€26,50

Tulista kingiana (Poelln.) Gideon F.Sm. & Molteno

🌱 Morphology
A small living sculpture that seems to hold in its leaves the shimmer of the stones among which it grows. The rosette, compact but more upright in habit than other Tulista, raises its yellowish-green leaves like small curved spears, while beneath them appear rows of tiny white reliefs that, when catching the light, trace delicate constellations across the surface.

It is an acaulescent species, slow-growing and long-lived, forming solitary rosettes or, over time, small clusters. The rosettes can reach about 18 cm in height, although they are usually smaller. The leaves are thick, fleshy, erect to spreading, yellowish-green, with a rough surface and numerous raised, white tubercles or the same color as the leaf. In some plants, these tubercles can be arranged in very characteristic transverse bands.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is endemic to a small area of the Western Cape, South Africa, with fragmented populations in the vicinity of Mossel Bay, Hartenbos, Great Brak and Herbertsdale. It grows in sandy soils, both exposed among grasses and protected by shrubs on rocky slopes. It belongs to the Asphodelaceae family, Asphodeloideae subfamily. T. kingiana is currently listed as Endangered (EN) by SANBI, due to habitat loss, urban and agricultural development, and the removal of adult specimens. It is a species with an extremely restricted distribution and a highly fragmented area of occupancy.

Its natural range lies within the winter rainfall region of the southwestern Cape. Precipitation is concentrated mainly from autumn to spring, while summer is the warmest and driest season. This seasonality explains its behavior: the greatest growth occurs during cooler periods with water availability, especially in spring and autumn, while metabolic activity decreases during summer.

❄️ Temperature — USDA 10a
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −1.1 ºC. In pot cultivation, it is advisable to avoid having temperatures near this limit while the substrate is moist, as cold accompanied by excess water considerably increases the risk of rot.

☀️ Lighting
It requires high levels of light to maintain a compact rosette and good expression of the tubercles. It tolerates direct sun, although in its habitat it also grows partially protected by vegetation. During active growth, a DLI PAR of 12–20 mol/m²/day is recommended. Intense but not overly harsh light favors the contrast between the yellowish-green of the leaves and the light-colored tubercles.

💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Summer dormancy. The climate pattern of its natural area indicates a rest during the warmest and driest period. During spring and autumn, when temperatures are more moderate and there is greater water availability, the highest vegetative activity occurs: it is recommended to water thoroughly and only do so again when the substrate has dried out.

During summer, watering is notably reduced. The goal is not to keep the plant completely dehydrated, but to replicate the natural pattern of dryness and lower activity, providing water at widely spaced intervals and only when necessary to prevent excessive loss of turgidity. In winter, if temperatures are low, it is also advisable to space out waterings.

🌸 Flowering
It blooms mainly in the Austral summer. The inflorescence is a slender stalk, up to about 30 cm, simple or occasionally branched, which extends well beyond the rosette. The flowers are tubular, approximately 16–20 mm, whitish to pinkish, with recurved segments. An interesting feature for cultivation is that it can begin to bloom while still a relatively small plant, at around 5–7 cm in height.

🌿 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 or suspending fertilization during summer dormancy.

9x9 cm gourmet black pot

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

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