🌿 Morphology

A perennial, compact, and highly branched succulent that forms clusters of small rosettes on stems that progressively lengthen, potentially acquiring a creeping or trailing habit over time. The leaves are extraordinarily fleshy, short, and thick, with an almost globose appearance and rounded, slightly pointed tips.

The base coloration is greyish-green to bluish-green, while bright light exposure and cool temperatures can produce a characteristic pastel pink, pinkish, or reddish coloration in the leaves. Its compact appearance and extremely thickened leaves are responsible for its trade name, ‘Caviar’.

Unlike the typical Sedum clavatum, ‘Caviar’ is marketed as a plant with an especially dwarf habit and very chubby leaves, although caution is advised regarding the exact identity of the clone.

🌍 Distribution, Habitat, and Family

Family: Crassulaceae.

Sedum clavatum is a Mexican species, while ‘Caviar’ is a cultivar name of horticultural origin, with no known natural distribution of its own.

❄️ Temperature

USDA Zone: 9a–11b

It can tolerate minimum temperatures of -4 °C. However, it is preferable to grow it protected from hard frosts, especially when the substrate is damp. Cool temperatures, provided the plant remains dry, also encourage the appearance of the pinkish tones that make this cultivar especially attractive.

In winter, it can remain active and even show appreciable growth under bright conditions and moderate temperatures; one cultivation source specifically notes greater activity during the winter months.

☀️ Lighting

Indicative DLI PAR: 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.

It needs plenty of light to keep the rosettes compact and develop its characteristic coloration. Direct sun or a very bright exposure is recommended, performing a progressive adaptation when the plant comes from shaded conditions.

With low lighting, the stems elongate, the leaves lose chromatic intensity, and the plant takes on a more open appearance. The combination of high radiation and cool temperatures particularly favors the pastel pink tones.

💧 Growth Cycle and Watering

Summer dormancy. This is a plant that can show significant activity during the cool seasons, especially autumn and winter, while growth may slow down during periods of intense heat.

During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly, subsequently allowing the substrate to dry out completely before watering again.

🌸 Flowering

The flowering of ‘Caviar’ occurs in late winter or early spring.

🌿 Nutrition

During periods of active growth, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied moderately. Excess nitrogen should be avoided, as it can produce overly tender tissues, long internodes, and a loss of the characteristic compact habit.

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

Gourmet plant in a 12x12 cm pot