Senecio herreianus Purple Flash ( syn. Othonna capensis Ruby Necklace) is a beautiful trailing succulent with small oval leaves and gorgeous purple stems. It is drought tolerant, can survive long periods without water and grows well in bright light and direct sunshine or in part shade. It becomes more purple in full sun. Flowers are bright yellow.
Common names: String of beads, Ruby necklace, String of Rubies.
There are cuttings and plants available for purchase.
Cuttings length 10-12 cm,
rooted cuttings length is 20-25 cm and may have some small branches.
Plant length 15-50 cm.
Normally, average maximum branch length between 20-25 cm. All items listed as plants have at least 3 branches of different length.. Maximum branch length is the length of the longest branch mentioned in the drop down menu. Other branches could be shorter.
Also notice, that during transit plant may drop one or two leaves, which is normal and inevitable and it does not effect the plant health.
If you have any concerns about what you will receive, please ask for additional pictures of currently available plants.
🔸How to acclimatise your plant
After planting keep your plant several days in bright, well lit place out of direct sun light. Then move it gradually to a full sun position.
🔸How to care about your succulent ( General information)
Pot
It is important to choose the right pot for your plant. The succulents do not like to sit in water, so it is recommended to have them planted in a pot with at least one drainage hole. The pot should not be very big, but deep enough to accommodate the roots plus one or two inches. Terracotta pots are particularly good for echeverias, havorthias, sanseverias and cacti.
Soil
For a good health of your plant the soil should be a free draining compost mixture. Without proper drainage your succulent could suffer root rot, especially in winter.
You could use compost for cacti and succulents, which is designed specifically for these plants adding gravel or pumice to the mixture.
I offer specially designed succulent soil mixture Uplicot Mix. It is available for purchase in different volumes.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/675741231/succulent-soil-mix-cactus-soil-soil-for?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1
Planting
Cover the bottom hole with a crock or mesh. Fill the pot on 3/4 with the soil mix. Dig a small hole.
Place your plant in the middle, spread the roots and fill remaining space with soil. Gently firm the soil. Add more soil until the base of your plant is covered, but not too high, making sure the leaves do not touch the soil.
It is also a good idea to top dress your plant soil with gravel, not only for decorative reasons also for practical ones. The gravel hold the soil in place during watering and help support the plant upright lifting the plant’s body out of the soil a bit.
Light
Most succulents like bright light and airy conditions. They do not mind direct bright sun light. But it may vary for a specific plant.
Actually, the colour of the plant could become different and more vibrant from what it was, when placed in the sun.
If you move your plant from a shade to bright light, do it gradually to avoid sun burns, especially moving outdoors to a direct sunshine, avoiding a very intense sunshine between 11 am and 3 pm.
Watering
Water your plant when the soil is dry. The soil dries faster in unglazed terracotta pots than in any other pots with glaze outside. Also you can weight your pot in hands trying to determine is it dry or not. When keeping your plant inside the house with the central heating on, the soil is dry faster than in summer months. But in winter the most of the plants became dormant and do not require much water. So probably, you will water it once a week or once a month, depending on the temperature inside your house.
When you think it’s time to water you succulent, it is better to soak it with water, than water a little and often. This can replicate a heavy rain shower, like in their natural environment. I would not recommend to splash water on the leaves, there will be calcium stains on them.
Do not over-water your plant, this can kill your succulent. If your succulent receive too much water, the colour of your succulent could become less vibrant. Resist the temptation to water it, thinking it needs more water, it is completely opposite. Less water - more colour.
Feeding
You can feed your succulent with a special fertilizer for cacti or succulents from spring until autumn. Follow the instructions on the fertilizer itself. Normally, it is recommended do it every other watering.
Enjoy this amazing beautiful plant for years to come!