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Senecio herreianus
Place ideally in full sun or partial shade.
Always water a few days after the substrate has dried out. Reduce watering in winter. However, water regularly throughout the year.
It can tolerate -3.9 °C in the short term. However, the plant is not hardy.
The beautiful leaves are very strikingly reminiscent of gooseberry fruit. This resemblance also gives the plant the name Gooseberry Plant or String of Watermelons.
Senecio herreanus, formerly known as Kleinia herreana and currently renamed Curio herreanus, is a fascinating succulent plant native to Namibia. This plant has won the hearts of growers all over the world thanks to its charming appearance and easy care. It is often called the String of Watermelons, for its unique leaf appearance, or the Gooseberry Plant, for their resemblance to gooseberries. It is named after Hans Herre (1895-1979), a German botanist who was instrumental in the discovery of succulent plants.
It boasts beautiful leaves that most of all resemble gooseberries. The leaves are smooth and have one large longitudinal window - fenestration, and many other thin stripes. These stripes turn purple-brown in full sun and give the plant a unique look. The leaves grow on short stalks from a woody stem that becomes woody over time. The succulent has slender stems that can grow up to 30 cm long. The stems extend from the pot or creep along the ground and root in knots. This feature makes Senecio herreanus an ideal plant for growing in hanging containers or for cascading growth.
In the spring to autumn months, it is enveloped in delicate white flowers. The flowers are small, brush-like and give the plant a delicate and romantic appearance.
Senecio herreanus is a fairly fast-growing plant, especially if it has sufficient nutrients and moisture. However, fertilization is not necessary for this plant. It is often confused with Senecio rowleyanus. The two species differ in leaf shape and colour. Senecio herreanus has leaves with windows and purple-brown stripes, while Senecio rowleyanus has smaller leaves without windows and green in colour. A beautiful plant with interesting leaves of unusual shape and aesthetic windows, it pleases not only with its leaves but also with its scarlet growth and small flowers.