Gasteria batesiana 'Klipwal' | Klipwal leopard tongue gasteria
€26,50
🌱 Morphology
One of the most spectacular forms of Gasteria batesiana and, according to specialized literature, the largest. It is a slow-growing, long-lived, acaulescent succulent that develops a compact rosette and proliferates from the base, forming clusters. Juvenile leaves initially appear in two rows, but soon form a rosette. In ‘Klipwal’, they can reach up to 26 cm in length and about 7 cm in width at the base; they are triangular to triangular-lanceolate, firm but brittle, and progressively ascending and recurved. Both surfaces are dark green and densely covered with tubercles and light spots arranged in transverse bands, creating the species' characteristic rough and mottled appearance.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Longiflorae, series Longifoliae.
‘Klipwal’ corresponds to a population of Gasteria batesiana var. batesiana originating from the cliffs near the old Klipwal gold mine, next to the Pongola River, in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). It grows on vertical, south-facing rock faces in small pockets of humus-rich soil on quartzitic sandstone, within the mosaic of valley bushveld and lowveld vegetation. The species also occupies northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and reaches as far as Limpopo in warm, dry valleys located approximately between 500 and 700 m.
❄️ Temperature — USDA 10a
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −1 °C. Although it comes from warm, virtually frost-free valleys, ‘Klipwal’ is best grown by protecting it from frost and, above all, from the combination of cold and prolonged humidity.
☀️ Lighting
It prefers bright shade to partial shade, with protection from strong sun. In its habitat, it grows on south- and east-facing rock faces where it receives filtered light. Approximately 10–20 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR is recommended to maintain compact growth, good coloration, and the contrast of its tubercles without the risk of burning.
💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Winter dormancy. Its habitat belongs to summer rainfall regions: during the winter, the cliffs can become practically dry. The fleshy leaves store water and allow the plant to survive this dry period. It is recommended to water more regularly during the active period, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings, and to greatly reduce water supply during the winter.
🌸 Flowering
It blooms mainly between April and June in Spain. It produces a simple, rarely branched raceme of about 30–45 cm. In the ‘Klipwal’ form, the flowers are especially large, reaching approximately 45 mm in length. They are pendulous, tubular, with a pinkish base and a yellowish or greenish upper part, and contain abundant nectar that attracts sunbirds, nectar-feeding birds that act as pollinators. The species can reach flowering size after several years of cultivation; no sufficiently precise data has been found to establish an exact age specific to ‘Klipwal’.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthias & Co. is recommended, with a high content of potassium and bioassimilable calcium. It is applied with irrigation, reducing or suspending fertilization during winter dormancy.
12x12 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the dimensions of the plant, but this may also vary slightly because, it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.
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