanted but was unable to find until very recently. Surprisingly I eventually came upon it in a budget supermarket. Evidently it was not a popular choice and there were a large number left when it was quickly reduced and then further and further until they were almost giving it away at £1.50 including the pot holder. Desire overcame common sense and I bought it at the full price but it had evidently suffered and the buds it came with quickly fell off. However, all was not lost and the plant itself grew quite rapidly.  The leaves are an attractive green, slightly hairy and almost heart-shaped and the thin stems form lovely gentle waves, as they hang over the pot.   Eventually new buds appeared late this summer, whilst the plant was still quite small, which can be seen in the pictures above and below.

Aeschynanthus radicans in flower

The buds which emerge clearly resemble a lipstick, hence the popular name, and eventually open to produce a flower which is difficult to describe but seems to have almost human or animal like features.  The flowers do not last very long once open, certainly not more than a week, and they all opened almost simultaneously so the display was quite short-lived but maybe this is a plant which is best in small doses.  Anyway, new buds are forming at the moment, which seems surprising given the time of year.

This is not a plant which I intended to add to my collection and I may quickly decide that it has no place in my life now, having only a nostalgic appeal.  I have not given it any special treatment but this seems to have been to its benefit.  It is an epiphyte, from the rainforests, and closely related to the far more popular African violet.  When repotting I used an ordinary peat-based multi-purpose compost, to which I added some perlite.  I watered it regularly, once a week in the summer but have been more lax during the winter, occassionally leaving it quite dry.  So far it seems fine.  I have read that these plants like it hot and humid but my cool windowsill does not seem to have done this plant any harm at all this winter.  The only rules I have obeyed are that the plant should not be moved once the buds have developed and that it should be grown in a bright position out of direct sun.  I have failed to root any cuttings yet and will wait for the summer before trying again.

Hatiora salicorniodes

Hatiora salicornioides

This intriguing little plant has some colourful monikers – Dancing Bones cactus, Drunkards Dream – to reflect the strangely shaped stem segments which have been said to resemble either bones or whisky bottles.  Perhaps this depends on the eye of the beholder.  These 3 cm long segments combine to form the stems, which are initially erect and then become pendant as the plant grows. Plentiful but small yellow flowers form singly at the tips of the stems towards the end of the year, creating some much-needed winter cheer. Mine is just a small cutting but there are plenty of buds and a few flowers at the moment.

Hatiora salicornioides

This is an easy plant to grow. It needs a shaded position, out of direct light, and is well-suited to a hanging basket. I have used ordinary proprietary cactus compost which seems to be fine. The stems did look a bit straggly earlier in the year which may have been down to underwatering but they are looking much better since I took to watering more regularly. But, as with all cacti and succulents, care should be taken not to overwater.

This is the most popular and easiest to find of the Hatiora, a small group of epiphytic cacti native to Brazil which are related to and sometimes categorised alongside the Rhipsalis cacti.  There are some others with even equally intriguing segment shapes but these are apparently more difficult to grow under normal conditions.  I am hoping to find out next year.  Another subdivision of this genus is the more commonly known Hatiora gaertneri which has been widely hybridised and is freely available as the Easter Cactus.

Dischidia ruscifolia “Million Hearts”

Dischidia ruscifolia

Dischidia is a genus of plants closely related to the Hoya genus, as are the better-known Ceropegia. All belong to the Aseclepiadacea family, commonly known as milkweed because of the white sap exuded from cut stems. The Dischidia is a far less flamboyant plant than its cousins and not everyone will appreciate its more subtle charms. Dischidia ruscifolia “million hearts” is one of the most appealing with its hard heart-shaped leaves and elegant arching growth. The leaves are a mid-green colour, less than 1cm long and very succulent and hard, almost like small beads. If the plant is grown in bright sun and grown quite ‘hard’, the leaves are supposed to take on an attractive reddish hue but I haven’t had the chance to experiment yet.

Dischidia ruscifolia

Flowers appear when the plant is still young, mine is just a small cutting and flowering now in December. The flowers are very small, about 5mm, white and easy to miss, appearing singly, along the stem, with no great fanfare, or smell. For those who appreciate things in miniature, they are also very cute, resembling tiny upturned vases, with 5 pointed petals around the opening.

Like many of the plants I am growing, this is not one which needs a great deal of care. The biggest danger is over-watering in the winter. I grow mine in bright rather than direct light, although you may want to experiment with stronger sun, as above. I water only when the pot is very light. This is not a particularly fussy plant in terms of the actual type of soil but it does need to be well-draining. Orchid compost is often recommended for Hoya, which has a very similar habitat, and so I chose to use it for this plant too, with the addition of some perlite. This medium does dry out quite quickly, even at this time of year, and I might omit the perlite next time I repot.

Ceropegia Woodii

Ceropegia woodii flower

If you love all things heart-shaped, as I do, then the appeal of this plant is obvious.  It has the appearance of an intricately designed piece of jewellery; wiry purple stems are adorned with heart-shaped succulent leaves.  The upper surface of the leaves is dark green with silver marbling and the underside is purple.  It is not difficult to flower and will do so profusely, even when young.  The light purple tubular flowers are like small vases, topped with a fringe of dark purple petals.  The stems grow out of potato-like tubers which store the water and food the plant needs.

This is a plant which should be gazed at rather than fussed over.  Choose a sunny position and one from which the plant can hang to its best advantage although some people do grow the plants upright on tiny trellises or hoops.  Water regularly throughout the summer, I find once a week is about right, by standing the pot in a couple of inches of water until the surface of the compost is moist.  Be more careful in the winter when there is a danger of rotting and water sparingly, only when the pot is very light.  Do not repot until absolutely necessary and then only to slightly larger pot.  Any proprietary cactus compost is fine, perhaps with some added sand for extra drainage.  Propagation is straightforward, either by stem cuttings or from the tubers which can be found growing along the stems.  These can be pressed gently into the surface of some sandy soil and left until they show signs of growth.

Ceropegia woodii

An easy and obviously appealing plant to start with but I shall be reporting on my successes and otherwise with more challenging and strange ceropegia as well as other unusual tropical plants mainly of the hanging, twining and climbing varieties.