Crassula tecta
South Africa has many tiny species of Crassula, as well as larger ones such as the Jade Tree. This one is named Crassula tecta, and it is native to the Little Karoo region, and eastward as far as Steytlerville. The first photo shows a plant in flower, with its balls of tiny flowers atop slender stalks. The second photo shows the extraordinary texture of the chubby leaves, looking as though they were encrusted with salt. The third photo is a close-up of the flowers – note that the whole cluster is less than a centimeter across.
-Brian
Tag: ruthbancroftgarden
Fenestraria rhopalophylla
This wonderful little succulent from the Ice Plant Family (Aizoaceae) has been given the common name of “Baby Toes”. The leaves are narrow at their bases, enlarging toward the tips, which have translucent “windows”. In nature, plants are buried in the sand, with only the windows exposed. This way they are shielded against the persistent winds off the Atlantic Ocean, and also gain some protection from nibbling animals. From near the mouth of the Orange River, on the border between Namibia and South Africa. Plants from the Namibian side of the river have white flowers, while those from South Africa have golden-yellow flowers.
-Brian
Aloiampelos tenuior (Aloe tenuior var. rubriflora)
Aloe tenuior is one of the so-called “scrambling aloes”, with lots of slender stems, and these have recently been moved into their own genus – Aloiampelos, though this name is not yet well-known. Like its relative Aloiampelos/Aloe ciliaris, it climbs up through bushes, using them for support, and in cultivation it can be tied to a trellis or trained along a fence or a wall if desired. The usual flower color is yellow, and the red-flowered form was named Aloe tenuior var. rubriflora, but many botanists do not consider the difference in flower color significant enough to be deserving of a different variety. From South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.
-Brian
Cyrtanthus herrei
We have grown this bulb for quite a few years, and it has finally decided to honor us with flowers. It belongs to the Amaryllis Family, and comes from southern Africa, straddling the border between South Africa and Namibia. This is a hot and dry area, with the rainfall (very little of it!) coming mostly in winter. The flowers are wonderful, but even without them the bulb is attractive with its strap-like twisting blue-green leaves.
-Brian
Lapidaria margaretae
There are many plants in the Ice Plant Family (Aizoaceae) which bloom in the fall and winter months. This one is Lapidaria margaretae, native to the area called Bushman Land, on the border between South Africa and Namibia. This is an inland region, lying along the boundary between the winter-rainfall area to the west, and the summer-rainfall area to the east. A Lapidaria plant looks like a porcelain sculpture, with its pallid fat sculptural leaves, and it seems like a miracle when the large yellow flower pops out.
-Brian
Yucca capensis
There are many species of Yucca which flower in the spring and summer months, but few that come into bloom in the fall, as Yucca capensis does. The name “capensis” means “coming from the cape”, and the cape referred to is the tip of Baja California, where it grows in the Sierra La Laguna, to the north of Cabo San Lucas. The waxy white flowers are pollinated by moths, as with other species of Yucca.
-Brian
Eremophila glabra ‘Minengew Gold’
Eremophila glabra is a shrub in the Myoporum Family (Myoperaceae) with a broad area of occurrence in Australia. It has many forms, with varying heights and flower colors, and one of them is named “Minengew Gold’, after a town in Western Australia. It spreads out horizontally rather than growing upright, and has attractive yellow flowers. It begins blooming in the fall, and continues through the winter months to spring.
-Brian
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