The original Huernia succulent

Description Of Succulents Of The Genus Huernia.
Home Care For The Huernia Flower.
How To Propagate Huernia.
Huernia Diseases And Pests.
Common Species Of The Genus Huernia.

Many flower growers want to have amazing and unique plants with beautiful flowers in their collection. And it is unlikely that they will bypass such an exotic as Huernia. Its fantastic dark red flowers will leave few indifferent. We will also pay a little attention to these succulents and describe their features, as well as share our experience on how to care for Huernia at home.

Description of succulents of the genus Huernia

The genus Huernia belongs to the Apocynaceae family and includes about 60 varieties of succulents. Huernia as a genus was first described in 1810. It was named after Justus van Hoern (1587–1653), a Dutch missionary, botanist and physician. He is believed to have been the first European to document and collect South African plants in the Cape. Moreover, the name of the genus was given with an error.

All Huernias are low-growing perennial succulents that grow in the deserts of South and East Africa, up to Arabia, and they grow mainly at the base of other plants, being under their shade. Most succulent varieties of Huernia are short growing plants. The grey-green stems of the flower branch from the base, forming large clumps, resembling a cucumber from afar, and rarely grow more than 10-15 cm in height. The thick, fleshy shoots of succulents tend to be ribbed and covered in fine barbs.

Attractive Huernia flowers with a diameter of 2-3 cm on short pedicels open in the summer in the lower part of the stems of the annual (or biennial) growth in the axils between the barb and bloom until autumn. The flowers can be red, yellow or brown and are often spotted and have 5 petals. Huernia is known for the fact that its flowers often give off a foul carrion odor that attracts pollinating flies. The distribution of this "aroma" varies considerably between Huernia species.

Interesting Facts about Huernia

Different types of Huernia are eaten in case of famine by some tribes in southern Ethiopia. Locals eat its stems with cooked sorghum balls. They note that such a dish has a relatively pleasant taste and does not have unpleasant side effects when cooked and consumed. As a result, local farmers have encouraged its cultivation on stone walls that form terraces where Huernia competes with other crops.
In Kenya, the natives use the sap of Huernia aspera, breaking its stems and applying it to wounds.
The Huernia succulent is similar to the Stapelia in its flowers with a distinct, specific aroma.
In the West, this plant is called the savior cactus (Lifesaver Cactus), although it has nothing to do with cacti.

Home care for the Huernia flower

Like most other succulents, Huernias are easy to care for as long as you avoid overwatering and follow a few basic succulent care tips. Let's describe them in more detail.

Soil requirements

Because all Huernias have rather shallow roots, use a quality succulent soil mix or prepare your own substrate by adding perlite or pumice to regular houseplant soil in a 1:2 ratio. Sandy, well-permeable soil is also appropriate.

Which pot to use

Since Huernia is a small plant, it does not need a very large pot, which will make it easier to transplant later. If possible, choose a shallow container, as Huernia have shallow roots that mostly grow sideways. It is advisable to choose a clay or ceramic pot with good drainage, as they do not retain moisture.

Lighting

The Huernia plant requires finding a balance of light. You should choose a location that receives bright but indirect sunlight for this succulent. Make sure you don't expose the plant to direct sunlight for extended periods, as this can make it susceptible to rot and disease. Inside the home, the ideal spot is right in front of an east-facing window (morning sun) or a west-facing window (evening sun), but avoid the hot sun on a hot afternoon.

If the green stems of Huernia remain supple and shiny, this is a sign that the plant is receiving the desired sunlight. The plant will change the appearance and color of the shoots if there is not enough sunlight. Prolonged exposure to full sun can be harmful, as whole stems dry out completely and die. On the other hand, if there is too little light, Huernia stems become weak and thin, resulting in reduced flowering.

Temperature

10°C to 27°C is the optimal range for growing this plant. Huernias can briefly withstand temperatures lower than 4.5°C if they are in dry ground, and up to 38°C if they are in the shade. But try not to expose your flower to such extremes. If you take the plant outside in the summer, return it indoors before the temperature drops below 10°C.

Watering

Try to follow the common method of watering succulents. Water it thoroughly, allow excess water to drain out of the drain hole, and wait until the topsoil is dry before watering again, and so on through the growing season. In winter, try to keep the soil dry for a longer period of time.

Fertilizer

As with other succulents, avoid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen and use fertilizers that are high in phosphorus. Avoid top dressing in winter. If you prefer natural fertilizers, you can add some bone meal to the soil in the spring.

Replanting a Huernia

The plant does not usually outgrow its pot soon. It's okay if it fills the container tightly, because it limits its growth and keeps the plant compact. Change the soil mixture about every two years. If the capacity of the pot is sufficient for the roots of the plant, you can not change it.

How to Propagate Huernia

Cut off a healthy stem at the base.
Let the cutting dry overnight.
Dip the tip of the stem into rooting hormone powder.
Plant the cutting in the prepared earth mixture described above.
Place the cutting pot in a location that gets enough sunlight.
Water it sparingly until the cutting is rooted.

Another method of propagation of Huernia is seed. To collect the seeds, wait until the flowers begin to dry out. Cut off one or more flowers on the stem and let them dry completely. After drying, collect the seeds and sow in moist peat. Seeds must be covered with a thin layer of soil. Seeds germinate quickly, often germinating within a week.

Huernia diseases and pests

First of all, do not frequently saturate the soil in the pot with moisture, as this leads to rotting of the plant. The rot usually appears at the base of the plant and spreads to the stems, causing them to collapse. When you have identified a problem, try to take cuttings from the healthiest stems for propagation, and then discard the rest of the plant, as you will not be able to save it.
The next problem to worry about is the presence of flies. The putrid smell of the flowers can attract flies, which is necessary to ensure pollination in the wild. Unfortunately, in this case, nothing can be done except to keep Huernia indoors away from open windows or take it outside in the summer.
Look out for signs of a mealybug. They often attack roots and stems. Try removing pests with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. If that doesn't work, treat the area with insecticide.

Common species of the genus Huernia

Let's briefly describe the most popular varieties of this succulent.

Kenyan Huernia (Huernia keniensis)

As the species name suggests, this plant is native to Kenya and Tanzania. The succulent is found in rocky places, usually in bright shade in the undergrowth of dry forests. This tropical species has 5-sided gray-green stems with red speckles, up to 12 cm long and 1 cm in diameter.

The plant develops many star-shaped flowers with a characteristic ten-pointed corolla. The flowers are reddish to purple, covered with short warts. Botanists distinguish 5 varieties in Huernia Kenya based on differences in the size and shape of the corolla. The flowering season is from June to October (the flowers do not smell like carrion).

Striped Huernia (Huernia zebrina)

This species can be found in nature in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa on rocky areas, often on limestone or heavy loamy soils under shrubs. The plant is a low-growing perennial succulent, more or less creeping, occasionally forming tangles. This is one of the most beautifully flowering Huernias and is very popular in floriculture because of its unusual flowers.

They have a raised, brilliant wine-red "ring" around the mouth of the corolla tube. The corolla varies in size and is usually covered with burgundy streaks that vary markedly in color intensity. Stems erect at first, later lying, weakly branched, tapering, irregularly branching and strongly toothed. There is also a variegated form of Huernia zebrina.

Huernia insigniflora (Huernia zebrina v. insigniflora or Huernia confusa)

This is a wonderful species of perennial succulents with dull greyish-green, 4-sided rose-hued stems with sharp spreading teeth. The plant forms small dense curtains up to 10 cm in diameter.

The wide-opening star-shaped flowers have a distinct raised center ring, light green outside, greenish white or light yellow inside, sometimes pink, tube and bare ring crimson to dark purple or liver-color.

Rough Huernia (Huernia aspera)

Under natural conditions, this flower can be found in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. This species is a small, creeping-stemmed succulent with tiny, dark purple, bell-shaped flowers, prominent papillae, and a strong, fetid odor.

The stems are procumbent and ascending, up to 10 cm long, up to 1.5 cm across, rarely branched, shiny, 5 or 6-angled with small, obtuse, splayed, somewhat stiff teeth. Flowers are solitary, slightly drooping. Corolla is usually red-brown to black-violet.

Schneider's Huernia (Huernia schneideriana)

This species is native to Tanzania. This is a very attractive type of succulent. Stems are slender, 5-20 cm long, but may be longer, 6-7 angular, with inconspicuous barbs.

The flowers are burgundy, but inside the tube are almost black, about 3 cm, velvety. They bloom mainly in autumn.

Large-fruited Huernia (Huernia macrocarpa)

Under this name, several varietal varieties are collected. This plant came from Ethiopia, but different varieties of "macrocarpa" are widely distributed in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The flower grows on granite rocks. This is a perennial succulent that forms curtains (small bunches of stems branching at the base).

The stems are spreading or creeping, from 4 to 25 cm long, quickly fill the entire pot. Shoots are 4- or 5-sided with pronounced fleshy teeth up to 7 cm long. Flowers are solitary or several, grow from the base of young stems, facing outward or drooping, typical 5-lobed. The color is purplish crimson.

Hairy Huernia (Huernia pillansii)

The habitat of the succulent is South Africa (Cape Province). One of the most distinctive species of this genus, no other has similar bristle-covered stems that resemble Hoodia stems in miniature.

There are several varieties of this species. This plant is popular for its stems and showy star-shaped flowers.