Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name

Habitat:

Gasteria glomerata f. variegated is a nursery cultivar, thus it doesn’t exist in nature normally, with the exception of some genetic mutations that alter the capacity to produce chlorophyll in wild plants as well. The regular species, instead, Gasteria glomerata, is endemic to lower Kouga river, in South Africa (South-eastern Cape province). Its natural habitat consists in north-facing, vertical, shaded cliffs, at an altitude range of 500-700 meters above the sea level, where it grows in poor, mineral, acidic soils, originating from sandstones or quartzitic mother rocks.

Description:

Gasteria glomerata f. variegated is a dwarf plant, forming clumps of low-growing rosettes that may occupy all the available space in the pot or not. It is stemless, and shows a peculiar arrangement of the leaves called distichous, in which leaves are arranged in markedly opposite pairs, slightly curved downwards and tongue-shaped, highly decorative. They also have a slightly pronounced point at their tip, which in botany language is called “Mucrone”. Close to their tip, they might show a rough surface, due to a superficial layer of small warts. The variegated form is actually identical to the normal one, with the exception of the colour of its leaves. In the regular species, leaves are greyish-green to dark/dull green, with some brighter parts near the center of the rosettes. The variegated form, instead, shows longitudinal stripes of dark green, alternating with brighter green and creamy yellow stripes or broader parts of the leaves. This peculiarity is due to the incapacity of the leaf tissue to produce chlorophyll and it leads to an even higher decorative potential of the variety.
The inflorescence is really striking: if the whole plant doesn’t exceed a height of 4.5-5 centimeter, the elongated stalk that bears the flowers is much more taller: it reaches 20 centimeters in height. It shows a purplish tinge and a waxy superficial pruine to protect itself from heat and strong light. Flowes appear at its top, are regularly lined up and show a beautiful, coral pink tinge. They don’t have petals: the corolla is fused alltogether in a ampoule-shaped, slightly lobated single piece. The blooming season occurs in Spring.

Cultivation:

Gasteria glomerata f. variegated , like all Gasteria, is very easy to grow and resistant to drought: it requires little attention. These are our tips for growing:

Put it in a bright exposed, not exposed to direct sunlight: these may in fact cause reddish sunburns and spoil the coloured lizard-like pattern of the leaves.
We suggest to keep this plant always above 7 ° C however, in theory, if its substrate is maintained completely dry, it should be able to survive short frosts, down to -1ºC. By the way, As winter approaches, the safer solution is to put it indoors.
Water regularly in summer: once every 5-6 days will be ok. Gradually decrease the irrigation frequency in Autumn until stopping completely to water in winter.
The soil must be very well-draining. For example, you can use a mix of peat and sand or, alternatively, also a standard soil for cacti.
During the growing season, provide the plant with a specific fertilizer for succulents, diluting it with watering at half the doses written on the label.
Gasteria glomerata f. variegated is a slow-growing and long-lived plant. You can repot once every 3-4 years.

Propagation:

The easiest way to propagate your the Gasteria glomerata f. variegated is through the suckers produced abundantly at the base of the plant. You can also use the leaves as cuttings, but this is a more difficult method: either because they tend to rot or because, on the contrary, they dry up too much before being planted. Obviously, don’t use seeds to reproduce this plant, because seeds of hybrid cultivars are often sterile or produce weak plants, not genetically stable (this means that it’s impossible to foresee the aspect of the plantlet obtained: it can be very weak or a normal plant).

Curiosity:

The genus name “Gasteria” comes from the greek Gastèr, that means belly, stomach, which refers to the shape of the flower bell-shaped, reminds a small bag which then narrows towards the top.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
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