€10,50

🌱 Morphology
 Small perennial succulent with short, fleshy, and highly branched stems, about 2–4 cm long, which can develop numerous aerial roots. The leaves are obtriangular-lanceolate, narrower than those of A. cristatus var. cristatus, fleshy, and generally somewhat wavy. They feature a characteristic horny fringe on the apical margin, approximately as wide as the leaf itself. The color varies from grayish-green to brownish-green and can acquire reddish hues with high light exposure. The leaves may have glandular hairs, especially when young, although this trait is variable. Leaf morphology can change considerably between populations.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. It is a variety endemic to the Eastern Cape, South Africa, restricted mainly to the area between Alexandria, Grahamstown, and East London. It grows on rocky outcrops with very shallow soil, where the roots take advantage of small accumulations of organic matter and moisture between the rocks. It is found at altitudes of approximately 50 to 500 m, within a subtropical environment.

❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 9b–11b. It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −3 ºC, provided it remains dry and protected from prolonged frost. Coming from a subtropical and relatively low-lying area, it should not be considered a succulent particularly resistant to cold and damp conditions.

☀️ Lighting
Indicative DLI PAR: 12–20 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹. It needs abundant light to maintain compact growth and develop the reddish hues of the leaves. It can be grown in mild sun or very intense light, but it should be acclimatized progressively to direct sun, especially after a period of protected cultivation. In summer, with very high temperatures, protection from the most intense sun during central hours is advised.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Its rocky habitat and very shallow soil favor a cycle conditioned more by the sporadic availability of moisture than by an extremely marked dormant season. It is recommended to keep it active during periods of moderate temperatures, providing abundant watering and allowing the substrate to dry completely before the next application. In summer, it may slow down during episodes of intense heat, and in winter, with low temperatures, watering should be reduced considerably. The combination of cold and damp substrate must be strictly avoided.

🌸 Flowering
The inflorescence emerges above the plant, and the flowers feature a throat provided with some hairs, a characteristic that helps differentiate this variety from A. cristatus var. cristatus. The flowers are small, light-toned, and natural flowering is concentrated between June and August, depending on temperatures and the moment of vegetative activation.

🌿 Nutrition
During periods of active growth, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering. Fertilizing is not recommended during rest periods induced by intense cold or extreme heat.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

Xerophyte in a 7 x 7 x 6 cm gourmet black pot.

Approximate plant height: 3.5 cm

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