Aloinopsis malherbi | Giant Jewel Plant
€15,90
🔍 Morphology: Small perennial succulent, with a compact and tufted growth habit, which develops a thick, truncated tuberous root from which several rosettes emerge. The leaves are erect, flat, and very wide, spatulate or fan-shaped, with an approximately truncated apex. They feature a characteristic bluish-gray coloration, with a waxy appearance, and numerous prominent white tubercles concentrated especially around the apical margin. The plant can reach about 5 cm in height and, in its habitat, usually remains partially covered by fine soil, leaving mainly the ends of the leaves visible.
📍 Distribution, habitat and family: It is endemic to South Africa and is distributed from Kliprand to Calvinia, in the Northern Cape province. It inhabits the Succulent Karoo, on low slopes and shale plains, as well as in crevices between rocks, generally between 800 and 1200 m of altitude. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family. Nananthus malherbei is a botanical synonym.
🌡️ USDA ZONE 8b. It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −9 ºC when completely dry and well-acclimatized. During cold spells, it is especially important to keep the substrate dry, since the combination of low temperatures and excess humidity can cause damage to its root system.
☀️ Lighting: It needs plenty of light to maintain its compact size, the bluish-gray coloration of the leaves, and to encourage flowering. During the growth period, it can be grown in direct sun if temperatures are moderate. In summer, excessive heat combined with intense radiation can cause stress, so it is advisable to provide protection during the hours of greatest insolation. As a cultivation reference, PAR radiation greater than 20 moles of photons per day is recommended during the active period.
🌸 Flowering: It produces solitary flowers of approximately 16–20 mm in diameter, with petals varying in color between salmon pink, pink, light brown, or yellowish tones, while the upper part of the stamens is yellow. Flowering begins towards mid-winter and continues until early spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
💧 Growth cycle and watering: Summer dormancy. It is a species adapted to the arid conditions of the Cape's winter rainfall region. During the growth period, especially from autumn to spring, watering should be abundant and always allow the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. As temperatures rise in late spring, activity decreases, and during the summer, watering should be greatly reduced, even suspended during periods of intense heat. Watering is resumed progressively when temperatures drop and the plant shows signs of activity again.
🚀 Nutrition: During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and potassium is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Aizoaceae, applied during watering and avoiding excessive nitrogen input.
📏 This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
7 × 7 cm gourmet black pot.
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