New Kids On The Block

Day 9: Meet the new kids on the block! I've so enjoyed Huernia zebrina (Lifesaver Plant) that I decided to add its close relative, Huernia procumbens (left) and another similar plant, Stapelia scitula. Procumbens' flower sports the family's typical red "lifesaver" in the center of a star the colour of rich cream. I've just transplanted it, so it will undoubtedly drop the blossoms currently forming (lower left), but if it's anything like zebrina, it won't be long before it puts on more. Stapelias bear a similar star-shaped flower, but lack the raised "lifesaver" center. Scitula's blooms will be purple-maroon flecked with yellow, reminiscent of the starfish which supply its common name. Stapelias are native to South Africa. Both succulents root easily from pieces broken off the parent plant.

Indoor Gardening

Day 3: Over the years, I've made numerous attempts at growing a Venus Fly-Trap and have yet to have one survive in my care longer than about six months. You'd think I'd give up...I gave up on orchids after a few stunning failures...but I do love my carnivores, so I keep experimenting with different types of water (spring water, rain water, distilled water, the heavily mineralized water out of my tap) and various means of humidity control (in a terrarium, in a saucer of water, on the shower window ledge), but have yet to hit on the right formula. The plants go dormant and sometimes the foliage will disappear altogether, so it's not always easy to tell if you're wasting time nurturing an empty pot, further complicating the issue of culture. In any event, this specimen should provide me with a couple of months of amusement at the very least.

Huernia Zebrina, Lifesaver Plant

Day 338: Huernia zebrina (Lifesaver Plant, named for the donut-like structure in the flower's center) is rapidly turning into one of my favourite houseplants. In the first place, as a member of the cactus family, it's very forgiving of neglectful watering even though it's lived in a hot window all summer. If that didn't win me over, its enthusiasm in putting on a show of bizarrely shaped flowers over a fairly long span of weeks would move it into the top ranks. The blossoms only last a few days once they've opened, but the development of them is fascinating to watch. From the tiny bud just below the dime in the upper image to reach the origami-like star of the middle phase requires almost two weeks. When the flower finally bursts open and the petals furl back from the center, its unusual form is a traffic-stopper. I have yet to dissect one to investigate the interior of the "lifesaver," but I am intensely curious about its role in the plant's biology.