Synonyms:

Adromischus marianiae
Cotyledon marianiae
Adromischus marianae var. marianae
Adromischus marianiae f. multicolor

Habitat:

A. marianae is native to Cape Provinces where it is particularly widespread in a small area on Foothills of the Cederberg around Clanwilliam (hence the name). The plant grows on rocky soils in the shade of shrubs. Other accepted varieties are Adromischus marianiae var. hallii and Adromischus marianiae var. kubusensis.

Description:

A. marianae ‘Clanwilliam’ is a very sought after shrub succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant grows in clumps, in wild it forms mats and can reach up to 8 cm in height. The stem is erect and short looking like a rosette. The leaves are horseshoes shaped and are an important identifying feature. The leaves are pale green in color, maculated with darker green or brownish spots and grey margins, rough to the touch can have a slight groove on the upper side. These plant differs greatly from individual to individual in shape, color, size and habit. The shades of the leaves vary depending on temperatures, moisture and sun exposure. This succulent develops a tuberous root over time where it stores water to survive during drought periods. Blooming occurs during the spring and buds are borne by small and long stalks. The flowers are tubular, club-shaped, greenish-pink to white with 5 fused petals.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full light sun exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The plant does not like temperatures below 10°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in Spring and Summer: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lush growth you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs. The plant requires a growing environment full of sun and well ventilated,

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

His name literally means “abundant rod”: it grows in clumps of fleshy leaves, which are grouped in rosettes. The genus name Adromischus was chosen by Lemaire in 1852 and it comes from the Greek “adros” (thick) and “mischos” (stem).

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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