Lapidaria

Gender: Lapidaria Family Aizoaceae
Habitat: Namibia
Cultivation: Like other aizoaceae, they want abundant but not frequent watering. The temperature should remain above 10 ° C.
Curiosity: The name comes from Latin lapidem, ie stone, and in fact this plant has much to do with stones. According to some, it is called for the marble color of some specimens. According to others, for the general look, which recalls the stones. Finally, it grows in rocky terrains and is often surrounded by quartz stones. The Lapidary genus includes a single species, Lapidaria margaretae.

LAPIDARIA KEY FEATURES

Coming from the arid deserts of southern Namibia, Lapidaria is a succulent dwarf, cultivated for ornamental purposes for its lively flowers and the particular shape of the leaves. The leaves are in fact the part of the plant that gives it its characteristic appearance: triangular section, dense and wide, give the impression of a series of stones leaning against each other (accentuated by very clear color and becoming even clearer if the plant is exposed to the sun. There are stem and branches, but they are short and remain virtually hidden under the leaves.

When, late in the spring / summer, the flowers blossom, they are the protagonists. Each plant produces yellow or orange and daisy-shaped flowers. They reach about 5 cm in diameter, more than the length reached by the leaves, hiding much of the plant from which they sprouted.

Usually Lapidaria grow in small groups, side by side, and are particularly used to enrich succulent compositions.

VARIETIES AND TYPES

As already written, the only species belonging to this genus is Lapidaria margaretae, which can also be found in our online shop in the “Lapidaria” section.

TIPS FOR CULTIVATION

Here are our tips for growing the Lapidaria margaretae:

Place the plant in full sunlight or anyway in a very bright place
The minimum temperature must remain above 6 ° C.
The plant is abundantly watered in spring and autumn. The individual watering must be abundant, but scarce: between each other the soil needs to dry completely. Either in summer and winter, watering should be lighter because the plant is in vegetative rest.
For lapidaria, standard soil ,for succulent plants, can be used, as always leaving a draining layer on the bottom of the vessel.
Fertilization can be scarce: once a month from April to September with a succulent product.

The lapidary is small and lives little: there is no need to repot it.

Lapidarium reproducess by seed. Bury in a mixture of peat and sand in equal parts and keep at 20 ° C and wet the ground until the seedling is not strong enough to be repotted.

GO TO SHOP

Official Web Site:
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Tips:
<a href=”https://www.giromagicactusandsucculents.com/tips-and-advice/”>Read our advice</a>

Lapidaria, Namibia