A short story about the Candlestick Flower
The botanical name of the candlestick flower is Ceropegia. Some of the flowers in this plant genus are reminiscent of multi-armed candlesticks, hence their German name "Chandelier Flower" or "Climbing Candlestick Flower".
The natural home of the climbing plant is South Africa and Zimbabwe. In the meantime, however, it has spread to all continents, such as the Canary Islands, Madagascar, India, China and Australia.
The appearance of the candlestick flower
The classic candlestick flower, which is often used as a houseplant, has a tuberous stem up to five centimeters thick that often appears woody and wrinkled. Individual red-colored thin shoots grow from the trunk, which can reach a length of one to three meters. The fleshy leaves of the candlestick flower grow on short stalks along these reddish shoots.
The dark green leaves have a slightly silvery sheen on their upper side. On the other hand, they have a more purple color on the underside. The special thing about them: the leaf shape resembles a heart. Maybe that's why they are such a beautiful eye-catcher.
Candelabra species
As already mentioned, the candlestick flower describes a genus of plants. About 160 species are known, which occur mainly in the tropical areas of Southeast Asia and on the African continent.
As a houseplant, the Ceropegia woodii with its two subspecies ssp. debilis and ssp. woodii. best known.
African Candlestick Flower
This type of candlestick plant is also known as the classic candlestick flower and originally comes from South Africa. The African candlestick flower is very easy to care for and that is why it is so popular with plant lovers.
Their appearance is characterized by their heart-shaped leaves. These have a beautiful silvery color against the dark green leaf background. The elongated flowers grow on the leaf axils of the leaves.
These reach a length of up to three centimeters. Their shape is narrow like a tube and appears in light pink. The small ball at the end of the flower shines in burgundy.
Parachute Candlestick
This species of candlestick is a climbing houseplant. It is very suitable as a traffic light plant, i.e. you can hang it in its flower pot on the ceiling. So you can beautify the most different corners of your apartment.
It is characterized by its long stems, which can twist up to two meters in height. In contrast to the African candlestick, the parachute candlestick has no heart leaf. Its leaves are rather long and oval in shape. Its flower can grow up to seven centimeters and forms one to four flowers.
Chandelier Flower Location: The right location helps growth
The Candlestick Flower is pretty undemanding in terms of location! She likes it best when you put her in a bright or sunny spot.
But she doesn't mind if she is in a partially shaded location. The only downside is that it blooms less often there.
She's not very sensitive to temperature either. It tolerates both low and high temperatures well. Temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius are optimal.
Care for your candlestick flowers: watering, fertilizing, cutting etc.
The candlestick flower does not only need the right care in its main growth phase, which runs from April to October. It is of course important that you make sure that your candlestick flower is doing really well all year round.This is not particularly difficult, as the plant is fortunately one of those that are not very demanding. So that you can still do everything right when caring for candlestick flowers, we will show you a few tips here.
Water the candlestick flower
The candlestick flower is an ideal indoor plant, especially for those who don't have much time to water. It doesn't need a lot of water. On the contrary, you can be very economical with watering.
Tip: Your candlestick flower does not like too much water or waterlogging at all. Therefore, avoid watering them excessively and pour off excess water. Watering twice a week, preferably with rainwater, is sufficient. It is better not to use hard water.
Fertilize the candlestick
Frugality also applies to fertilizing. Over-fertilizing will only harm your candlestick flower. In the growth phase (April to October) you should fertilize your plant every two to three weeks with a cactus fertilizer or a normal liquid fertilizer.
Tip: If you decide to use liquid fertilizer, it is best to dilute it with water, as the plant cannot tolerate too many nutrients.
You don't need to fertilize the candlestick flower during its dormant period, which lasts from November to March.
Cut back the candlestick
If you want to cut back your candlestick flower, you can basically do it all year round. However, spring is the best time to do this. As soon as you have cut back the plant once, candlestick flowers form new shoots relatively quickly from the tubers in the pot.
Grow candlestick flower
If you want to decorate your home with more candlestick flowers, you can easily propagate your mother plant. There are two methods that we would like to introduce to you briefly.
1. Method: Propagation by tubers
This method is best used during the growth phase. For this you use the small nodules on the shoots. You can very carefully remove them from the plant and place them in a small pot filled with sand.
It is important that you always keep the substrate moist so that the roots and new shoots can develop well. This can take a few weeks though, so don't lose patience!
2. Method: Propagation by cuttings
During the growth phase you can also use cuttings for propagation. To do this, cut off some of the long shoots and let the cut dry well. After that you can plant the cuttings in a suitable pot with a mixture of potting soil and sand. Again, it is important that you always keep the substrate slightly moist, but never too wet!
Plant paradise in your home: arrange the candlestick flower
The climbing candlestick flower is perfect as a hanging plant in your home. With it you can bring gray corners back to life. For this you simply use a normal flower pot, which is attached to the ceiling with the help of a knotted rope or string (you can easily get it in the garden center or online). The chandelier flower traffic light is a completely new way of showcasing plants in your home.
Is the candlestick flower poisonous to pets or humans?
Minds are divided at the candlestick flower. Sometimes it is said that it is poisonous to pets such as dogs or cats, sometimes this is denied. So there is no clear statement. Nevertheless, you should know that the candlestick flowers belong to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), which are often poisonous.
Care mistakes: Candlestick flower care tips
Even if the candlestick flower is relatively easy to care for, that doesn't mean that you should neglect it. You should therefore pay close attention to the right care, otherwise your plant may die . So that this does not happen, we will show you some candlestick care tips.
1. Tip: Your candlestick flower will turn yellow leaves if you water it excessively. That's why her motto is: sometimes less is more! Make sure that there is never too much water in the saucer and that the soil is not too wet either.
2. Tip: Avoid exposing the plant to direct sunlight. This can lead to your candlestick flower getting brown leaves. The UV rays burn the leaves, which can develop brown and irregular spots.
3. Tip: A location that is too shady is just as unhelpful as too much sun. Your candlestick flower is not blooming? Then she most likely does not get enough sunlight. If that's the case, just move them to a sunnier and brighter spot.
Standing or hanging, the candlestick flower is a real gem!
Actually, there are only advantages to having a candlestick flower in your home, as it is very easy to care for due to its few requirements. With the different types you can creatively design your apartment in a very individual way. The climbing candlestick flower gives your living room its very own charm!
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