With an appearance that is impossible to go unnoticed, the cerapegia sandersonii It has become the object of desire of gardening lovers, because it has an aesthetic that is irresistible. Furthermore, due to its characteristics, it is classified as a false succulent.
A plant quasi carnivorous which has a curious behavior with insects, and which is much easier to care for than its appearance indicates. Let's get to know her a little better!
Characteristics that make Ceropegia sandersonii special
We call it a false succulent because, like the plants in this family, it has a great capacity to retain water inside its leaves, and this is precisely what gives it a somewhat meaty appearance. If its name is complicated for you, you can simply call it ceropegia or, directly, parachutist plant, a nickname that is due to the shape of its flowers.
It's a plant native to South Africa and that we can grow as a houseplant with good results. Its growth is hanging (we can tutor it and make it a climber) and in its natural habitat it can reach up to two meters in length in a period of about 10 years.
Let's look in detail at some of its most notable features:
Flowers
Without a doubt, they are the highlight, because their size is usually much larger than that of their leaves. In its natural habitat, The flowers can be up to 10 cm wide.. They stand out for their tubular shape with five petals and colors that make them especially attractive to pollinators.
Although it is not a carnivorous plant as such, Its flowers tend to close around insects. But here the objective is not to obtain nutrients, but to achieve pollination. Once the flower has achieved its goal, it opens and lets the pollinator go.
Leaves
The leaves of the ceropegia sandersonii do not have anything too significant, in this plant all the prominence goes to the flowers.
the leaves are greens in bright tones, And they had a fleshy appearance for that property to which we referred before retaining water inside.
As for its size, it is small compared to the dimensions that flowers can have. As a result, the leaves end up going unnoticed.
Resistance
Its exotic appearance leads us to think that we are in the presence of a delicate plant, but just the opposite is true. This is a variety used to growing in its natural habitat in conditions that can be extreme. As a result, it has become especially resilient.
Tolerates well not receiving too much attention, so it is a good choice for those who do not have much hand with plants or who do not have much free time.
Caring for ceropegia sandersonii
Light, irrigation, substrate... let's see what the basic conditions are for the ceropegia to be healthy and beautiful. However, you must keep in mind that, even if you apply the best care, this is a plant that always grows very slowly. Don't lose patience if you see that it doesn't evolve, because it's probably not your fault.
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Ceropegia sandersonii is native to a warm place, a plant that loves to receive light for several hours a day, but that does not mean that we should expose it to full sun.
If we are in a very hot area and we put it under direct sunlight in the middle of the day, it will most likely end up burning. The ideal is that receive light early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the sun's rays are not so aggressive.
Temperature
We can grow this variety indoors because it prefers high temperatures. It is recommended that it be kept at a temperature of between 20º and 28º C.
More than the heat, the important thing is to protect it from the cold, because it does not tolerate it well at all. If exposed to a temperature below 10º C, it may not survive. Therefore, if you have it on the patio or terrace, remember to put it away in mid-autumn, or cover it to protect it from frost and cold.
Substratum
Due to their similarities with succulents, the ceropegias sandersonii do very well with a substrate well aerated and with a high drainage capacity. They need the growing medium to dry as soon as possible, so that it does not retain too much moisture. To achieve this, aeration is important.
If you don't want to buy special substrate for cacti or succulents, you can mix normal substrate with coconut fiber to help drainage and prevent the soil from compacting.
Irrigation
Controlling irrigation well is the best thing we can do to have our cerapegia healthy and beautiful. In winter we are going to let the substrate dry completely before watering again, but in summer we don't need to wait that long.
We always direct water to the earth, never to the leaves or flowers.. What we do is wet the substrate, but without needing to flood it.
If the substrate has good drainage capacity, water will soon come out of the lower holes of the pot. If we have placed a plate underneath, we must be careful to throw away that excess water, thus we prevent possible root rot.
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Fertilization will make the flowers of your ceropegia sandersonii even larger and more beautiful, and more abundant. Apply fertilizer regularly once a month in the spring and summer months, which is when the plant is growing.
In this case, it is advisable to choose a fertilizer for succulents, which is low in nitrogen. And always use it following the manufacturer's instructions.
With these simple care, you will have a spectacular ceropegia sandersonii, which will brighten your days with its impressive flowers. Enjoy the pleasure of having an exotic plant at home, but very easy to maintain. Did you know this variety? We would like to know your experience through the comments.