Gasteria bicolor var. liliputiana | Speckled Gasteria Lilliput
€26,50
🌱 Morphology
An authentic miniature of the genus Gasteria, slow-growing and capable of forming dense colonies through basal proliferation. Each rosette reaches barely 25 mm in height, although the groups can spread considerably. The leaves measure approximately 1.5–10 cm × 0.8–1.4 cm; they are fleshy, narrow, and strap-shaped, with a rounded or slightly acute apex and a smooth epidermis that is dark green and mottled with small, light-colored spots. Juvenile plants have distichous leaves; upon maturing, they acquire a helical arrangement.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is a rare endemic to the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, located in the area of quartzite sandstone mountains near Grahamstown (Makhanda). It grows among rocks and in very shallow soils, under the protection of dense thorny thickets. The climate is warm and dry, with about 500–600 mm of annual rainfall, mainly during the warmer months; winters are dry and frosts are very light or non-existent. It belongs to the family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Gasteria, series Gasteria.
❄️ Temperature — USDA 10
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −1 ºC. SANBI notes that in its habitat, frosts are very light or absent, so it is advisable to protect it from repeated or prolonged frost. The RHS classifies it as H1c, corresponding to plants that tolerate approximately 5–10 ºC as a minimum in protected cultivation.
☀️ Lighting
It prefers bright shade to partial shade, especially light filtered through other plants. Intense sun can cause stress and reddish coloration, but overly intense and prolonged exposure is not necessary to maintain its compact growth. Approximately 10–20 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. Its habitat receives rainfall primarily in summer, but the species can take advantage of favorable periods throughout the year. It is recommended to water when the substrate is practically dry, increasing supply during growth phases and reducing it when temperatures drop. Its ability to withstand drought periods is well documented.
🌸 Flowering
It is surprisingly floriferous for its tiny size. The inflorescence is a simple raceme, much taller than the rosette, approximately 16–40 cm in height. The pendulous, tubular flowers measure 12–15 mm, are reddish or pinkish, and feature the characteristic swollen base of the genus. They can appear at any time of the year, although peak flowering occurs from mid-winter to spring. They are rich in nectar and pollinated by nectarivorous birds. Plants grown from seed can begin to flower in approximately 3–4 years.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthias & Co. is recommended, with a high content of potassium and bioavailable calcium. It is applied with irrigation, reducing or suspending fertilization during periods of lower activity.
8x8 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte cultivated in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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