Our February box featuring Anacampseros Telephiastrum, Crassula Ovata Obliqua Jade Plant, Lavender Scallops Kalanchoe, Crassula Baby Necklace, Tillandsia Harrisii.
1. Anacampseros Telephiastrum
Anacampseros Telephiastrum 'Sunrise' is a dense mat and caudex forming succulent up to inches (15 cm) tall, with lanceolate shaped green, bright pink and yellow or cream colored leaves.
They can be grown compact as rosettes, but with time they start go grow longer and longer and offsetting to create a dense mat or trail over the edge of pots. With age they also can form a small caudex as the base of the plant, but because of how very slow growing they are this takes a very long amount of time.
Flowers are pink and up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) in diameter and appear in afternoon in summer.
Anacampseros grow well in partial sun with bright light enhancing the leaf colors and keeping them compact.
They require a gritty free-draining soil with added organic material and low to moderate watering. The beautiful caudiciform species are prone to rot and should be watered very sparingly.
Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer during the growing season diluted to one-fourth potency and mix into the watering can for application. Anacampseros is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small. It look fine in a cold greenhouse and frame. It do well outdoors in raised beds and terraces as well.
2. Crassula Ovata Obliqua Jade Plant
Crassula Ovata Obliqua (Jade Plant), also known as Lucky Plant or Money Tree, is native to South Africa, is a succulent shrub that can reach 4-6 feet tall. Its shiny leaves have pointed tips and sprout from thick branches and can flush royal purple at the edges when exposed to direct sun.
White star-like flowers bloom in clusters within the foliage in the fall.
Full sun to partial shade.
Well-Drained, Porous, Gritty. Optimal pH is around 6.0 (slightly acidic).
Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch, then let drain completely. Avoid letting water sit for too long in the soil to prevent rot and fungal diseases. Reduce watering in the winter.
Feed with a controlled-release fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season.
3. Lavender Scallops Kalanchoe
Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi, or Lavender Scallops Kalanchoe is a small succulent that grows shrubs of up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall. Its stems spread out and root along the ground to form large colonies with fleshy gray-green leaves with a cream color along the scalloped leaf margins. These thick leaves also have lavender-tinged edges.
In late spring to early summer, bell-shaped reddish-brown flowers bloom in loose clusters from upright stems.
Full Sun.
Porous and Well-Drained potting soil.
Water thoroughly only when soil is dry to the touch, then let drain completely.
Keep out of reach of pets and small children because this plant is toxic when ingested.
4. Crassula Baby Necklace
Crassula Baby Necklace is a special plant which has small rounded and tightly stacked leaves. It has many colors similar to a string of beads on a necklace. Therefore, it is also known as ‘String of Buttons’, with Crassula rupestris ssp.
It can grow up to 6″-12″ (tall). Crassulas are commonly grown in the quartz stone fields.
They have wonderful trailing stems for hanging baskets. They can grow up so fast in succulent's garden or window sill.
Produces yellow flowers in the fall.
Full Sun, Sun to Partial Shade, Light Shade.
Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch, then let drain completely. Avoid letting water sit for too long in the soil to prevent rot and fungal diseases.
Porous and well-drained. Optimal pH is around 6.0 (slightly acidic).
Average summer temperatures from 65ºF/18ºC to 70ºF/21ºC are ideal. In winter, it can survive temperatures as low as 50ºF/10ºC
Feed with a controlled-release fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season.
You can propagate Crassula Baby Necklace by division, offsets or leaf cuttings. The easiest way is to propagate from a single leaf: put the leaf in a succulent or cacti mix, then cover until it sprouts.
5. Tillandsia Harrisii
Tillandsia harrisii is a very unique looking air plant up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. It has a relatively long stem, with the leaves usually directed to one side, and curled in a dense rosette.
The inflorescence is comprised of five to nine spirally arranged flowers, with orange to red floral bracts and blue-violet petals.
Bright indirect sunlight.
No soil is needed. Sand, sea glass, rocks, pebbles & bark chip can be used instead of soil.
Frequent misting several times a week is necessary. Tillandsia Harrisii will also benefit from a soaking bath every week. Give it a little shake off afterwards to make sure water doesn't collect in the bottom leaves to prevent rot.
