Dangly succulents
For interest and intrigue indoors or out, these dangly succulents deliver in spades, says STEVE FALCIONI, with their trailing stems of leaves shaped like hearts, pearls, bananas, coins and even dolphins!
Recent years have seen an exciting trend towards turning our homes, offices and commercial buildings into plant jungles. A key part of this luscious look is the use of hanging succulents to drape from pots, dangle from stairwells and atriums, and cleverly clothe walls.
The needs of these plants are pretty simple. Plant them into free-draining potting mix, and only water when the topsoil has become dry. Water less frequently during winter, when they are mostly inactive. The stems and roots will rot as a result of overwatering and poor drainage. If you tend to overwater, use a more open potting medium, such as cacti and succulent mix, to reduce the risk of this happening.
Liquid-fertilise your succulents regularly during the warmer months to encourage growth. Watch out for mealybugs, scale, aphids and fungus gnats, which can be controlled organically by using horticultural oil and neem products.
There are many different plants you can use to achieve the jungle look. Here are some of my favourites to get you started.
Rhipsalis (Rhipsalis spp.)
Plants from the Rhipsalis genus are sometimes called jungle cacti. One of my favourites is R. teres, which produces stems only a few millimetres in diameter. They grow several metres long and branch freely to create a lovely airy wall of bright green.
Another treasure is R. pulchra, with thicker cylindrical stems that don’t branch as often, resulting in long, straight stems. This offers a lovely contrast when grown with other hanging plants. Creamy white flowers produced along the stems have a pleasant perfume, but must be sniffed up close to be enjoyed.
Rhipsalis mostly originate from jungles and therefore need regular moisture and dappled light. Hot sun can burn their foliage, so stick to sheltered positions with bright indirect lighting, either indoors or outside. They will tolerate gentle morning sun.
Chain of hearts (Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii)
Also known as string of hearts, this little charmer is made up of small, heart-shaped leaves spaced along thin stems that can easily be several metres long. The leaves are mottled green on top with a purplish tinge to the underside. They produce small, curiously shaped grey and purple flowers periodically throughout the year.
While it may look very delicate, this is a super-easy plant to grow. Just position it somewhere that receives bright, indirect light, either indoors or outside, and water as frequently as the rest of your potted plants.
String of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
I think it would be more accurate to call it ‘string of peas’ but that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it! The plant produces green ‘pearls’ on its long stems and, when grown well, it’s a sight to
behold. The flowers aren’t very attractive to look at but have a delicious cinnamon scent when you get up close. It's best suited to bright light, either indoors or outside. If you’re keeping it outside, protect from frost.
String of pearls has a reputation for being tricky to grow, which is mostly due to overwatering (the stems rot off) or underwatering
(the pearls shrivel up). To increase your chances of success, avoid the former by planting your string of pearls into a cacti and succulent mix, and avoid the latter by watching the pearls closely.
String of bananas (Senecio radicans)
Yes, more strings of things, but this time we’re talking banana-shaped leaves. This succulent favours the same conditions as string of pearls, but is more forgiving if conditions are not quite perfect. While it can handle more sunshine, the foliage can become bleached, so shade or gentle morning sun is still preferable. If kept outside, it will also need protection during cold winters. Flowers appear in winter or spring and, while they aren’t so pretty, they smell nicely of cinnamon.
Dolphin necklace (Senecio peregrinus)
A little harder to find but worth the hunt, the dolphin necklace is a real talking point when you look closely at its leaves. Yep, they resemble small green dolphins.
Who could resist a pot (pod?) of hanging dolphins? Treat this plant the same as string of bananas.