€15,90

Gasteria pulchra (Aiton) Haw.

🌱 Morphology
  Small to medium-sized, slow-growing Gasteria, solitary or forming small clumps through basal proliferation, with a short, ascending stem. It can reach 20–36 cm in height. Juvenile leaves are distichous, short, tongue-shaped, and tuberculate; as they mature, they form a more open rosette. Adult leaves are narrow, long, and progressively acuminate, about 24–36 × 2.5–4 cm, ascending and almost rounded to triangular in cross-section. The upper surface is deeply channeled, especially during drought, while the lower surface is convex and features a faint, eccentric keel. Both sides are dark green, densely speckled with white spots arranged in transverse bands, a pattern that provides excellent camouflage among shrubland vegetation. The epidermis is smooth or, exceptionally, slightly tuberculate; the margins are leathery and feature tiny teeth. Under water stress, the leaves can take on reddish tones due to the accumulation of anthocyanins.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is an endemic species of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, relatively widespread within its area: from Studtis, in the Baviaanskloof, to the northwest, to Hankey and Patensie, in the Gamtoos Valley, to the southeast. It primarily inhabits the Gamtoos Thicket, within the Albany Thicket biome, on rugged and difficult-to-penetrate terrain, growing among thorny shrubs, small trees, and other succulents that act as nurse plants. It is found on soils derived mainly from Enon conglomerates, which are mineral-poor and slightly acidic. The annual rainfall is about 300–400 mm, spread between summer and winter, though with a tendency toward greater winter dryness. Summers are warm and winters are mild, with average temperatures of approximately 23 ºC maximum and 10 ºC minimum.

Family Asphodelaceae, tribe Alooideae, section Longiflorae, series Multifariae.

❄️ Temperature — USDA 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to approximately −4 ºC. Horticultural references place it in USDA 9b as a lower limit; in its natural habitat, winters are mild, so this figure should be considered a cultivation tolerance rather than a common condition of its natural environment.

☀️ Lighting
It prefers shade–partial shade. SANBI indicates that in hot climates, it should be protected from intense direct sun, although it tolerates relatively high light levels when acclimated. A target of approximately 10–20 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR allows for good compactness without subjecting the leaves to excessive radiation.

💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Opportunistic. It can remain active for much of the year. SANBI recommends watering it throughout the year, but more sparingly in winter. It is recommended to let the substrate partially dry between waterings and especially to avoid the combination of cold, prolonged moisture, and poor ventilation.

🌸 Flowering
It blooms from winter to late spring, peaking in spring. The inflorescence is a spectacular, ascending, and highly branched panicle of 35–150 cm, although it can be simple in young specimens. The flowers measure approximately 18–25 mm, have the characteristic gasteriform shape, with a swollen base, and are reddish-pink, with the tube ranging from light pink to dark pink. The species is primarily pollinated by sunbirds, attracted by the abundant nectar.

🌿 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 fertilization during periods of lower activity.

10x10 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.

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