Scientific Name
Orbea schweinfurthii (A.Berger) Bruyns
Synonyms
Caralluma schweinfurthii, Pachycymbium schweinfurthii, Angolluma schweinfurthii, Ceropegia schweinfurthii, Caralluma piaranthoides
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Subtribe: Stapeliinae
Genus: Orbea
Description
Orbea schweinfurthii is a mat-forming, perennial succulent plant with unusual yellow to brown, spotted with wine-red, beige or purple, star-shaped flowers. The stems are 4- to 5-ribbed, mostly prostrate, basally slightly tapering and up to 4 inches (10 cm) long. The tubercles are up to 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) long, spreading to slightly ascending. The flowers appear in summer to fall.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Several species are fairly easy to grow. Others, often those with slightly hairy stems and the more unusual flowers, are more challenging and require careful watering (with some fertilizer) during the growing season and complete withdrawal of water during the winter months.
A minimum winter temperature of 10°C (50°F) is acceptable, providing that plants are kept absolutely dry. A heated growing bench or incubator may help delicate plants to get through the colder months. However, many species live under shrubs in habitat and prefer light shade rather than full sun.
A gritty compost is essential, and clay pots are advisable for the more delicate species. Some growers prefer a mineral-only compost to minimize the chance of fungal attack on the roots. A layer of grit on the surface of the compost prevents moisture from accumulating around the base of the stems.
Keeping Stapelias and their roots free of pests such as mealy bugs is the real key to success as fungal attack often occurs as a result of damage to stems by insects… – See more at:
Orbea schweinfurthii (A.Berger) Bruyns
Synonyms
Caralluma schweinfurthii, Pachycymbium schweinfurthii, Angolluma schweinfurthii, Ceropegia schweinfurthii, Caralluma piaranthoides
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Ceropegieae
Subtribe: Stapeliinae
Genus: Orbea
Description
Orbea schweinfurthii is a mat-forming, perennial succulent plant with unusual yellow to brown, spotted with wine-red, beige or purple, star-shaped flowers. The stems are 4- to 5-ribbed, mostly prostrate, basally slightly tapering and up to 4 inches (10 cm) long. The tubercles are up to 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) long, spreading to slightly ascending. The flowers appear in summer to fall.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Several species are fairly easy to grow. Others, often those with slightly hairy stems and the more unusual flowers, are more challenging and require careful watering (with some fertilizer) during the growing season and complete withdrawal of water during the winter months.
A minimum winter temperature of 10°C (50°F) is acceptable, providing that plants are kept absolutely dry. A heated growing bench or incubator may help delicate plants to get through the colder months. However, many species live under shrubs in habitat and prefer light shade rather than full sun.
A gritty compost is essential, and clay pots are advisable for the more delicate species. Some growers prefer a mineral-only compost to minimize the chance of fungal attack on the roots. A layer of grit on the surface of the compost prevents moisture from accumulating around the base of the stems.
Keeping Stapelias and their roots free of pests such as mealy bugs is the real key to success as fungal attack often occurs as a result of damage to stems by insects… – See more at:
