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red dragon succulent plant

red dragon succulent plant Shop 'Red Dragon Flower - Huernia schneideriana' Care & Info

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Description

red dragon succulent plant Shop 'Red Dragon Flower - Huernia schneideriana' Care & InfoThe Red Dragon Flower, botanically known as Huernia schneideriana, is a fascinating and increasingly popular flowering succulent admired for its unusual dragon like blooms and sculptural stems. The stems usually grow upright when young but gradually begin to spread, trail, or droop as the plant matures, making it especially attractive in hanging baskets, shallow pots, and decorative containers. Despite its cactus like appearance, the Red Dragon Flower

The Red Dragon Flower, botanically known as Huernia schneideriana, is a fascinating and increasingly popular flowering succulent admired for its unusual dragon-like blooms and sculptural stems. The stems usually grow upright when young but gradually begin to spread, trail, or droop as the plant matures, making it especially attractive in hanging baskets, shallow pots, and decorative containers.

Despite its cactus-like appearance, the Red Dragon Flower is not a true cactus. It is a soft-stemmed succulent with fleshy, water-storing stems that help it thrive in dry conditions. Its common name, “Dragon Flower,” comes from its dramatic, deep red, star-shaped flowers, whose textured petals and bold colors resemble the scales or open mouth of a mythical dragon.

Like many desert-adapted succulents, Huernia schneideriana has evolved to thrive in hot, arid, rocky environments.

Its thick green stems typically grow 12 inches tall and feature soft, tooth-like ridges that resemble tiny thorns, giving the plant its distinctive cactus-like look without the sharp spines.

The true highlight of this plant is its extraordinary flowers. The blooms are relatively small, usually 1 to 2 inches wide, but incredibly eye-catching and unforgettable.

Each flower displays a deep purple-black center surrounded by a velvety reddish-black interior and brownish-red exterior, creating a dramatic, almost otherworldly effect.

Its natural drought tolerance and resilient growth habit make it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced growers seeking a hardy, low-maintenance succulent.

Unlike many other members of the Huernia genus and carrion flower relatives, whose blooms can produce a strong, unpleasant odor, Huernia schneideriana has a much milder scent, making it far more suitable and enjoyable as an indoor houseplant.

When and How to Water Your Red Dragon Flower

The Red Dragon plant prefers light and infrequent watering, much like the dry conditions of its native Eastern African habitat. This succulent grows best when watered using the “soak and dry” method, where the soil is watered thoroughly and then allowed to dry out completely before the next watering.

Water your Red Dragon Flower about every 2 to 3 weeks during the active growing season, then reduce watering once a month in dormant season.

In the spring and summer, you may need to water your red dragon flower more frequently as it actively grows. Always use a pot with drainage holes and allow the soil to fully dry between waterings to keep the plant healthy.

In the fall and winter, you should reduce the frequency of watering to prevent overwatering and potential root issues. Wrinkled or slightly soft stems are common signs that it may need watering.

Remember, it's always better to underwater than to overwater Huernia succulents like the red dragon flower. This will help ensure the health and longevity of your Huernia schneideriana.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Red Dragon Succulent

When growing indoors, place the red dragon flower on a sunny windowsill or near a south facing window where it can receive around 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily.

If the stems start turning yellow or brown, it may be getting too much direct sun.

Move it slightly away from the window or provide light shade during the hottest part of the day. 

When growing outdoors, it thrives in bright sunlight or partial shade and grows best with around 4 to 6 hours of direct morning sunlight daily.

Since intense afternoon sun can be too harsh for its delicate stems, place it in a location with bright, filtered light during the hottest part of the day.

If your Red Dragon Flower is not receiving enough light, it may become leggy and pale in color. In areas with limited natural sunlight, you can use a grow light to provide the extra light needed for healthy and compact growth.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The red dragon flowers favor very airy, sandy soil that drains well. Planting them in ordinary soil will result in compacted roots, stunted growth, and most likely root rot. Ideally, you can use our specialized succulent potting mix that contains 5 natural substrates with organic mycorrhizae to support healthy root development and stronger growth.

When it comes to fertilizing your red dragon flower, it's best to do so sparingly. You can use a diluted, low nitrogen fertilizer or a balanced succulent fertilizer with an NPK ratio such as 5-10-5. Avoid over fertilizing, as too much fertilizer can damage the roots and lead to weak or leggy growth.

Hardiness Zone & More 

In the United States, the red dragon flower is mostly an indoor plant, but if you live in southern Florida or Hawaii, then you can cultivate it outdoors in USDA zones 9 to 11.

It prefers warm temperatures between 65°F and 80°F and thrives in warm, dry conditions, but should be protected from temperatures below 50°F.

As for humidity, it is well-adapted to dry and arid environments. It can tolerate low humidity levels, making it a great choice for drier climates or indoor environments with lower humidity. 

How to Grow as an Indoor Houseplant 

The Red Dragon Flower can adapt very well as an indoor houseplant when given enough light and warmth. Place it near a bright window where it can receive several hours of sunlight daily, preferably gentle morning sun combined with bright indirect light. East or south facing windows are usually the best spots. 

Keep the plant in a warm area with temperatures between 65°F and 80°F, and protect it from cold drafts or temperatures below 50°F. It prefers low humidity and dry conditions, making it well suited for typical indoor environments. 

Wildlife – Red Dragon Flowers Attract the Following Friendly Pollinators 

The Red Dragon Flower can attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, flies and small gnats. These insects help pollinate the blooms in nature. The flowers may also attract tiny beetles and other beneficial insects that are curious about the plant’s unique appearance. 

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA,  Huernia schneideriana is considered mildly toxic to pets and humans. It is best to keep the plant out of reach of curious pets and small children. Wearing gloves while pruning or propagating can also help prevent skin irritation. 

How to Propagate Your Red Dragon Flower 

You can propagate your plant through stem cuttings. The best time to propagate is during spring or summer when the plant is actively growing.

Use a clean, sharp knife or scissors to cut a healthy stem from the parent plant. Let the cutting dry and callous for 1 to 2 days before planting to help prevent rot. Place the cutting in a warm spot with bright indirect light while it develops roots. Within a few weeks, new roots and growth should begin to appear.

Key Takeaways

  1. The Red Dragon Flower is a unique succulent prized for its exotic, velvety blooms that instantly stand out in any plant collection.
  2. It is a low maintenance plant that thrives with minimal watering, making it perfect for busy plant owners and beginners.
  3. Its compact, trailing stems make it a beautiful choice for decorative pots, shelves, and hanging baskets.
  4. The plant grows well indoors with bright light and can reward you with eye catching blooms during the warmer months.
  5. It can thrive both indoors and outdoors making it a versatile succulent for many growing spaces.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Red Dragon Flower (Huernia schneideriana) is truly a captivating and unique succulent. With its vibrant red color, dragon-like flower shape, and fascinating history, it's no wonder why it's a favorite among succulent enthusiasts. Whether you choose to grow it indoors or outdoors, providing it with the right conditions, such as well-draining soil, bright indirect sunlight, and temperatures within its preferred range, will help it thrive. With its low maintenance needs and stunning appearance, the red dragon flower is sure to add a touch of beauty and intrigue to any succulent collection!

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Stephanie McCall
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 4
A Remarkable Book--I Want More Like It!
Format: Kindle
I stumbled on Remarkably Bright Creatures among my recommendations. As often happens, the premise intrigued me enough to read it even though I didn't know the author. Well, if Shelby Van Pelt often writes like this, I definitely want more of her books. The friendship between Tova the aquarium cleaning lady and Marcellus the giant Pacific octopus is a definite selling point in this book. It's a great twist on the "A Kid and Their X" trope (the kind of thing you see in stuff like Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, Free Willy, and so forth). This one, I am pleased to report, is far less cheesy and saccharine. Tova is a multifaceted character whose life may seem small in her estimation, and probably is if we go by what is a "normal" life in a small seaside town. Yet that life has been stuffed with complex emotions, unanswered questions, and a longing for "more" that I think everybody can relate to. At least, I certainly could. As for Marcellus, he's multifaceted, too. A part of me did stick with his point of view, and story, because it is a story of a "remarkably bright," underestimated creature trapped and controlled in a world he doesn't understand. I have cerebral palsy and was diagnosed as level 1 autistic this spring; I'm still looking back and trying to heal from a lot of the latter's implications. So in a visceral way, yeah. I'm not a captive animal or mistreated, but I understood how Marcellus felt. What I liked even better about his story though, is that Marcellus' story doesn't stop there. Marcellus actually has a life and a history that Shelby Van Pelt, Tova, Cameron, and other characters dig into. He's not just a captive yearning for freedom and mourning lost opportunities, as often happens with similar stories. He makes wry, witty, yet quiet, non-snarky observations about humans. He cares deeply for Tova because she took time to know him as a "person," but also because she's the only human who has ever stopped long enough for Marcellus to know as a real "person." Marcellus gets to be the conduit of real revelation and change for people inside and outside his world. That's amazing, and frankly, it's a lot more than many human characters get. Remarkably Bright Creatures couldn't succeed with just Tova or Marcellus though, or at least not as well as it did, I think. The other characters pop off the page as well. Cameron is my favorite, precisely because I didn't expect to like him at first. By his own admission, he comes off as a burnout and a loser, and I admit, that's how I saw him to begin with. But as with Tova and Marcellus, Cameron is hiding a lot of layers, a lot of depth. He's got a great heart, but he's still a typical, kinda clueless 30-year-old guy (and I'm still a 30-something so I say that tongue in cheek). He's vulnerable but not pitiful; he plays the victim sometimes, but then he gets mad at being called out on that and wants to do better. He struggles and is a burnout, but he's got good, solid friends and some real interests and potential. In other words, I got really into his arc, especially once Tova, Marcellus, and even Ethan got involved. As for Ethan, he's unexpectedly cool, as well. I admit some brownie points with him, as I love all things Scottish or Irish and he is of Scottish descent. But I also didn't expect a shopkeeper in his '70s with a gruff edge to be a Grateful Dead fan or to get along so well with a neat and tidy, tiny Swedish aquarium cleaner, so brownie points on plot and character there. In fact, Ethan's role in the story, in particular, went all kinds of unexpected places, so without spoiling anything, I'll tell you to keep an eye on it. Finally, Shelby wins some extra brownie points for a lot of the "little" things that "pop" out at me when reading a book like this one. For instance, I love cats and love the reluctant yet affectionate relationship Tova develops with a stray cat. I love Marcellus' Collection and the pride and care he takes in it. I love and felt some heartbreak over Tova's reminiscing about the attic playroom that never got to be a playroom. But I think the thing I loved most about Remarkably Bright Creatures is how remarkable Shelby showed readers humans--and creatures--can be, without getting heavy-handed or cheesy. There are some romances here, so to speak, but this is a relationship novel, and those are, have been for the past several years, some of my favorite ones. There is some language here, so caveat emptor if that's not your thing. From a writer's perspective, I also wondered how much some threads or characters were actually needed. For instance, looking back, I understand why Tova had a brother, but I'm unsure how much he furthered the plot. Similarly, I understand the roles of Avery and Marco but again, am unsure how much they furthered the plot. Also, I almost hate to say it, and I could be wrong about this. After all, I know about as much concerning octopi as the average person who watches Jeopardy (which I do). But while Marcellus' plot thread is great, and while I definitely understand suspension of disbelief, I did wonder along with Cameron how much those boundaries were pushed. I mean, I buy Marcellus getting out of his tank, and with the right Collection items, I guess Tova and Cameron could've figured out whatever they needed to know. But...there's a logical shard of me that isn't quite sure she buys how everything lined up, I guess. All that aside though, Remarkably Bright Creatures is still a remarkable book. As often happens, I'm now eager to find more like it. And yes, it does get a hearty recommendation. At the very least, I'll want to take closer looks next time I go to an aquarium.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025
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Kindle Customer
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful!
Format: Kindle
I heard about this book in a conversation at a craft party and ordered it the same night. I was not disappointed. I fell in love with Marcellus and Tova and their delightful relationship, and with all the ancillary characters that made this book so special. The ending was so very sweet and satisfying as well. Great 1st book!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Carolyn Ellis
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
It was as good as I'd hoped.
Format: Kindle
Marcellus McSquiddles, the giant Pacific Octopus who has lived at the Sowell Bay Aquarium for going on four years, is often exasperated with the humans who stare at him all day. But there is one human who is different. She speaks to him and more importantly, she keeps his nocturnal escapes from his tank, a secret. Tova is a gentle woman, a widower and still dealing with the loss of her son, more than thirty years ago. When someone new strolls into town, Cameron Cassmore, looking for his dead beat father, he and Tova's lives will become inextricably linked, if they're not already. And Marcellus sees all of this and does his best to assist, where he can, since for the most part, he notices that haumans can be rather dull. But though, sometimes, especially in the case of Tova, there a a few who are remarkably bright. This was a sweet, genuine, heartfelt and beautifully written, fun read. Van Pelt has created a delightfully jaded and long-suffering, sighing character in the form of Marcellus and he and Tova's story is told in such a unique and imaginative way. I'd been meaning to read this for so long and I'm so glad I finally did.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2026
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Verified Purchase
T. Sparks
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
A remarkable story
Format: Hardcover
What a wonderful surprise this was! I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was a story about a woman and an octopus, but it turned out to be so much more than that. This is Shelby Van Pelt’s first book, and I don’t think a debut has affected me like this since I read Hollow Kingdom, another story that unfolds through the eyes of an animal. The story has a bit of magical realism to it, in the sense that parts of it are told from the octopus’s point of view, but otherwise it’s simply a delightful tale about family and connections that had me ugly crying by the end of the book. In the first chapter we meet Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus on display in the Sowell Bay Aquarium near Puget Sound. Marcellus has been in captivity for 1,299 days, and based on his life expectancy of about four years, he believes he only has a handful of days left to live. His dreary days in a small glass enclosure are broken up by secret nighttime excursions, as Marcellus is extremely smart and has found a way out of his tank. Tova Sullivan is a seventy-year-old woman who has been working nights at the aquarium as a cleaning lady for the past two years. Tova knows how to remove the hundreds of fingerprints on the tank walls and can polish the floors to a brilliant shine. She’s also quite fond of the sea creatures she encounters each night, especially Marcellus, and the two have formed an unusual bond since Tova saved Marcellus one night after he escaped and became entangled in a bunch of electrical cords. Next, we meet Cameron Cassmore, a thirty-year-old man who is drifting through life with no real purpose. Cameron lives in California, and one day his aunt gives him a box of his estranged mother’s things. Inside the box he finds a photo and an old class ring, clues that could lead to the identity of his father, a man he never knew. Cameron hops on a plane to Washington state, convinced the man he thinks is his father—a rich real estate tycoon—will be so distraught over abandoning his son, he’ll shower Cam with money. At least that’s the plan. Finally, Ethan Mack is the owner of Sowell Bay’s Shop-Way, the local grocery store. Ethan has known Tova for years and secretly has a crush on her, but Tova is much too distant to notice his interest. When Cameron shows up at the Shop-Way looking for a job, Ethan directs him to his friend who manages the aquarium, which is how Cameron and Tova meet. Tying all these characters together is Marcellus, a remarkably bright octopus with a penchant for stealing and hoarding the treasures he finds after hours on the aquarium floor, and who just might be able to bring two people together who need each other—but don’t yet realize it. Van Pelt’s chapters alternate among all these characters and introduce a slew of side characters as well, each one vitally important to the story. At first, we don’t realize how each character is connected to the next, but slowly the author reveals her secrets until the stunned reader begins to understand the depth of these connections. Each character is given a detailed backstory that becomes very important to the plot. Tova’s story in particular was heart wrenching, as she has experienced quite a bit of loss in her life and finds herself mostly alone in her twilight years. Luckily she belongs to a group of women who call themselves the Knit-Wits, and the four of them meet weekly to eat, drink, gossip and support each other. Tova came to America from Sweden as a little girl, so the story is filled with details about growing up with her Swedish mother and father. Even the Dala horses her mother collected play a part in the story, and I found these little details added so much richness. At first I couldn’t figure out how Cameron fit it, but once he arrives in Sowell Bay and meets Ethan and Tova, his story takes on new meaning. Cameron meets a woman named Avery who also plays a vital part in filling in some of the missing pieces about Cameron’s father, and I loved the way the author gave even the most insignificant side characters meaning and purpose. Van Pelt infuses her story with so many emotional moments and themes. We see how the Knit-Wits are going through the aging process, as their numbers have dwindled over the last few years. Tova is facing being alone in her old age, with no children or husband to take care of her, and so she makes the rash decision to sell her beloved house and move into a retirement community. I don’t want to give too many details about Tova’s past and her losses, because I think it’s better to discover those revelations for yourself. Let’s just say that I felt Tova’s pain and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. And Van Pelt includes so many funny moments in her story that kept the tone light, despite some of the more heavy themes. There’s an ongoing bit about Cameron’s lost luggage that was hysterically funny, and Tova inherits a stray cat at one point, which was a delightful side plot. I also loved the story about the t-shirt that Tova uses to clean Ethan’s kitchen—you’ll just have to read the book so you can experience the hilarity too! And of course, I can’t forget the star of the story, Marcellus the octopus. As the days tick by—each of his chapters starts with a marker (“Day 1,299 of my captivity”, etc)---the tension builds as Marcellus gets closer to his impending death (at least that’s what he thinks). Marcellus understands human nature more than most humans, and I loved the way he wisely intuits each character’s needs. Ultimately, this is a story about creatures—both human and animal—saving each other. The way Marcellus’s story plays out was absolutely perfect—heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. This is a very special book, and I’m so glad I was able to finally read it. Highly recommended!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
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Verified Purchase
Kristie
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
loved it!
Format: Kindle
Really enjoyed this book! My coworker begged me to read it for years but I didn't think I'd like it. I thought it would be a fantasy with talking creatures - if you're not into that, don't worry, it's not. Very good storyline that moved along quickly. Hallmark, feel-good book, but wasn't cheesy or overdone. Would definitely recommend (just like my coworker said)
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2026

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