String of Watermelon, Senecio herreanus (Curio herreanus)

I couldn’t imagine it—one other “string of ______ ” plant? I used to be already conversant in string of pearls, string of dolphins, string of turtles, string of bananas—however string of watermelons? Effectively, apparently this exists, and I found it at my native Sprig backyard retailer the place I’m going to go looking out distinctive plant varieties. I knew that string of pearls was a low upkeep and straightforward to develop succulent, so I assumed this may be, too. And since I’ve a tough time resisting a novel, versatile plant with a cute widespread identify (simply watch out saying its Latin identify out loud), I purchased one.

Right here’s what I realized about this multitasking trailing succulent:

Native to South Africa, string of watermelons is a quick rising succulent within the Asteraceae household. It sports activities dangling skinny stems adorned with chubby leaves which have the purplish striations of a striped mini watermelon. Within the spring, tiny white flowers emerge however actually this isn’t why you might be rising this plant. The primary attraction is the notable cascading foliage that may attain greater than 12 inches lengthy.

You’ll be able to plant this succulent outdoors in hotter areas void of frosts and freezes, in a container, and even as an unconventional floor cowl. Should you do plant it as a floor cowl, the plant will root on the nodes and fill in moderately rapidly. Professional tip: This plant’s fragile stems make it susceptible to roughhousing. Take warning when planting to keep away from knocking the mini watermelons off, and plant in a spot not frequented by wagging canine tails or tromping ft.

In case you are contemplating planting string of watermelons indoors, make sure that to provide your plant adequate vibrant mild a couple of foot from a sunny window. Professional tip: Much less solar creates a greener look and extra solar produces stronger striations. And since it’s a succulent, ensure you use well-draining potting soil and a container with a drain gap to keep away from root rot. Outside, this plant appreciates vibrant mild or filtered mild however positively sheltered from harsh afternoon solar. This plant’s want for shady spots makes it preferrred for many who love succulents however have shady gardens. And positively contemplate this plant and it’s trailing cousins your go-to spiller plant.

Cheat Sheet

• This plant’s simple nature makes it an ideal succulent for inexperienced persons.
• Use it as an unconventional floor cowl outdoors the place the stems will simply root and unfold.
• Mildly poisonous if ingested, so steer clear of nibbly pets and curious youngsters.
• The relaxed behavior is ideal planted in containers (both indoors or outside) the place the stems can drape over.
• Excellent plant companions embody Sansevieria and Sago palm.

Maintain It Alive

• Hardy in USDA Zones 9-12.
• One of the best mild could be very vibrant and oblique.
• Use cactus/succulent soil combine to make sure quick drainage.
• Drought tolerant however ensure you utterly saturate the soil then let it dry out once more earlier than giving it one other drink of water.
• Generally this plant prunes itself when its stems by chance break off from extra water or manhandling. You may as well trim this plant to take away lifeless stems or to shorten its size.
• If planted indoors, look ahead to pesky mealy bugs and aphids.

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