🌱 Morphology

An acaulescent succulent, with compact growth and a basal rosette, which can produce offsets and form clumps over time. It has fleshy, rigid, and lanceolate-triangular leaves, arranged in two levels in young specimens, a characteristic that gives it its peculiar appearance. The color is dark green, with numerous yellowish-green dots or small spots, and the leaves can adopt a progressively more radial arrangement as they mature. DesertSTORE highlights precisely the two-level leaf arrangement as one of its main ornamental features.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family

This is a horticultural hybrid of Gasteria and Aloe, so it does not have a natural distribution or its own habitat. It belongs to the Asphodelaceae family.

There is some nomenclatural confusion surrounding 'D Due': the US patent registered by Deltacactus describes Gasteria 'D Due' as a spontaneous mutation of Gasteria 'WT10', while DesertSTORE currently markets a plant under the name × Gasteraloe 'D Due'. Therefore, it is more prudent to retain the commercial name used by DesertSTORE in this record without speculating on the specific parents.

❄️ Temperature / USDA Zone

USDA 10a–11. DesertSTORE establishes a minimum temperature of −1 °C. Although it can withstand occasional drops around this value, it is recommended to keep it protected from prolonged frosts and, especially, from the combination of cold and wet substrate.

☀️ Lighting

It thrives best in bright semi-shade, avoiding intense midday sun during summer. For cultivation purposes, it can be maintained at approximately 12–18 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ DLI PAR, sufficient to maintain compact growth and good coloration without subjecting the leaves to excessive radiation.

💧 Growth cycle and watering

It exhibits a relative summer dormancy, especially when temperatures are very high. The growth period is most active during spring and autumn, and some activity can be maintained during winter if temperatures are mild and there is sufficient light.

During the growth period, it is recommended to water generously and infrequently, allowing the substrate to dry completely before watering again. During very hot summers and cold winters, water intake should be significantly reduced. The center of the rosette should be kept well-ventilated and never permanently wet. DesertSTORE places its indoor watering period approximately between September and June.

🌸 Flowering

It produces tubular floral inflorescences, characteristic of Gasteria and Aloe hybrids. Under Desert CITY's growing conditions, flowering occurs approximately between February and April.

To promote the formation and development of flowers, it is recommended to supplement regular nutrition with Desert CHOICE® Flowering during the period leading up to flowering.

🌿 Nutrition

Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthias & Co. is recommended, specifically formulated for this group of plants and with an NPK 3-2-8 + Ca-Mg 8-1 ratio, promoting balanced growth and good tissue formation.

During the preparation and development of flowering, it is recommended to supplement with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.

This is an inimitable xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.