Dyckia
Family: – Bromeliaceae
Habitat: – Brazil, South America, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia
Cultivation: – Their natural habitat is warm, with heavy rainfall for half the year and drought in the other half. It is necessary to find a balance to keep the plant healthy.
Curiosity: – Dyckias are not actually succulents, as they do not store water in their leaves as these plants do.
KEY FEATURES
In this genus, there are more than 120 species and many other cultivars. These plants can survive long dry periods by being dormant. Their leaves vary from long to short, but always rigid: after long dry periods they can shrivel, but will recover pretty fast with adequate waterings. Colors can vary from solid colors to variegated or spotted. In spring they bloom with yellowe, orange or red flowers appearing on long stalks.
VARIETY AND TYPES
There are 120 species. Here are some of them:
- Dyckia brevifoia
- Dickya platyphylla
- Dickia marner-lapostollei
TIPS FOR GROWING
Here below are some tips to cultivate your Dyckia:
Sun Exposure:
In their natural habitat, Dyckias live in full sun exposure most of the year: put your plant in a sunny spot!
Temperature:
They need temperatures above 32°C to flourish. They can survive to short frost, until 4°C but only for very short period of time_ these plants are not frost hardy.
Watering:
Water abundantly, as these plants love need regular water to thrive, but don’t let the soil get soaked (a saucer could help prevent that in potted plants). They are dormant in winter, when you can cut the watering in half.
Substrate:
Choose a good succulent mixture for potted plants. They need rather poor soil when grown in ground.
Propagation:
The Dyckia Multiplication is usually by seeds.