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Huernia zebrina

Huernia zebrina
Photo: Skolnik Collection, CC BY-SA 4.0

A small, low-growing stem succulent from southern Africa, grown for its star-shaped, maroon-striped flowers that have a fleshy, unusual look. Key to success is bright light, well-drained soil and restrained watering.

Family
Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Bright indirect, Full sun
Water
Water thoroughly when the soil is fully dry, and reduce sharply in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with added grit.
Temperature
15–30 °C; protect below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Native range
S. Zimbabwe to S. Africa
Climate
subtropical

About

Huernia zebrina, the little owl or lifesaver cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to Namibia, Botswana, northern South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. It is a succulent, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Ceropegia plants

Boucerosia frerei · Caralluma adscendens · Ceropegia dichotoma · Ceropegia fusca · Ceropegia pusilla · Fountain Flower · Hearts entangled · Hoodia alstonii · Hoodia currorii · Huernia guttata · Huernia hystrix · Huernia macrocarpa

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Huernia zebrina by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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