In this article we deepen our knowledge of Echeveria laui, we understand why it has this appearance which is certainly not unique in the world of succulents but undoubtedly peculiar, and we learn how to grow it correctly. (…)

Premise

The Echeveria genus is part of the vast Crassulaceae family, leafy succulents with a variable shape from rosette to small tree. All Echeveria are native to the American continent and in particular to Mexico. Echeveria laui, in particular, is native to the Tomelin Caňon area, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The name of the genus was coined by the Swiss botanist Augustin Pyrame de Candolle (1778-1841), who in this way wanted to pay homage to the Mexican artist, botanist and naturalist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, to whom we owe a great deal of research (together to other botanists and researchers) on Mexican flora and fauna.

The stem of Echeveria is always rosette-shaped, initially flattened but over time tending to rise slightly in height following the development of the central stem from which the leaves branch out. And already in terms of leaves, the laui species differs from the majority of Echeveria: if generally the rosettes of these plants are made up of elongated leaves that end in a point, those of the laui species are blunt, rounded, almost ovoid, and give the together an even more harmonious and “soft” appearance.

Specifically, E. laui is a species (according to some authors it would actually be a hybrid) described for the first time in 1976. The plant immediately received great favor among nurserymen and collectors precisely because of its unique appearance in Crassulaceae family.

The wax coating

The real peculiarity of the laui species, however, is the massive production of wax coating (“farina” or cuticular wax) which entirely covers the leaves. The farina is nothing other than a wax produced by many succulents and some cacti (an example above all, the genus Copiapoa with the cinerea species), which serves to limit the transpiration of the liquids contained in the stems or leaves and to protect the plant from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The wax is whitish and it is not it that gives the plant its blue color. As in many Echeveria, in fact, it is the leaves that are blue in colour, in the case of the laui more intense: the strong presence of wax accentuates this color and gives the plant a “waxy” appearance or similar to that would be obtained by painting the rosettes with blue paint (a very different thing from the horrible practice of actually painting the succulents with brightly colored paints to increase their sales!).

In some succulent plants – for example Copiapoa – the wax coating can be compact and resist watering. This is not the case with Echeveria laui: it is enough to touch a leaf with a finger to ruin the homogeneity of the colour. For this reason this plant must be watered from below, by immersion, or by wetting only the soil, avoiding watering from above, like rain. Any treatments with products such as Neem oil, copper oxychloride, etc., carried out by nebulization, should also be avoided. Finally, be careful when repotting, for obvious reasons. The task of flaring and repotting a plant by touching it as little as possible is undoubtedly difficult, but with some precautions it is possible to carry out the operation while limiting the aesthetic damage to a minimum. For example, you can grab the plant at the base, especially if you are dealing with specimens of a certain age, since in this way you can only touch the central stem. Or you can delicately hold the plant by the edges of the basal leaves and then grab the block of soil to place it in the new pot without touching the central part of the plant.

Cultivation

The cultivation of Echeveria is simple and within everyone’s reach and the laui species is no exception (except for what concerns watering and repotting, to be carried out with the precautions described above). Echeveria laui is a robust plant and resists prolonged drought as well as cold very well. Like all Echeveria, it fears water stagnation and should therefore be grown in substrates suitable for cacti or in substrates with 40% peat and 60% inert materials such as pumice, lapillus, gravel. Thanks to the strong presence of wax coating, E. laui resists direct sun well (if gradually accustomed from the end of March) but the ideal is to place it in a place where direct sun is limited to half a day. For the rest, lots of indirect light so that the plant can produce wax coating and maintain its compact appearance.

Watering must be moderate: water from mid-March to the end of October only when the soil is perfectly dry and fertilize with a specific product for succulent plants (with low nitrogen content) a couple of times a year.

During the winter, Echeveria should be sheltered from the rain but should not be brought indoors. In fact, these are plants capable of withstanding the cold very well, even up to 2 Celsius degrees above zero, with sporadic peaks at zero degrees. It is essential that the soil is dry from the end of October and that the plant has as much air as possible available. In the cold, the blue rosettes of E. laui can take on beautiful pink shades.

Where to place succulents in winter? Two very useful handbooks.

The growth times of this species are rather slow. The young plants grow relatively quickly in the first two or three years, then they slow down and it takes six to seven years to have rosettes of at least ten centimeters in diameter (the largest specimens can reach 15 centimeters in diameter).

Flowering

The flowering of E. laui is not dissimilar to those of other Echeveria species: the floral stem, up to 30 centimeters long in adult specimens, develops in late spring and between the end of spring and summer. It emerges from the center of the rosette (although in some cases there may be multiple stems, one from the center and others from the sides of the rosette), grows in height and then takes on an arched shape. The actual yellow and orange flowers form from the stem, protected by thick, fleshy bracts.

Propagation

The propagation of this wonderful succulent takes place in spring and can be done through sowing or, more simply, by leaf cutting, as for any other species of Echeveria. It is sufficient to remove a well-formed leaf, let it dry for at least a week in a shaded place so that the “callus” forms on the part detached from the mother plant, and then place the leaf on sand or even peat with a few inerts (pumice, perlite). For the first few weeks you will not have to water but it will be sufficient to mist often. Over the course of a few weeks, roots or new, tiny leaves will begin to emerge from the attachment of the leaf to the rosette. For the first few months we proceed with frequent nebulizations and when the new plant begins to be characterized and equipped with roots we can proceed with the first repotting.

Adversity

Robust plants, Echeveria fear two things more than anything else: water stagnation, which leads to root rot, and cochineal. A common enemy of all succulents, cochineal can be cottony or radical. The first forms white tufts that nestle among the leaves, near the central stem; the second is decidedly more insidious since it hides in the roots and its presence is only noticed when repotting or, unfortunately, when it is too late and the plant shows signs of suffering such as the wilting of the leaves, often followed by induced rot from the weakening of the plant caused by cochineal.

To find out more about succulent parasites, learn to recognize them and intervene when necessary, you can read this article. Other articles on parasites and diseases of succulent plants are collected in this section of the site.

At this link you will find a detailed downloadable PDF sheet (4 pages) dedicated to the Echeveria genus.

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• Repotting: all the articles

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L'articolo Splendid but… untouchable: Echeveria laui, when the sky is reflected in a succulent plant proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Let’s go into detail and get to know this plant and its needs better in the following article (….).

Introduction

As is often the case with plants, the classification of species included in the Titanopsis genus is debated and depending on the author/researcher, Titanopsis species can range from three to six. On the other hand, taxonomy is a complex and constantly evolving matter, as I have highlighted in a specific article that you can find at this link.

Description

Limiting ourselves to the “calcareous” species of the genus Titanopsis, we can first of all say that this Mesembriantemacea is easily identifiable even by the less expert eye: the stem is made up of groups of leaves up to 5-6 centimeters wide, which depart from the center and end with the apex rounded, spatulate, arrowhead. The surface of the leaves, especially the apical part, is covered by point-like reliefs similar to warts, which contribute to giving the plant that “lumpy”, rock-like appearance. The color decisively contributes to the overall result: the leaves in fact have a color ranging from blue to greyish (with a tendency to darken and redden if exposed to direct sunlight), with the reliefs of a lighter colour, gray to reddish.

Cultivation

Regarding the cultivation of this particular succulent, I have often found, both online and in various books, approximate or conflicting indications. The controversial element is that relating to irrigation: some sources advise treating this plant like a cacti, thus suggesting that it be watered only from spring to the beginning of autumn; other authors suggest a similar approach to the one recommended for Lithops, i.e. watering from May onwards, suspending it in the summer months and resuming it moderately in autumn.

In the past years, struggling to extricate myself from conflicting indications, I decided to carefully observe my Titanopsis calcarea to try to understand in which months the plants vegetated and in which they went dormant (at least in the Northern hemisphere), so as to adjust the watering accordingly. For a year I therefore almost completely suspended the irrigations, letting the plants “talk” with growth, flowering, color change, etc. For several years now, on the basis of my observation, I have therefore adopted a specific watering regime for the Titanopsis: I water in moderation, reducing the watering to once a month, from January to the end of April. With the arrival of spring and the first heat, I suspend irrigation because I have noticed that these plants begin to slow down the vegetation until it stops completely in summer: the stems deflate and the leaves retract until the plant slightly sinks. I start watering again, always in moderation and sporadically, only when the heat lets go, around October and until the end of November. In the autumn period I noticed that Titanopsis calcarea resumes vigorously vegetating, swelling the stem until it “re-emerges” from the ground, putting on new leaves and, later on, starting to prepare the buds (from the end of November).

Regarding the substrate, the sources are generally less conflicting and my own experience has taught me that these plants want a very poor soil, almost completely devoid of organic matter (peat or humus). For several years I have kept my Titanopsis calcarea in a mix based on clayey field earth with little or no limestone (about 20% of the total), sand, pumice (at least 40%), quartzite and gravel. I add just 10% earthworm humus to the substrate to make the soil a minimum of nutrients, also considering that I don’t fertilize these plants. On the surface I place fragments of white limestone, which over time and with watering turn yellowish, harmonizing perfectly with the plants from a chromatic / aesthetic point of view.

In terms of exposure, the Titanopsis like full light, but I have never placed my specimens in direct sun, limiting myself to keeping them in an unshaded greenhouse, protected only by the transparent sheet of the roof.

Finally, the temperatures. Also in this case I noticed a discrepancy between the sources, with some authors recommending not to keep the Titanopsis at temperatures below 10 degrees. Also in this case, I have directly experienced and for at least seven years I have kept my Titanopsis calcarea at minimum winter temperatures close to zero, with some sporadic peaks below zero. It is essential that the temperature rises during the day, so as to keep the plants in force, which I also water in the cold months, as I wrote, albeit sparingly.

On the whole, by observing these few precautions, I can consider the Titanopsis calcarea a succulent of easy cultivation, although with a relatively slow growth, as demonstrated by the photos side by side on the cover of this article, with the same specimen photographed five years later (on the left in the 2015; on the right the same plant in 2020).

Flowering

Flowering coincides with the winter months. In my case (northern Italy) the Titanopsis calcarea flower regularly in the period between mid-December and the first half of January. The flowers, medium in size compared to the plant, emerge from the attachment of the leaves and in my specimens they are white (however, I have also seen plants with yellow flowers: I think this is the norm) with a slight pink shade at the apex of the petals. They open from rounded “calyxes”, glabrous and of the same color as the leaves.

Reproduction

The reproduction of the Titanopsis calcarea is mainly carried out by sowing, but it is also possible to multiply the plants with the method of dividing the tufts, separating the autonomous ones, ie those with their own root and which detach easily from the mother plant. I have no evidence about the multiplication by cuttings, i.e. detaching the leaves to put them to root: I have never tried and I fear it is not feasible with these plants.

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Succulent plants
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Classification of succulents

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L'articolo Titanopsis calcarea, a winter flowering succulent with particular cultivation rules proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Keep on reading the article if you want to know how this story goes (…)

Well, if on the one hand, I would still like to see my expression immediately after having smelled that flower, on the other hand, the joke of that nurserywoman has forever imprinted in my memory my first encounter with a Stapelia (in this case a Stapelia gigantea), but above all with its flower, as beautiful and showy as it’s terrible, disgusting in terms of smell. And on the other hand, this is the main characteristic of almost all the plants belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family: their flowers, be they the small ones of the Piaranthus or the huge ones of certain Stapeliads, have a terrible smell. The smell they give off is that of rotting flesh, in particular, and there’s a specific reason Nature has chosen this for them.

Let’s see why this large family of succulents is condemned to produce flowers with beautiful shapes, incredible streaks and yet terribly smelly. Let’s get to know better the Asclepiadaceae, the various genera belonging to this family native to Africa and let’s learn how to correctly cultivate its species.

Origin and provenance

The Asclepiadaceae family includes about two thousand species and almost 250 genera, a quarter of which are succulents. In the last years, the classification has changed the Asclepiadaceae family to a subfamily included in the Apocynaceae family, but for convenience and brevity, I will write here of “family” referring to the Asclepiadaceae. First of all, it must be said that not all Asclepiadaceae are succulent plants: in this large family, you can find herbaceous plants, leafy plants, bushes, trees and even lianas. The origin of these plants is mainly African, in particular the temperate, tropical, subtropical and desert regions of the African continent. However, their distribution is not limited to Africa: some genera of the Asclepiadaceae family are native to the American continent, others to the Arabian Peninsula to China, and others to Oceania. Finally, two species are of European origin: Caralluma mumbyana and Caralluma europaea, actually native to the extreme South of Italy (Lampedusa) and North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Libya).

Maps with the distribution of succulents in the world.

Flowers are of various sizes and go from the few centimetres of Hoya to the huge ones, up to about thirty centimetres, of Stapelia gigantea, but they are always star-shaped, with five sepals and five petals joined together at the base.

The most known and cultivated genera

As for the lovers of succulent plants, the most appreciated and cultivated Asclepiadaceae belong to the group (or “tribe”) of Stapeliae. In this group are included: the genera Stapelia, Caralluma, Duvalia, Echidnopsis, Frerea, Hoodia, Huernia, Orbea, Piaranthus, Pseudolithos, Tavaresia, Whitesloanea. Among the Asclepiadaceae not belonging to the Stapeliae group, more cultivated by the lovers of succulents, there’re Hoya (the epiphytic plant with “wax flowers”), Ceropegia and Fockea. The species of the group Stapeliae are almost all characterized by fleshy stems and tufty posture. In some cases, they develop proper succulent branches, in others, they form rounded or short-cylindrical “articles” (as with the genus Piaranthus). In other cases, the stem is like a sculpture, similar to a small monolith or a rock (e.g. Pseudolithos and Whitesloanea). Totally different is instead the posture of Hoya, which develops very long stems from which fleshy, thick leaves come out. Ceropegia has a similar appearance, while Fockea forms big brown caudex (caudex is basically the thick and wide stem) from which long branches with small, not fleshy, leaves of an intense green colour branch out.

Why do the flowers smell?

Let’s start by saying that not all the flowers of the Asclepiadaceae deserve the nickname of “carrion flower” or “stinky plant”, with which Stapelia flowers are usually associated. Many flowers of plants belonging to this family produce perfume or ugly odour, as in the case of Hoya, whose flowers grouped in clusters have a beautiful shiny appearance, perfect, to be defined as “of wax”. Same for the flowers of Fockea, not very evident and without any particular smell or fragrance. They certainly deserve the definition of “carrion flower” many other genera, almost all belonging to the group Stapeliae, particularly the flowers of Stapelia and those of Piaranthus.

Why this curse? Why do such showy, beautiful and colourful flowers give off the smell of rotting flesh? Simply because the pollinating insects of these plants are flies, and it’s to these insects that these plants rely on to multiply. The most emblematic example is Stapelia hirsuta (the plant you can see above, under the title), which produces large star-shaped flowers, blood-red in colour to recall the colour of meat, and smelly, just like rotting flesh. The flies are strongly attracted to it: they pass from one flower to another just as bees do with any flower, pollinate the Stapelia and lay their larvae inside the flower, which, however, drying up, will prove to be a deadly trap for the larvae themselves, condemned to die inside the closed flower. If the smell of rotten meat is typical of the species of the genus Stapelia, many other Asclepiadaceae produce smell even if with different “fragrances”, as in the case of Piaranthus, Orbea and Pseudolithos, just to mention a few. Finally, as for the flowering period, almost all the Stapelia‘s plants group flower in autumn until the beginning of winter. An element, this one, which can interest those who want to enjoy blooming for almost the whole year, if they place side by side to the cultivation of Cactaceae the cultivation of Asclepiadaceae.

Cultivation regime

Staying in the Stapeliae group, which is of interest to succulent growers, it should be noted that Asclepiadaceae need a very different cultivation regime than the one effective for Cactaceae. Firstly concerning the minimum winter temperatures, which should be kept under control so that Asclepiadaceae do not go down 7-8 Celsius degrees. Fundamental, as for cacti, is that the plants remain in full dry soil from October to the end of March. If we see that the stems begin to lose too much turgidity, we can give little water on sunny days. I recover my Asclepiadaceae in an unheated cellar, with minimum temperatures between 6-8 degrees. At night, in the greenhouse, it can go down to 0 degrees, and I prefer not to risk it. Even about the exposure, the differences with most of the Cactaceae are of relief. The Asclepiadaceae of the group Stapeliae do not go exposed to the direct sun if not in the morning. From when the sun gets warmer, around midday, the plants should be sheltered in a greenhouse or by a shading net or, again, placed behind plants and shrubs that can give them shade. If kept in too much sun, Stapeliae suffers, slow down their vegetation and become extremely red. In summary: give them lots of light but not direct sun.

Watering should be done only from the end of March to the end of October but without exaggerating because these plants are sensitive to water stagnation and environmental humidity. Watering should be reduced, therefore, and the soil should be very draining. About the substrate, some grow Asclepiadaceae succulents in mineral soil, without organic (peat or humus), mixing pumice, zeolite, akadama, gravel, etc… Other growers keep them in only pumice, which promotes rooting and retains excess water by releasing it little by little. I’ve been growing these plants in the usual mix of equal parts peat, pumice, and lapilli, but I’m gradually switching to pumice alone, which requires more frequent fertilizing because it doesn’t provide much in the way of nutrients. Alternatively (as I did in the video at the end of this article), you can use a substrate made of pumice with the addition of a few humus (10%) and not much sand to give a minimum of nutrients and to add a good part to the compost, which with only pumice would be too coarse.

The soils to use with succulent plants.

In his book, Giuseppe Lodi advised to grow the Asclepiadaceae “in rather oily soil, but very permeable and sandy at the top”. He suggests it just to ensure that the collar does not remain wet for too long, being easily subject to rot. Always noted Lodi: “It is advisable to put a rich layer at the bottom (more leaf mould than sand and soil), then an intermediate layer with more sand and an upper one even more sandy” (Giuseppe Lodi, “Le mie piante grasse” – Edagricole).
For the rest, the cultivation rules indicated for most succulents are valid: as much air as possible and sparing fertilizations with specific products for succulents only during the vegetative season.

Main adversities

Collar rot and cochineal mealybug are the main problems in the cultivation of succulent Asclepiadaceae. To preventing rottenness, it’s advisable to moderate watering, use correct substrates and give as much air as possible to our plants. Against mealybug, the same cares are more or less valid since proper cultivation is the best prevention. Also, as a preventive measure, it’s possible to use specific products in particular periods. A few passes of copper oxychloride by spraying the stems at the end of the growing season and just before spring, for example, and Neem oil, again by showering during the warmer months (here a specific article). Against mealybug, some recommend inserting two or three balls of mothballs in the soil, a little deep. I have never tried this method, but I have heard of it several times.

Propagation

The multiplication of Asclepiadaceae can be done, as always, by seed or by cuttings. Seeding is necessary for those kinds of plants that do not branch, such as Trichocaulon and Whitesloanea, while cutting is the fastest method to reproduce genera such as Stapelia, Orbea, Caralluma, etc… It’s enough to cut a branch with a sharp cutter, let it dry for a couple of weeks in an airy place, sheltered from the sun and then place it on pumice with a superficial layer of sand. At that point, it’s possible to nebulize the stem and the substrate’s surface once every two or three days, thus favouring the rooting of the cutting. Obviously, reproduction by cuttings must be done during the vegetation period, therefore from late spring onwards and never in winter. Moreover, to avoid rottenness, it is better to sprinkle with copper oxychloride powder both the mother plant in the point where the branch has been cut and the cutting itself.

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Repotting of Asclepiadaceae: the video

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L'articolo The Asclepiadaceae family: African succulents with beautiful but… smelly flowers proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

In the following article we see in detail where it comes from, what are the cultivation needs of this succulent, what are its weaknesses and how it can be successfully reproduced even by those who are beginners in the cultivation of succulent plants. (…)

Description

Crassula ovata belongs to the large Crassulaceae family (also known as the “Borracina family”), made up exclusively of succulent plants. It is the third family in the world in terms of number of species and genera, immediately after that of the Cactaceae and that of the Mesembreyanthemaceae (now Aizoaceae). Just to give a few examples, the Crassulaceae family includes widespread and appreciated genera such as Aeonium, Adromischus, Cotyledon, Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Kalanchoe, Pachyphytum, Sedum and Sempervivum.

Understanding plant classification: a specific article.

With such a wealth of genera, it is not surprising that the Crassulaceae family is widespread in all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, and the plants attributable to it have adapted over the years to conditions of all kinds, from the ones offered by subtropical and tropical areas up to the mountain areas of the Alps (Sempervivum, for example).

Maps with the distribution of succulents in the world.

The Crassula genus includes between 250 and 260 species, almost all with thick, fleshy leaves. We can have Crassulas of all shapes and sizes, from herbaceous annuals to arboreal perennials. The provenance of this genus is predominantly African, in particular the southern area of the African continent. The ovata species is probably the best known and most widespread of the entire Crassula genus: it can be seen in cultivation almost everywhere in houses, on windowsills, terraces and gardens. It seems that it has been habitually cultivated as an ornamental for at least a couple of centuries. Once classified as Crassula portulacea, over the years the Crassula ovata forms real saplings which in habitat can reach two and a half meters in height, with very thick and robust brown central trunks, loaded with the characteristic intense green leaves , edged in red if exposed to full sun, which emerge from the many ramifications.

If we grow this plant in sheltered and not very bright environments we will have dark green leaves, while if we expose the already well-formed plants to direct sun we will have light green leaves with a beautiful red border. But be careful: from what I have been able to ascertain, these are plants that should be kept in direct sun only for part of the day. Too many hours of sun risk inhibiting its growth and excessively lightening the leaves until they become yellowish. On the other hand, the cold also contributes to a chromatic variation, which leads the leaves to take on a reddish color over the entire surface.

Cultivation

The cultivation of Crassula ovata is decidedly simple and also suitable for beginners. The plant, as mentioned, has a high adaptability and tolerates many of our mistakes. It can be kept in the apartment or in closed places, as long as it is near a bright window, as well as outdoors in full light for a few hours (preferably in the morning until noon).

The suitable substrate can go from the common mix based on pumice, lapillus and peat in equal parts, to a soil a little richer in organic matter (even 50% peat and 50% various aggregates). Clay is also suitable, provided that a good part of organic matter is added (at least 30% peat or earthworm humus) and aggregates such as gravel, sand, pumice. In summary, the soil must be richer than the one we use for cacti but still loose and draining, able to dry in a few days.

Watering can be frequent and abundant (even once every two or three days in the warmer months) in the growing season and heavily spaced in the autumn and winter months if we keep our Crassula in cold environments. I keep my specimens in the greenhouse with low night temperatures around zero degrees and from November to March, for example, I limit myself to wetting them in moderation only when I see that the leaves begin to wrinkle. If, on the other hand, we grow Crassula at home, in winter it is good to water a few more times, but always in moderation because the plant slows down the vegetation anyway.

As far as temperatures are concerned, I have seen that if the Crassula spend several nights below zero it is easy for them to start to deteriorate and lose their branches. I guess it’s a defense mechanism that leads the plant to sacrifice the “periphery” to safeguard the “center”. It has happened to me several times, in the past years, that I have had to intervene by cutting cleanly dried branches during the winter, until I have almost completely pruned the plants. Over the course of a growing season, the central part emits new branches and new leaves and returns to full shape, but it is clear that to have large specimens it will take much longer. For some years now I have kept my Crassula in the greenhouse but covered by a couple of layers of non-woven fabric, so that the temperatures do not drop below two or three Celsius degrees on the coldest nights.

The growth of these succulents is relatively fast and, if you water and fertilize regularly during the growing season, within a few years from a simple twig we will have a beautiful shrub which we can also give a tree shape with appropriate pruning (to be done in late spring).

Flowering

Flowering is winter: generally, in my area (Northern Italy) between the months of November and December. The flowers are small, white and with some pink hues, but all in all inconspicuous. They are very simple and decidedly unattractive when compared to those of other succulent plants, and are collected in inflorescences supported by thin stems that emerge from the grafting of the leaves. The flowers of these plants last a few weeks and this is also thanks to the low temperatures that characterize the flowering period.

Reproduction

The reproduction of Crassula is very simple and is done almost exclusively by cuttings. In spring, it is sufficient to cut a well-formed branch with a garden shears and let it dry in a shady place for a couple of weeks and then plant it for a few centimeters in very sandy soil (or rich in pumice). For the first two/three weeks it will be sufficient to nebulize both the leaves and the surface of the soil every day, then the substrate can be moderately wet directly. A month later, if we see new leaves appearing, it will mean that the cutting has rooted and we will be able to slightly increase the frequency of watering. The following year it will be possible to repot the new plant in a larger pot and in a soil richer in organic matter. Leaf cuttings can also be made, substantially with the same procedure described above, but I have never tried it directly since the branch cutting obviously ensures much faster development times for the new plant.

Pests and diseases

Crassula is a robust and rustic plant. This does not mean that it doesn’t have its own weak point: in fact it seems to be particularly appreciated by the cottony cochineal, which nestles among the leaves and on the branches, sucking the sap from the plant. For this reason it is always good to keep our specimens under control and, if we identify the cochineal, intervene immediately. If the attack is still contained, it is sufficient to remove the insects with a toothpick, but if the attack is massive, the plant must be immediately isolated and treated with specific products.

Other varieties

Crassula ovata can come in several forms, including some man-made cultivars. The most common variant is the “monstrous” Crassula, also known as the “hobbit” Crassula. It differs from the typical shape for the leaves, which are not wide and flat but almost cylindrical and resemble green “tubes” with reddish ends. The cultivation of the “hobbit” form does not present particular difficulties and is substantially identical to that of the traditional ovata.

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Correlated articles

Succulent plants
Substrates for cacti and succulents
Watering succulents
Classification of succulents

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L'articolo Crassula ovata, “Jade Tree” or “Money Plant”: here’s how to grow this beautiful succulent proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Let’s deepen our knowledge of the Lithops genus in this article, in which we will also see the particular cultivation regime that these plants need in order to live in the Northern hemisphere. (…)

Description

Among the genera belonging to the Mesembryanthemaceae (or Aizoaceae according to the classification currently accepted by the majority of researchers), that of the Lithops is certainly among the most full-bodied in terms of number of species and at the same time among the most appreciated in cultivation. These are dwarf plants, ie small even in adulthood, coming from semi-desert areas of southern Africa, in particular from the areas of Namibia and South Africa. The “living stones” are called by Giuseppe Lodi in his splendid volume “Le mie piante grasse” (Edagricole). And “living stones” or “living rocks” is the definition to which we often see these plants associated, due to their flat, rounded appearance, with colors and superior design capable of perfectly reproducing small stones, with which in nature they are camouflage on the soils of origin. On the other hand, the same scientific name indicates this characteristic, being derived from the Greek lithos, i.e. pebble/stone, and opsis, i.e. “appearance”.

Each plant is formed by a pair of fleshy leaves, joined at the base of the short conical stem and clearly separated by a slit at the apex, which is flat and with rounded edges, overall ovoid in shape. If along the sides the stem and the leaves have a uniform colour, which varies from species to species from green to reddish to grey/blue, the upper part of the leaves, i.e. the one that receives light and stores it for photosynthesis, is covered by thin veins (in some cases there are punctiform spots) and rich in shaded colours, these too vary according to the species. The stem is almost completely underground: the plants emerge from the ground for a few millimeters and the upper face of the two leaves has a sort of “window”, i.e. an area without chlorophyll and therefore able to filter the light and let it penetrate inside the plant. The root system develops at the end of the cone which forms the stem and branches off from a fleshy root, dividing into not particularly long peripheral roots. Overall, however, between the stem and the root system, the plant grows several centimeters deep and it will therefore be a good idea to use deep pots for cultivation.

The flowers

Lithops blooms are never abundant: generally one or two flowers at a time, but if we grow these plants in bowls, side by side, we will have a beautiful spot of color during flowering, which in our latitudes (Northern hemisphere) occurs in autumn roughly between the end of October and the beginning of November. The flowers emerge from the crack between the two leaves and are always white or yellow, reminiscent of daisies and open in the afternoon. In this regard, what Lodi notes is interesting: “The difference in color of the flowers is often accompanied by a difference in the shape of the bodies. In the very young plants of Lithops with yellow flowers (…) the fissure between the two lobes does not cross the entire upper face; in those with white flowers (Leucolithops) the fissure crosses the entire upper face” (Giuseppe Lodi, “Le mie piante grasse”, ed. Edagricole).

The moult of the leaves

A peculiar feature of these plants is the moulting of the leaves, which can occur in variable periods (in any case during the winter in the northern hemisphere) depending on the species and age of the plant. It is through the moult that the plant, in fact, is “reborn” and perpetuates itself. The old leaves dehydrate to get completely dry; at the same time, a new pair of leaves begins to form from the buried stem. As they grow, the new leaves will literally break the old ones, which will have collapsed in the meantime. Once the new ones have formed, the old leaves will dry out completely and can be detached by simply pulling them gently with your fingers (operation to be done only when the leaves are completely dry!). Of fundamental importance is not to water the plant while the moult is in progress. In this phase the Lithops do not absorb water and the new leaves feed on the liquids accumulated inside the stems. Watering would be equivalent to soaking the soil so that it remains wet for a long time (in part because the moult takes place in winter and the humidity does not evaporate due to the low temperatures, in part because in this phase the plant does not drink), with consequent triggering of the rot that would lead the plant to death.

Cultivation

The cultivation of these plants requires particular and distinct precautions compared to those required by cacti or other succulents. Overall, however, Lithops are not difficult to grow, provided you know their needs.

The soil must be very poor and draining. You can use a third of clayey field earth mixed with fine sand to which we will add a third of pumice and a third of quartzite (that for aquariums is fine). Alternatively, we can reduce the part of clay a little to add a small organic component (peat or earthworm humus). Lodi advised, for these plants, a substrate composed of three parts of sand, two of clay and one of leaf mold. As far as exposure is concerned, Lithops need plenty of light, even direct sun if they are used to it, for most of the day. In this way they will maintain the compact shape of the stem and the leaves will not lengthen, ending up protruding a few centimeters from the soil, as happens in incorrectly cultivated specimens.

The waterings can be abundant but it is good to reduce them and wait for the substratum to dry completely between one watering and another, also because these succulents are particularly sensitive to humidity and can rot easily if the soil is not correct. On the contrary, like many other Mesembryanthemaceae, they tolerate long periods of drought without problems, so in case of doubt, the advice is always to not water and let more time pass before giving water.

As a rule, let’s say that in the Northern hemisphere the Lithops are watered exclusively from May to all of October, reducing the watering in the central months (July and August) to suspend them completely in November: in fact, they should be watered from when the moult is completed until the plants slow down to face the winter. During the winter months it is not entirely certain that these plants go into stasis, as happens for example with cacti. It is probable that, even if they stop absorbing water, the plants work on moulting in the underground part. No problem with low temperatures: if kept perfectly dry from the end of October, Lithops can winter even at five or six Celsius degrees below zero.

Reproduction

Lithops can be reproduced by cuttings or by division of the tufts, but the most used method is sowing, which follows the rules common to cacti. The seeds are rather small and the undertaking can prove inconvenient for the less experienced, but overall it does not present particular difficulties.

Species and varieties

There are dozens of species attributable to the genus Lithops and even more varieties. Only an expert eye is able to distinguish one species from another or a variety from a cultivar. The design on the leaf surface can help, as well as the color of the plant and its nuances, but the undertaking, for those who are not experts, remains quite difficult. Among the most common and widespread species we should mention the aucampie, the karasmontana, the lesliei, the optica and the pseudotruncatella. As for the colors you are spoiled for choice and there is no shortage of bright green Lithops (once very difficult to find) or blue, gray, brick red or purplish.

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Correlated articles

Succulent plants
Substrates for cacti and succulents
Watering succulents
Classification of succulents

© The texts, videos, photos and graphic elaborations of the site “Il fiore tra le spine” are original material and are covered by copyright. It’s forbidden to reproduce them in any way.

L'articolo Lithops: peculiarities and cultivation rules of the so-called “stone plants” or “living stones” proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

You can deepen the knowledge of Euphorbiaceae in the following article, with description, images, curiosities and cultivation techniques specific to this plant family. (…)

Historical notes

The first succulent Euphorbia was discovered between 25 B.C. and 18 A.D. by King Juba of Mauritania (present-day Morocco). The name given to the family has curious origins: after having found out one of these plants (perhaps E. resinifera or E. officinarum) on the Atlas Mountains, it seems that King Juba gave it the name of his doctor, Dr Euphorbus, drawing inspiration from the translation of the term, which means “well-fed”. Some non-juice species of Euphorbia were instead known for years, since the time of Ancient Greece and were called “Tithymalus“. The two names co-existed until the time of Linnaeus, who combined them under the name Euphorbia in 1753. Nowadays the name Tithymalus survives but only indicates a subgroup of Euphorbia.

Problems with the classification of plants and the distinction into families? Here you’ll find a perfect article for you.

Features

The appearance of Euphorbia, as I said, can be extremely variable. The common denominator of this family, however, is the sexual organ of the plant. In this case, we do not speak of “flower” but of “cyathia”. These are very specialized floral structures and at the same time very different from flowers as we understand them. The cyathiazians are, in fact, small in size and can be unisexual or bisexual. Basically, inside unisexual cyathia, there is a single female flower or some male flowers, while in bisexual cyathia there is a female flower surrounded by male flowers. This is one of the main differences between succulent Euphorbiaceae and Cactaceae.

Cultivation

Since they come from all over the world, the various Euphorbia species have very different cultivation needs. Even staying in the “field” of succulent Euphorbias, you can have plants that need a lot of light as well as plants that adapt well to reduced exposure. Some Euphorbias can withstand prolonged drought well and others that do not withstand long periods of dryness. Some Euphorbias can withstand low temperatures (even below zero) and Euphorbias that do not tolerate low temperatures below 7-8 degrees.

For my choice (and not to deviate too much from the regime of cultivation of my cacti) I cultivate only Euphorbia able to tolerate the cold. I have specimens of E. obesa, E. enopla, E. ferox, E. meloformis, E. canariensis, E. resinifera. I have also tried to grow E. candelabrum but with poor results because of its poor tolerance to low temperatures. As for the species I grow, I don’t have particular problems: they are quite resistant plants and can be cultivated more or less like cacti. I keep them in soils a bit richer in organic matter than cacti, both based on the classic lapillus, pumice and peat, and on clay and inerts such as pumice, sand and river gravel. I water them only during the growing season, from April to September, leaving them completely dry in the remaining months of the year, and I keep them in greenhouses not shaded, therefore with good exposure.

Soils for cactus and succulent plants: all my “recipes”.

Euphorbia obesa

And now just two words about Euphorbia obesa, much appreciated and widespread among succulent lovers. It can be said that this plant is the succulent par excellence: in its juvenile stage, it’s perfectly round, “fat”, in fact, without thorns and with a harmonious look, embellished by the streaks on the surface of the stem. Growing up, it tends to assume a short cylindrical bearing while maintaining the thick stem inside which it stores its water reserves.

Reproduction

Euphorbias can be easily reproduced both by seeding and cutting in the spring months. In this second case, it is good to be careful when cutting because many species contain latex that can be toxic in some cases. To stop the release of latex, once cut a branch of Euphorbia (wearing gloves!), you can immerse it in water for a few minutes, then let it dry for at least a couple of weeks and bury it in pumice or sand until it has taken root. The cuttings can then be repotted into suitable soil.

How to propagate cacti and succulents from seed: the whole procedure.

Curiosity

Some Euphorbia species are very usual and are easily found on the market, especially at certain times of the year. What is commonly called “poinsettia“, in fact, is nothing more than a Euphorbiaceae (E. pulcherrima). In the winter period, following some cultivation expedients (in particular after having kept it almost in the dark for a few months) this plant produces deep red apical leaves, becoming very showy and decorative. Another very usual species is E. milii, commonly called “Thorn of Christ”. It’s a Euphorbia with thin stems covered with thorns, at the apex of which sprout colourful and very decorative small inflorescences. There are no particular historical findings, but this plant owes its common name to the legend according to which the crown of thorns placed for mockery on the head of Christ was made by weaving shrubs of this Euphorbia.

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L'articolo How to cultivate Euphorbia: tips to best care for these succulents loved by all the cactophiles proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.