Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name.

Habitat:

Adromischus marianae is widespread in a big area of southern Africa, extended from Namibia to the Western Cape in South Africa. Adromischus marianae is a variable species, which means it includes several subspecies, many of which are really sought after by collectors. Many of them are nursery cultivars, while other ones are just subspecies that can be found in peripheral parts of the distribution area of A. marianae. The ‘Peppermint ice cream’ form is, also, a nursery cultivar and thus doesn’t exist in nature.

Description:

Adromischus marianae cv. Peppermint ice cream is a tiny plant, one of the numerous form of Adromischus marianae. It doesn’t exceed 10 centimeters in height: it is almost stemless and has these odd leaves grouped in a few rosettes. The leaves are the reason why this tiny succulent is so sought after among succulent lovers and for its peculiar name. They, indeed, are bright green, and have this rough surface, are flattened but still slightly thick, and fleshy, with their edges irregular and tinged in red. The “peppermint” reference is probably due to the bright green colour, or maybe also because some specimens look like some strange green gummy, with their rough, minutely warty surface. Flowers, like the ones of most Adromischus, are insignificant: they are green with a pinkish tinge and they reach a length of 1,2 centimeters. They are grouped in a ear that sprouts from the central part of the plant. This cultivar, however, doesn’t bloom often.

Cultivation:

Adromischus marianae cv. Peppermint ice cream is not difficult to grow. Here below are our cultivation tips:

Choose a bright spot, where the plant can receive plenty of light. If you place it indoors you will need to put it close to a sunny window. A direct exposure to sunlight could, however, cause leaves wrinkling the leaves: check that the plant isn’t exposed to direct sunlight for too many hours a day.
Choose a well-ventilated place. Adromischus doesn’t like stagnant air.
All Adromischus love hot temperatures (the ideal is 24 ° C), but they also can resist to cold. Their limit is 5 – 10 ° C. In winter it is good to place them in a sheltered environment and, especially, away from rain: water stagnation on the rosettes can be fatal.
We advice to apply regular watering in summer (approximately every two weeks), scarce in winter (one per month). Nevertheless, if the plant is located indoors, it will need to be watered more frequently.
Choose a well-drained soil: for example, a mixture of peat and sand with the addition of a little of gravel.
The fertilizer can be limited to the growing season and after any repotting, always with a product specific for succulents, diluted at half of the dosed written on the label.
All Adromischus remain modest in height but are highly ground covering. Repotting it is not necessary to increase the size of the plant (unless one wishes to develop in width: if so, wide pots must be used) but it is useful to keep it in good health and to slow the aging. 

Propagation:

The propagation of Adromischus marianae cv. Peppermint ice cream can be very easily carried out through cuttings, using the leaves. Just cut off a healthy leaf, let it rest one day in a warm environment to let the wound dry, and finally place it upright in a pot with a light, porous soil. Start to take off cuttings when the plant begins to age; all Adromischus, in fact, aren’t so long-lived: after a few years, they begin to wither and to lose their leaves even though they are grown under optimal conditions.

Curiosity:

The name ” Adromischus” comes from the ancient Greek adros (=thick) and mischos (=stem).

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
Read our advice