Gasteria tukhelensis | Tugela Gasteria
€47,70
Gasteria tukhelensis Van Jaarsv.
🌱 Morphology
An acaulescent Gasteria with relatively slow growth that proliferates from the base, forming clusters of 3–8 heads that can reach up to 70 cm in diameter. The roots are fleshy, up to 5 mm in diameter. The leaves form open rosettes and reach 12–25 cm in length and 3–5 cm in width at the base. They are triangular-lanceolate, markedly sickle-shaped, arched upwards, and occasionally recurved backwards. The surface is smooth, shiny, and dark green, with small, very faint white spots organized in poorly defined transverse bands. During the dry season, the upper face becomes more channelled, while the lower face has a clear keel. The margins are practically smooth or have tiny teeth. Juvenile leaves are different: they are arranged in two rows and have small tubercles.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is an endemic species of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, restricted to the lower valley of the Tugela (Thukela) River, in the vicinity of Kranskop. It is known from a type locality situated on south-facing cliffs near the confluence of the Buffalo and Tugela rivers, at an altitude of about 440 m. It grows in crevices and humus-rich ledges on vertical shale walls, within Thukela Valley Bushveld succulent scrub vegetation. The valley has a dry subtropical climate, in a rain shadow, with about 500–700 mm of annual precipitation, concentrated mainly in summer. Summers are very hot, frequently above 30 ºC, while winters are mild and frosts are non-existent or very light.
Family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Longiflorae, series Longifoliae, genus Gasteria. The series Longifoliae includes, among others, G. acinacifolia, G. batesiana, G. croucheri, and G. tukhelensis.
❄️ Temperature — USDA 9a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to approximately −7 ºC in cultivation. This figure comes from horticultural data, while its natural habitat is characterized by mild winters and an absence of frost or very light frost; therefore, it should not be interpreted as safe exposure to prolonged −7 ºC.
☀️ Lighting
It prefers shade–partial shade, especially filtered light or protection from rocks and shrubs. In its habitat, it grows on the shaded walls of cliffs, although the species tolerates relatively high light levels if acclimatized. An approximate target of 10–20 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It is an interesting exception within the Gasterias: the climate of its locality receives most of the rainfall during the summer, and the species flowers precisely in the southern summer. It is recommended to maintain some water availability during the warm period, letting the substrate dry out partially between waterings and reducing supply when temperatures are low.
🌸 Flowering
It flowers mainly in the southern summer, approximately from December to March. It produces an extended inflorescence up to 56 cm, often with two lateral branches, which can carry up to 11 flowers open simultaneously. The flowers are tubular, approximately 40–43 mm long and 6 mm wide, pink, with the upper half white and marked with green striations. The pedicels are pendulous and reach 12–17 mm. They are rich in nectar and pollinated mainly by sunbirds. After fertilization, the capsules become erect and release black seeds of about 5–7 mm.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthias & Co. is recommended, with a high content of potassium and bioavailable calcium. Apply with watering, reducing fertilization during periods of lower activity.
9x9 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technical square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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