How to Grow and Care for Ceropegia Sandersonii (Parachute Plant)

Ceropegia sandersonii, also called parachute plant, is a trailing succulent native to South Africa that's known for its unique parachute-shaped blooms. It's a relative of other Ceropegia species like String of Hearts.

Ceropegia sandersonii is relatively easy to care for and can be grown indoors or outdoors. This plant thrives in well-drained soil, warm temperatures, and lots of bright light. Here's how to care for ceropegia sandersonii.

Ceropegia Sandersonii Care

• Put ceropegia sandersonii in a place that receives direct sunlight or bright, indirect light.
• Plant this vining succulent in a chunky, well-drained potting mix.
• Let ceropegia sandersonii's soil begin to dry out between waterings.
• Feed ceropegia sandersonii with a balanced houseplant fertilizer during the growing season.

Light

Ceropegia sandersonii grows best indoors with direct sunlight or bright indirect light, but it can tolerate partial shade.

If you have outdoor space, it's a good idea to bring your plant outdoors in summer to get more light, but keep outdoor plants out of harsh direct sunlight.

Soil

Pot your ceropegia sandersonii in a well-drained potting mix made with peat moss or coconut coir to hold moisture and perlite to lighten it up. A few handfuls of orchid bark or other chunky amendment will help with drainage.

Water

Since ceropegia sandersonii is a succulent, wait until the soil has begun to dry out before watering during the growing season. Check soil moisture regularly to know when it's time to water. During winter dormancy, cut back on watering almost completely to avoid overly wet soil, which can lead to root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

Ceropegia sandersonii's ideal temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees, with humidity around 40 or 50 percent. However, the plant can tolerate exposure to temperatures as low as 50 degrees and into the 90-degree range.

Fertilizer

This plant isn't a heavy feeder, but it can benefit from regular applications of fertilizer during the growing season. Fertilize ceropegia sandersonii with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength every two weeks or so in spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing in fall and winter.

Pruning

It's a good idea to cut back ceropegia sandersonii significantly in the fall after blooming has finished, especially because its vines can grow up to 12 feet long with sufficient light.

Pruning back the long, trailing vines also makes the plant easier to bring indoors if you've kept it outside.

Year-round, remove the occasional damaged vine or dead leaf as it appears. Always use sterilized, sharp scissors or shears to avoid spreading plant diseases.

Propagating Ceropegia Sandersonii 

You can propagate ceropegia sandersonii by rooting stem cuttings in the soil. You'll need a mature plant, clean scissors or pruners, small plant pots, water, and a well-drained potting mix with added perlite or coarse sand for drainage. Here's how to propagate ceropegia sandersonii.

1. Choose a healthy-looking stem on the mother plant that has several leaves. Make a cut about six inches from the stem tip, just below a leaf node. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the stem.
2. Leave the cutting out to callus over for a few days.
3. Fill a small plant pot with well-drained potting mix, then water well to moisten it. Use your finger or a pencil to poke a hole a few inches deep in the soil surface.
4. Plant the cutting in the hole, making sure the leaf nodes on the lower half of the stem are below the soil line. Gently pat down the soil around the stem to hold the cutting in place.
5. Put the cutting in a warm place with bright, indirect light. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
6. New leaf growth is a sign that the cutting has rooted and you can care for the plant as usual.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases 

Keep an eye out for houseplant pests like mealybugs on ceropegia sandersonii. Plants kept outdoors in summer may fall prey to slugs eating their roots if plants are accessible from the ground. Root rot can affect overwatered plants.

How to Get Ceropegia Sandersonii to Bloom

Ceropegia sandersonii is known for its unique, parachute-shaped flowers, which attract beneficial insects into their openings to support pollination.

Bloom Months

Ceropegia sandersonii typically blooms in summer and early fall, depending on conditions and climate. With sufficient warmth and light, plants can bloom nearly year-round.

What Do Ceropegia Sandersonii's Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers are about four inches long, with a green, parachute-shaped top that connects to a slender white tube.

Blooms are lined with tiny white hairs and have openings around the sides of the flower to allow insects to access their pollen. The flowers are known more for their appearance than their aroma.

However, scientists have determined that the plant releases certain compounds that mimic bee pheromones to attract carnivorous pollinating insects.

Caring for Ceropegia Sandersonii After It Blooms

When blooming concludes, days shorten, and temperatures cool in fall, cut back your ceropegia sandersonii significantly to prepare it for winter dormancy and make the plant easier to handle.

Its flowers bloom on the new growth that appears each spring, so there's no need to worry about affecting next year's blooms.

Common Problems With Ceropegia Sandersonii 

Black Spots on Stem

Black spots on your plant's stem are an indication of severe root rot. At this point, it's best to take cuttings to propagate into new plants and dispose of the rest of the plant that's affected.

Plant Not Growing

Ceropegia sandersonii goes into dormancy during the winter months, and growth may slow or stop altogether during this period.

This is normal—as temperatures warm and daylight increases in early spring, you should begin to see new growth. That's a sign to begin watering and fertilizing regularly.