Glottiphyllum
Family: Aizoaceae
Habitat: South Africa
Cultivation: Be careful to the sun: this plant needs a lot of light, but taking care to get used to it gradually. The direct sun is fine, but not the one that filtered from the glass. Watering carefully and fertilize only in spring and sparingly.
Curiosity: The name of glottiphyllum comes from greek and literally means, ” tongue shaped leaf” (“Glotta” stands for tongue, “phyllum” stands for leaf). It is characterized, in fact, by long, fleshy leaves, that can remind elongated tongues.
Glottiphyllum Key Features
The plants of the genus glottiphyllum are small characterized by long fleshy leaves, oblong, sometimes wider or more cylindrical, depending on the species: it is the shape of the leaves that gives the name to this genre. The stems are short, not particularly hard, and give the plant a drooping posture: the plant is well suited in fact to be grown in hanging baskets or pots, from which the long leaves fall down with a very pleasant decorative effect. The flowers are yellow, shaped like a daisy and rather large; the bloom is in winter and the flowers tend to open only in the late afternoon. The length of the leaves, which gives the measure of the plant as a whole, since it is the most visible part, can reach 10-12 cm.
Variety and Types
The species of glottiphyllum are all over 21; they are rather easy to hybridize, multiplying, in this way, the varieties available for the lovers. We have below listed the main species or the most widespread on the market; we remind you that you will find several of them in our online shop, in the section dedicated to glottiphyllum.
- Glottiphyllum compressum
- G. depressum
- G. fragrans
- G. linguiforme
- G. oligocarpum
- G. parvifolium
- G. peersii
- G. pygmaeum
- G. regium
- G. suave
- G. velutinum
TIPS FOR GROWING
These are our tips for growing glottiphyllum:
- This succulent wants an exposure as much as possible brigth. If it grows outside, it can be put under the direct sun rays, but if it is cultivated in apartment, please avoid to leave it under the direct rays of the sun filtered by the glass during te summer season.
- The minimum temperatures, that glottiphyllum can tolerate, are 4-7 ° C; it is therefore recommended to shelter in winter.
- During the summer please proceed with scarce watering, average once a week and only when the soil is completely dry. In winter, however, they should be suspended completely. The state of the leaves (if they are shriveled or if, on the contrary, they show the first signs of rot) is a very good indicator to see if the amount of the supplied water is correct.
- Use a porous soil and very well-draining.
- Fertilize only during the growing season and sparingly using a fertilizer for succulent plants.
- The plant does not need to be repotted every year; when necessary, proceed with the repotting in spring and choose a pot slightly larger than the previous one.
The plant can multiply by seed by cuttings or division of clumps.
The sowing must be made during the spring, deposit the seeds in a bed of wet earth and sand and keep at a temperature of about 21 ° C until they have reached a sufficient development to be put on vessels. The individual plants are not self-fertile and so you need to have more specimens to obtain fertile seeds.
The cuttings or division of clumps instead should be done in summer.
