Plant of the Month Archive: Ruby Necklace "Othonna capensis"

all about othonna capensis (ruby necklace)

Hey friends, it’s Rachael again sharing info on this month’s plant of the month, the OTHONNA CAPENSIS, aka Ruby Necklace,, or as I have lovingly nicknamed it - String of Rubies.

The Ruby Necklace is one of my favorite succulents to use for trailing and spilling purposes. They grow fast, are vibrant in their shades, and bloom with little daisy like flowers all year long. In lower light areas they maintain a green shade with purplish highlights especially along it’s stem. In bright sun the stem and the bean shaped pudgy leaves will turn ruby red!

Note the ruby red color of the Othonna capensis in full sun.

They are in the genus of Othonna which are African plants most closely related to Senecio succulents like String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus).

caring for your ruby necklace:

Light:

Luckily, these lovelies can thrive in both bright direct light and low indirect light. The more direct sun these plants get the brighter purple and red their color becomes. In lower light conditions they maintain a more greenish hue with purple stems and highlights. In my experience these plants can do well in low light situations in gardens and on patios, but are a bit harder to keep happy indoors.

During the warmest summer months they go into dormancy, so you’ll want to provide them with more shade and water less frequently

 Water:

Like most succulents, these plants do not like to be overwatered, especially if placed in more shaded and cooler areas. They prefer for their soil to be well draining and for the soil to go completely dry between waterings.

During their growth seasons, in Spring and Fall, they prefer to have more moisture in their soil so can be watered more frequently (like once per week).

General Care:

You can trim these plants back when they get too long. You can replant the clipped ends - although the best bet it to provide them with some water propagation to spur on their root growth prior to replanting.

Thanks for reading!

Rachael

SOURCES:

World of Succulents

THANKS FOR READING!

RACHAEL & zoey