Lapidaria margaretae | Karoo Rose
€10,60
🌱 Morphology
Small, acaule, very slowly growing perennial succulent that forms compact rosettes of 2–4 pairs of opposite leaves. The leaves are extraordinarily thick, rigid, and triangular in cross-section, with a well-marked keel and margins; they show shades of whitish-grey, pink, or purple, especially towards the base. New leaves emerge between the old ones, forming a very compact structure that resembles small polished stones. It can produce several rosettes with age.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is distributed across southern Namibia and the Northern Cape of South Africa, especially in the Warmbad area and adjacent territories. It lives in arid environments, on white quartz plains, in crevices, red sand, and stony ground, frequently partially buried among the stones. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family, Ruschioideae subfamily.
❄️ Temperature
USDA zone 9b–11b. Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC for short periods, provided it remains dry.
☀️ Lighting
It needs very intense lighting to maintain its compact shape and the natural colours of the leaves. During active growth, a target of DLI PAR >20 mol/m²/day is recommended. During periods of extreme heat, it can be protected from the most intense midday sun while always maintaining high light levels.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It can grow during autumn and spring and resume activity when moderate temperatures, good lighting, and water availability coincide. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry out completely before watering again. During intense summer heat or winter cold, it may enter dormancy and watering should be greatly reduced. It is especially important not to water when the plant is renewing its leaves and the old ones have not yet been completely reabsorbed.
🌸 Flowering
It produces a large golden-yellow flower, solitary and daisy-like, which can reach about 5 cm in diameter, a surprising size in relation to the small plant. It opens during the day. SANBI places flowering in winter; other specialist sources place it from autumn to early winter. In Madrid, it can be expected approximately between October and February.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertiliser with a high content of assimilable calcium and potassium is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Aizoaceae, applied during watering and avoiding excessive nitrogen inputs.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with a substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
Gourmet black pot of 7 × 7 cm.
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The dimensions of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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