Rabiea leslei | Chocolan Daisy
€10,60
🌱 Morphology
Small perennial succulent of the Aizoaceae family, almost stemless, forming compact clumps up to about 5 cm tall. Unlike Rabiea comptonii, whose leaves spread widely and are relatively long, R. lesliei presents erect, unequal, and much more compact leaves: one tapers progressively to a point, while the other widens toward the keel near the apex. They measure approximately 20–22 × 6.7–9 mm and have a rough, densely spotted epidermis. The roots are thick and fleshy; with age, it develops a rhizome or thickened root neck that may remain partially visible in cultivation.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is native to South Africa, in the Free State, especially in the surroundings of Chocolan, where it grows scattered on dry grassland slopes among large stones, at an altitude of approximately 1,600 to 1,880 m. It belongs to the Aizoaceae family.
❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 7a–11b. It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −18 ºC in very dry conditions. Extreme cold hardiness is documented in specialized cultivation sources, although it should be interpreted for fully dry and well-acclimated plants.
☀️ Lighting
It requires very high lighting, with a target DLI PAR greater than 20 mol/m²/day during growth. It tolerates direct sun and develops a more compact structure with good light intensity.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Opportunistic. It does not have a rigidly defined dormancy period: it can continue to grow as long as it has water and favorable conditions. In cultivation, it is advisable to concentrate watering in spring and summer, reducing it in autumn and winter without keeping it completely dry for prolonged periods. Each watering should be abundant, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before the next one.
🌸 Flowering
Large, yellow flowers with numerous petals, which can take on orange hues as they age. They open in the afternoon, mainly from late winter to spring. In Madrid, this corresponds approximately to February–May.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and potassium is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Aizoáceas, applied during watering and avoiding excessive nitrogen input.
This is an inimitable Xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
7 × 7 cm gourmet black pot.
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