Othonna capensis 'Ruby Necklace'

Scientific Name

Othonna capensis 'Ruby Necklace'

Common Name(s)

Ruby Necklace, String of Rubies

Synonym(s)

Crassothonna capensis 'Ruby Necklace'

Scientific Classification

Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Senecioneae
Genus: Othonna

Description

Othonna capensis 'Ruby Necklace' is an eye-catching succulent with trailing, ruby-red stems and green, fleshy, bean-shaped leaves that take on striking hues of magenta, burgundy, and purple when moderately stressed by direct sun, drought, or cool temperatures. The slender stems grow up to 6.6 feet (2 m) long.

The small, yellow, daisy-like flowers are a bright contrast to the foliage. They appear on branched ruby-red stalks above the foliage from mid-spring through fall, sometimes year-round.

Origin

Othonna capensis 'Ruby Necklace' is a colorful cultivar of Othonna capensis.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

The fleshy leaves and daisy-like flowers of Othonnas make them excellent in a desert or rock garden (where hardy) or indoors as houseplants or greenhouse specimens.

Othonnas tend to be pretty hardy, but some of them, such as Othonna cacalioides, can be extremely difficult to cultivate if you do not give them the right conditions: space to develop a radicular system, better to keep them in flat pots. In summer, protect plants from direct sunlight. They like to be moist and fresh and have plenty of light in the growing season. Also, they don't like temperatures below 50°F (10°C).

In the warmer months, when Othonnas go into their dormancy period, stop watering, place them in a shaded, cooler area, away from getting direct sunlight and with good air circulation, relatively dry. When nights cool down in the fall, the plants may start growing on their own, but a good soaking will help them leaf out.

A typical succulent soil mix should be suitable for growing Othonnas, but additional drainage material would be recommended.

See more at How to Grow and Care for Othonna.

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