Scientific Name
Ceropegia haygarthii Schltr.
Synonym(s)
Ceropegia distincta subsp. haygarthii, Ceropegia tristis
Common Name(s)
Bushman's Pipe, Lantern Flower, Necklace Vine, Parachute Flower, Parasol Flower, Rosary Vine, Snake Creeper, Wine-glass Vine
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Genus: Ceropegia
Etymology
The specific epithet "haygarthii" (pronounced "hay-GARTH-ee-eye") honors Walter Jacques Haygarth (1863–1950), an engineer, draughtsman, and plant collector who worked with John Medley Wood🡕 (1827–1915).
Origin of Ceropegia haygarthii
Ceropegia haygarthii is native to subtropical parts of South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo) and southern Mozambique.
Description of Ceropegia haygarthii
Ceropegia haygarthii is a vigorous succulent with climbing or trailing stems that bear small, green leaves. The stems are fleshy, green, covered with a waxy coating, growing up to 10 feet (3 m) long and 0.25 inches (0.5 cm) in diameter. The leaves are fleshy, flat, oval, and rarely over 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
The plant produces a profusion of unusual flowers in spring. The flowers are pinkish-white or greenish-tinted, with a purple-spotted tube that widens towards the top and terminates in five abruptly narrowed segments with the tips twisted together into a long, stalk-like, dull purple or purple-brown structure with a hairy knob at the end. The flowers can reach a length of 1.6 inches (4 cm) and a diameter of 1 inch (2.5 cm). The fruits are narrow, green, or sometimes purplish follicles that are recurved at the tips and can grow up to 5.6 inches (14 cm) long.
How to Grow and Care for Ceropegia haygarthii
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30°F (-1.1°C) to 50°F (10°C).
A gritty compost is suitable, and clay pots help with drainage, especially for species with thickened white roots, which are the most susceptible to rotting, and for species that form large tubers. Ceropegias appreciate water and a little fertilizer during warm weather, though some species require more careful watering. The vine-like species can suffer from prolonged drought.
Typically, many of these species grow and climb naturally among bushes, which provide shade and moisture at the base, while their vegetative growth is in the light. Where tubers occur, they are best planted on the compost surface, and the vegetative growth is allowed to twine around supports or trail down from a hanging pot. The latter growth mode has the advantage of not using valuable bench space. Small tubers formed at joints in the thin stems of some species can be used for propagation. If the tuber rots or dries out, don't panic. If some of the top growth is still in reasonable condition, it may be possible to save the plant by re-rooting stems in damp gravel.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Ceropegia.
Links
- Back to genus Ceropegia
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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