🌱 Morphology
nnCompact, slow-growing cultivar that retains the characteristic habit of Gasteria carinata but taken to an especially ornamental extreme. It initially forms a solitary, stemless rosette that produces basal offsets with age, eventually forming small clumps.

The leaves are fleshy, rigid, and relatively short, initially arranged in two rows and becoming progressively more spread out and twisted, eventually forming a spiral rosette. Their epidermis is very dark green, olive green, or dark brown, and is covered by numerous large, rounded white tubercles, very raised, which stand out like small pearls on the surface. In adult specimens, these spots may partially merge to form clear transverse bands. The contrast between the dark background and the white bumps perfectly explains the name ‘Snow Storm’.

The adult plant can reach approximately 15 cm in height and 20–25 cm in diameter, although the size varies depending on the clone and cultivation. The rosette becomes progressively more spiralized, and the production of offsets allows for the formation of dense clumps.

The breeder, year of origin, or parentage other than Gasteria carinata is unknown.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Longiflorae, series Multifariae, genus Gasteria. ‘Snow Storm’ is a horticultural cultivar, so it has no natural distribution of its own. Its reference species, Gasteria carinata, is native to the Western Cape (South Africa) and grows in rocky environments and succulent scrublands of the Karoo.

❄️ Temperature — USDA 10a
Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −1 ºC. In cultivation, it is advisable to avoid the combination of cold, moisture, and poor ventilation, especially for prolonged periods.

☀️ Lighting
Shade–partial shade, with abundant, filtered light. Intense but not scorching lighting helps keep the plant compact and enhances the contrast between the dark epidermis and the white tubercles. Approximate DLI PAR: 10–20 mol/m²/day. Cultivation sources place the plant at around 30% shade.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It is recommended to water when the substrate has dried out, allowing it to dry out again before the next watering. It can be kept watered throughout the year, reducing the frequency during winter and especially avoiding excess moisture when temperatures are low. The available cultivation information for ‘Snow Storm’ agrees on this management.

🌸 Flowering
Produces a tall inflorescence that clearly stands out from the rosette, with the characteristic tubular and pendulous flowers of Gasteria, pink or reddish at the bottom and lighter, with greenish streaks, towards the top. In cultivation, flowering has been observed between late winter and spring, approximately from February to April in Madrid.

🌿 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 watering, reducing or suspending fertilization during the summer dormancy.

Gourmet black 9x9 cm pot

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

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen 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 being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.