The Succulent and Cactus Lady : Gasteria

About me

🌿 I've been gardening ever since a child, when I spent time with my father in his vegetable garden. But my fascination with Echeverias started in the 1980's, when my father gave me a pot with five Echeverias, which turned out to be E. imbricata. At first I wasn't much interested in them and planted them in some obscure corner of the garden and completely forgot about them. How great was my surprise when, a couple of months later, I noticed that they had spread and made a beautiful display - I was hooked!

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Gasteria

Gasteria armstrongii

Gasteria is a genus of succulent plants native to South Africa. Closely related genera include Aloe and Haworthia.

Members of the Gasteria genus, named for their stomach shaped flowers, generally prefer no supplementary water during winter, and regular, but not excessive watering for the rest of the year. The majority of species prefer light shade and should be protected from direct sunlight and frost. In the wild they tend to grow under other plants for shelter from the elements but mine are mostly in pots so I bring them inside every winter because of our heavy frost.

Gasteria armstrongii is vulnerable, occurring in a popular farming region. It is also only known from a few sites along the Gamtoos River in the Eastern Cape. Although it is well camouflaged and difficult to find, it is threatened by collectors and ploughing. Plants grow on a flat terrain in Renosterveld vegetation. The plant has been well established in cultivation (ex situ preservation) and is grown by succulent plant enthusiasts all over the world.

Gasteria are prolific pup-makers and here I have transplanted a few into another bowl.

A few of my Gasterias on a plant-stand on my patio in summer

Some Gasterias over-wintering inside in my flower room

Gasterias don't seem to mind whether they get watered or not. They withstand drought easily and are just as happy if flooded with a lot of water. I must confess I have this tendency to kill my plants with lots of "love" in the form of too much watering, but the Gasterias have withstood this onslaught with happy faces!

Featured Succulent

Echinopsis grows pretty much anywhere. Here in South Africa they can tolerate summer temperatures of 30°C or greater, which is hot enough to spur growth of both Echinopsis pups and their amazing flowers. They also tolerate cold temperatures well during winter months. However, I bring my potted ones inside during hard freezes or their water-filled bodies will freeze as well. Compared to most cacti, Echinopsis bloom fast and furious. They typically begin blooming in spring. Most blooms only last one or two days and they frequently open at night. But it’s common to have several buds on one plant developing at different rates; so a single plant can be in bloom for several weeks. As a general rule, the smaller the diameter of the blooms a Echinopsis species produces, the more blooms the plant produces. Species that produce monster blooms (some over 6” in diameter) tend to have fewer blooms as so much plant energy goes into producing each one. Echinopsis generally begin to produce flowers when they are two or three years old. Echinopsis is a large genus of cacti native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. One small species, E. chamaecereus, is known as the peanut cactus. The 128 species range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti.

A garden requires patient labour and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfil good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. Gardeners are well primed to provide food for birds and animals, but the key to encouraging the widest possible range of wildlife is to think of creating a habitat for creatures to live in. The most important aspect of this is the provision of shelter from the weather and from predators, as well as a place to lay eggs, rear young or hibernate.

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Sunday, 16 February 2014

Gasteria