Plant Finder

Other Names:  Crested Candelabra Plant, Coral Cactus

Description:

An attractive, bold plant for a sunny area; fan shaped crests that split and branch out like ocean coral; flower bracts are showy atop the crests; adds a truly exotic look to a bright indoor location

Features & Attributes

Crested Elkhorn is primarily valued in the home for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. It features dainty clusters of red flowers held atop the branches from late winter to mid spring. Its attractive succulent fan-shaped leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

This is an open multi-stemmed houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture stands it apart from other indoor plants with finer foliage. This plant may benefit from an occasional pruning to look its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Crested Elkhorn can be expected to grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 40 years. This houseplant requires direct sun for optimal performance, and should therefore be situated in a room that gets bright sunlight for a good part of the day; it is not a good choice for rooms lit only by artificial light. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and may die if left in standing water for any length of time. This plant should be watered when the surface of the soil gets dry, and will need watering approximately once each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant. Be warned that parts of this plant are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so special care should be exercised if growing it around children and pets.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.