Garden

Chandelier flower: Plant and care

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Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 12 February 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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Chandelier flowers carry candelabra-like flowers

Chandelier flower: Plant and care

Chandelier flowers have developed flower forms that are comparable in complexity with no other flower. Due to their special specialization on the environmental conditions, the plants need hardly any care. Regarding location and substrate selection, you'll need to consider a few factors to make sure the candlestick flowers feel comfortable.

ancestry

As a flower candor both the plant genus Ceropegia and the species Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii called. It is a popular ornamental plant and is also sold under the name Ceropegia woodii. Leuchterblumen belong to the Hundsgiftgewächsen. The natural range of the cultivated as an ornamental subspecies is limited to the subtropical regions of South Africa.Other subspecies of Ceropegia linearis also occur in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi to Kenya in the north of the continent.

leaves

Ceropegia woodii has fleshy thickened leaves that serve as a water reservoir. These succulent leaves are divided into a lanceolate to heart-shaped leaf blade and a three to ten millimeters long petiole. The leaves may be more or less round. The blade is pointed at the end and colored dark green on the top. The underside of the leaf appears bright green and often has a reddish tinge. The small leaves are opposite to the shoot and have a high ornamental value due to their silvery-white grain.


blossom

The lampwork flower owes its name to the strikingly shaped flowers. These are zwittrig constructed and have a symmetry axis. Each flower reaches a length of between two and 2.5 centimeters. Their petals are fused together and form a Kronkessel, which merges with a visible constriction in the Kronröhre. The Kronkessel is spherical to oval-shaped and about four millimeters wide. The Kronröhre has a diameter of two millimeters.

flower Color

While the Kronkessel is colored greenish-white to whitish-purple with a dark purple veining, the Kronröhre appears light violet or violet striped. It is often whitish dotted at the top or net-like structured. Their bright green to purple Kronzipfel arch inside. They are fused umbrella-like at their tip.

flowers Ecology

The flower anatomy is reminiscent of small lampshades. Chandelier flowers have a special purpose with this flower shape. They exude a smell that attracts small flies. These get lost in the Kronröhre, where they are trapped by the little hairs. The flies pollinate the first matured female flower organs with their brought pollen packets. Subsequently, the male organs mature and produce new pollen, which the flies absorb by their movements in the flower. The hairs in the flower's throat slacken so that the flies can escape again.


growth

Ceropegia woodii develops root tubers, which are spherically thickened and have a rough surface. With increasing age the rhizome becomes ever stronger. From them drifting, creeping or hanging shoot axes, which can reach a length of 100 centimeters. They are very thin with a diameter between one and two millimeters. Older specimens form in the leaf axils small white nodules, which serve the vegetative propagation.

use

Chandelier flowers are ideal traffic light plants. The green curtain of shoots and leaves is an interesting eye-catcher in hanging pots. But also tall vessels such as vases, old copper pitchers or zinc pans are perfectly suited to make green plant arrangements with the candlestick. The shoots of the succulent plant can be shaped as desired. You can grow the plant in heart shape or as a trellis. Use flexible wires to steer the rungs in the right direction.

Is Leuchterblume poisonous?

There is no information available about possible toxic ingredients. The lampoon flower leads in root tuber and parts of plants a transparent to whitish milk sap, which is considered harmless. Sensitive persons should take precautionary measures with gloves in order to prevent possible skin reactions. There is also no danger to animals from eating the plant.

Many dogbane plants, including the lamprey flower, are poisonous and should not be cultivated within reach of children and pets. If you choose this plant, it should be placed as a precaution in unreachable places. Note that the shoots can become very long. The drooping shoot axes pose a potential danger to cats, who can catch themselves while playing and tear down the bucket.
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Which location is suitable?

Give the candlestick a bright spot where it is at a normal room temperature. Avoid places that lie in the blazing sun. The succulent plants react sensitively to direct sunlight especially in the midday hours. Flower development is supported when the plant gets some sun in the morning and evening hours. Chandelier flowers do not need special humidity. They thrive well even in dry air. In summer, the plant thanks you for an outdoor location.

Which soil does the plant need?

Ceropegia woodii prefers a nutrient-poor and highly permeable substrate. For a higher permeability, you can mix 60 percent soil with 40 percent loose mineral material. For this purpose, beads of expanded clay, sand and perlite, pumice or lava granules are suitable. These mineral admixtures provide better air circulation as they increase the crumb structure of the substrate. They also store nutrients and moisture, which they gradually release to the substrate.

This substrate is suitable for cultivation:

Chandelier flower multiply

The easiest way to grow chandelier flowers is to use their brood knots, which grow in the leaf axils. This propagation variant is possible during the main growth phase from spring to autumn. Pick the nodules and sprinkle them on a suitable substrate. Cover the nodules with a layer of quartz sand to prevent rot. Place the pot in a shady place where temperatures are between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. Pay attention to a constant soil moisture.
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sowing

If your plant has developed fruit, you can use the seeds in it for propagation. Fill a plastic pot with a suitable growth substrate, which will loosen up with mineral admixtures. Distribute the seeds evenly on the soil and cover larger seeds lightly with substrate. Small seeds can be left blank.

Put a transparent plastic bag or foil over the pot to keep the humidity constant. To prevent mold, you should take into account the daily ventilation. On this occasion, put some fresh water on the substrate.

At this location, the seeds germinate:

cuttings

Cut shoots eight to ten centimeters from the plant and allow the interfaces to air dry for a few days. Remove the bottom leaves and place the shoots in a sandy substrate.

The cuttings feel well in a slightly damp soil. Pour sparingly and allow the top layer between the watering units to dry. The location should be bright and ensure temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. After seven to eight weeks, first roots have developed.

Chandelier flower in the pot

Choose a bucket that provides enough space for the root system. Chandelier flowers thrive in shallow pots better than in deep vessels. You should make sure that the pot has enough space for drainage. He should have a drain hole so that the water can drain. Cover the soil with potsherds and then fill the vessel with substrate.

Ceropegia woodii develops a fine root system, on which numerous nodules are formed. These thickenings not only serve as water and nutrient storage, but also take over photosynthetic functions. For the energy conversion, the roots need some light. Cover the root system only lightly with a sandy layer that should not exceed a thickness of one centimeter.

balcony

During the summer months, you can place the candlestick on balcony or terrace without hesitation. A place in the partial shade is ideal because the leaves are sensitive to direct sunlight.

Pour candlestick flower

Chandelier flowers are specialists when it comes to water supply. They store moisture in their thickened parts of plants and consume of these reserves in dry seasons. You only need to pour your candlestick flower moderately. Let the soil dry between the casting units. Waterlogging does not tolerate waterlogging. Pour out the excess water in the coaster at the latest after five minutes.

Chandelier flower pour in the winter

Reduce irrigation to a minimum in the resting phase, so that the root ball can not dry out. Orient yourself at the room temperature of the winter quarters. The cooler it is, the less often you have to water the plant. For pouring rainwater is suitable. Chandelier flowers are satisfied with tap water, if this is not too calcareous.

Fertilize the candlestick flower properly

Fertilize the plant sparingly as its nutritional needs are low. Mature and healthy plants get a fertilizer every four weeks between spring and autumn. Cactus fertilizer is a good nutrient that is administered in low concentration with the irrigation water. If the chandelier flower goes into hibernation in winter, you do not need to continue fertilising the plant.

Cut the candlestick flower correctly

Chandelier flowers can be cut year-round when the shoots are too long. Larger cutbacks should be done in the spring so that the plant then regenerates quickly. A strong pruning causes the plant to develop numerous new shoots. The breeding tubers are thereby stimulated to expulsion.

How do I properly plant?

Once the root system has spread throughout the pot, you should transplant the lamprey flower. Young plants need a few years until the place becomes too narrow. Older plants can repot every year. The best time for this action is the spring, just before the end of hibernation.

overwinter

From November, the candlestick flower goes into hibernation, which lasts until February. The succulent plant likes to spend the winter in a cooler place in the house. Place the bucket in an unheated staircase or in a rarely used room. The temperatures should be between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius. If the thermometer drops below eight degrees Celsius, the candlestick can be damaged.

The cold period is important for the plant to develop flowers next spring. During this time you should reduce the care measures to a minimum.

Diseases

Chandelier flowers are robust plants that are hardly weakened by disease. Frequent damage pictures are due to care mistakes. Waterlogging is the plant's biggest enemy because it causes root rot. If this factor is not recognized fast enough, the plant can die.

fungal infection

If the leaves suddenly wither or get a pale green color, it can be caused by fungi of the genus Phytophthora. These mushrooms are considered aggressive occasional parasites. If they have settled on a host plant, this usually does not survive the infection. You should remove the infested plant so that the fungus does not spread to other plants in the area.

Phytophthora inhabits foul plant parts. The fungi are often involved in root rot and additionally accelerate the rotting process. As a precaution, you should make sure that no waterlogging forms in the substrate. Over-fertilization also promotes the living conditions of the fungal spores.

pests

Chandelier flowers are attacked by pests that feed on the juice of the plants. If the infestation is not treated in time, the crop will be weakened.

aphids

The pests leave a sticky film on the leaves. This honeydew provides soot thickening fungi with optimum growth conditions. These mushrooms look unsightly, but do not further damage the plant. Aphids multiply preferentially in dry summer months. Healthy plants are less susceptible to the pests. If your plant is affected, you can remove the aphids with a sharp stream of water. Neem preparations are helpful in case of a larger pest infestation.

Lubricants and mealybugs

These pests occasionally appear leaving behind white webs reminiscent of cotton balls. They absorb the sap and inject poisonous substances into the plant that affect their growth. Diseased leaves turn yellow and curl until they eventually fall off. Weakly weakened plants are particularly susceptible to pest infestation. Place affected plants in a bright and cool place and spray the plant parts with an antidote.

Control agent against lice and mealybugs:

Tips

Chandelier flowers are often offered commercially in normal peat or potting soil, in which some styrofoam beads were mixed. At home, replace the substrate with more suitable soil, as this will support healthy and vigorous growth.

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