🌱 Morphology
It has an attractive purplish mottling on its leaves. Its characteristic mottling becomes more visible in cold and sunny conditions. It is easily propagated by leaf cuttings.  It is a low-growing perennial succulent that forms small clumps or rosettes. The stems are short, decumbent to prostrate, somewhat woody with age and sparsely branched, reaching about 15 cm. The roots are fibrous. The leaves are exceptionally fleshy, flattened, and obovate to oblanceolate in shape, generally with a sharply narrowed base and a rounded or obtuse tip, measuring approximately 3–7 cm in length and 2–3.5 cm in width. They feature a characteristic horny margin around the entire leaf. The coloration can be green, grey-green, or grey-brown, and irregular reddish-brown to dark purple spots frequently appear, giving rise to its mottled appearance. These spots vary: some forms are practically unspotted, and young leaves may initially be green.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
A species endemic to South Africa, distributed across the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. It grows mainly on slopes and sandstone outcrops of the Langeberg Mountains, from the vicinity of Worcester northwards past George and up to Uniondale. It belongs to the Crassulaceae family, genus Adromischus. The former name Cotyledon maculata is a synonym of the currently accepted species.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
Tolerates minimum temperatures of -3°C. It comes from regions where it may experience relatively cool temperatures, but it is not adapted to prolonged frosts. It is recommended to keep it protected from frost and, when temperatures are low, to keep the growing medium completely dry. Cold combined with prolonged moisture significantly increases the risk of rot.

☀️ Lighting
High light levels are recommended, with approximately 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR as a target. It tolerates direct sun when acclimated, and intense light promotes compactness and can intensify the reddish or purple spots and hues. In Madrid, during periods of extreme heat, it may be advisable to filter the sun during the middle of the day and maintain excellent ventilation to prevent scorching.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
It has a growth cycle that is mainly spring and summer, followed by a slowdown during autumn and a winter dormancy. During the active phase, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the growing medium to dry out completely before the next watering. As temperatures drop in autumn, watering should be gradually spaced out. During winter, with low temperatures and reduced activity, it is recommended to keep it practically dry. At the start of spring, watering should be gradually resumed to coincide with the appearance of new growth.

🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence is an erect raceme, grey-green, approximately 20–35 cm tall, formed by small groups of one or two flowers. The flowers are tubular and pale yellow-green; the corolla lobes are white or slightly pink, with margins that can take on mauve hues. In Spain, it flowers between June and August, although the date may vary depending on growing conditions.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering to promote the development of the inflorescence.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with a growing medium enriched with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

📏 Gourmet black pot

S -> 9 cm x 9 cm

M-> 12 cm x 12 cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these may also vary slightly because it is a living thing! Each of the plants from Desert CITY has unique characteristics.