Starring Role

Day 50: "Lifesaver Plant" (Huernia zebrina) is another one of those forgiving, go-ahead-and-ignore-me houseplants no one should be without. Unlike its cousin Huernia procumbens, whose sole mission in life appears to be to sprawl with abandon and drop bits of itself in other flower pots, zebrina rewards the lack of care it receives from its grower with displays of star-shaped blooms several times a year. The raised disk in the center of each flower give it its common name, and each one has more freckles on its face than Huckleberry Finn. Starts may be made by taking a section of the foliage and sticking the end down in soil, keeping it damp until it takes root. Indeed, segments may root themselves wherever they touch down. The "spines" are soft rather than spiky. I think of Huernia zebrina as a "happy plant," content to play its starring role without any great coaching on my part.