Candle Plant
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Candle Stick, Candystick Plant, Inch Worm, Pencil Cactus, Pickle Cactus, Pickle Plant and Trailing Jade.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Standing water and overwatering do not suit it.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In the growing season, water moderately and give 2 or 3 feeds of low nitrogen liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Feed 2 or 3 times in the growing season using a low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser, and water moderately.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Seeds or stem cuttings can be used for propagation.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In early spring sow seed at 19-21°C, or take cuttings.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is usually unnecessary, but remove any damaged or dead stems. Do this in spring or early summer using sterilized shears or a knife.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Kleinia stapeliiformis is an evergreen succulent plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to the Cape Provinces and Northern Provinces of South Africa. It is sometimes referred to as the "pickle plant" or (inaccurately) as the "pickle cactus", due to its form. It grows erect, leafless stems with soft spines, and displays a green-and-white pattern visually similar to some Stapelia species, from which the species name derives. It grows to 30 cm tall and displays red or orange flowers similar to those of a thistle in the summer.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- S. AfricaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026South AfricaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026S Africa (Transvaal)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Herbaceous Perennial, Succulent; habit erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 8–18 in; width 6–12 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers orange, red/burgundy; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers orange in summer; red in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
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Barberton daisyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Purple passionLeaf blade tips go crisp and brown
String of pearlsDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.