Getting to Know Huernia Zebrina, the Lifesaver Plant

New and unusual plants have been coming at us quickly, if you ask me. Never before have I seen so many plants that are completely unlike the familiar plants of local gardens, plants I have known all my life.

I must say it is quite hard to resist some of these new plants. Some are so unusual, I see them once, and it is difficult to get them out of my mind. One example of this involves the plant, Huernia zebrina. Have you seen this plant? If you have, you are sure to remember it, for it is so unusual.

Huernia zebrina has the common name of Lifesaver Plant. As soon as you see Huernia zebrina in bloom, you will understand why this name is perfect. Blooming throughout the year and with its main growing season in spring and summer, Huernia zebrina has flowers that look like the life-saving flotation rings on boats or at poolside. 

Huernia zebrina’s flower is a fleshy, circular ring of burnt umber or burgundy. It is backed by a creamy yellow and ruddy-toned starburst with… get this… zebra stripes. These stripes might be common on an animal or a piece of clothing, but on a plant, I have never before seen anything similar. The creamy yellow decoration extends onto the ring itself, just a bit. All of this attaches like a small lapel pin onto a dark green stem, one of many growing as fairly short columns. This is Huernia zebrina.

While “Lifesaver Plant” is a fitting name for Huernia zebrina and seems to be the one most commonly used, some call this plant Little Owl Eyes. The flower that reminds so many of a flotation ring reminds others of the forward-facing binocular eyes of an owl. The flower on Huernia zebrina faces directly out from the plant, just as owl eyes seem always to be looking at the person or animal that is looking at them. Yes, Little Owl Eyes… I like that name, too.

The “green” of Huernia zebrina comes in the form of cactus-like stems. Each broad stem is covered in small cones. It is as though the succulent stem got pinched and pulled out, forming little conical bumps. At the end of each cone is a soft little ‘tooth’… nothing too sharp or prickly, just another decoration on the Huernia zebrina plant.

Now you might think that such a different looking plant would need lots of care. But this is a succulent, and the rule of thumb for succulents is…, well, the rule of thumb. Place your thumb or finger into the top inch or so of this plant’s potting mix. If the soil is dry, then do water the plant. But if moisture remains, let it dry further. This plant from southern Africa is familiar with dry conditions and does not want wet feet. 

Then focus on light. This plant requires a little shade each day. Flowering is helped by sunlight, but sun that is too bright or constant will cause scorching of the plant. For this reason, when you get Huernia zebrina home, you will want to experiment a bit to find the level of sunlight that allows this plant to thrive.

Now I must say that Huernia zebrina is not “new” to those in a far-off part of the world. And it is not newly identified, for there is reason to believe that it was first introduced to European botanists back in the 1600s. But Huernia zebrina is just now becoming available to me, and I look forward to seeing it on a windowsill in my home.