⚠️ Plants cannot ship to CA, FL, HI, or US territories

  • A detail view of the flower on a huernia zebrina succulent with squat spiky purple-toned stems. The flower star-shaped and light yellow with a dark red stripe pattern on the petals. Toward the center it has a raised ring that is all red.
  • A huernia zebrina plant while the stems are green, in a shallow bulb pot with stems hanging over the sides. It has three flowers open.
  • The huernia zebrina while the stems are green, tilted to view an especially large flower
  • The huernia zebrina tilted to see buds that have not opened. They are light colored and shaped like hexagonal bell balloons
  • The huernia zebrina with purple stress tone, and splotchy surface coloration. There are several small red-tinted buds.
  • Looking straight down on a huernia zebrina, showing the geometry of the branching stems.
  • Detail of the huernia zebrina flower opening, with fleshy petals starting to peel back to reveal the interior pattern. The petals have very fine hairs on them.
  • The same flower as the previous image, now open to show the pattern.
1 8

Huernia zebrina "lifesaver"

Huernia zebrina "lifesaver"

$5.00 USD
$5.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Options

Family Apocynaceae

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae

Tribe Ceropegieae

Genus Huernia

Species zebrina

Common name(s) Lifesaver

 

Huernia zebrina is the most popular huernia in the trade. It has robust bunchy growth and flowers readily, producing glossy yellow and red zebra-striped blooms. It's commonly known as the "lifesaver huernia" due to the deep red raised ring ('annulus') at the center resembling a lifesaver buoy.

Zebrina quickly branches and hangs over the sides of pots. The individual stems are squat so the plant only reaches a few inches in height and is happy in a shallow planter. In my Arizona climate, Zebrina blooms nearly year-round and takes on lovely mottled purple sun-stress coloration from the late summer into spring.

Use caution handling mature plants: hanging sections can fall off when bumped. Like most stapeliads, loose segments easily root as cuttings.

Options: The "parent" plant you will receive a cutting from is pictured. Available as a rooted cutting, either as a segment or branching small plant.

 

Growth habit Short branching and overlapping stems, will mat or cascade
Size Shallow roots, spreading plant producing 1–3" stems
Light Filtered sun, under a tree or shade cloth
Water Occasional water in growing season, allow to dry between waterings; leave dry over winter
Overwintering Tolerates 45°F, does best overwintering in a greenhouse
Flowers Blooms in the summer and fall
Scent profile None detected
Native to South Africa
Conservation risk status Least Concern (LC)
View full details