Thursday 27 February 2014

Haworthia


I’m absolutely crazy about cacti and succulents and never miss a chance to lay my hands on a new specimen not yet in my collection. This is Haworthia minima and I am thrilled that it's now making a pup!


Haworthias are small succulent plants native to South Africa. They are closely related to Aloe, Gasteria, Kniphofia, Poellnitzia and Astroloba.

Haworthias in the wild grow in Southern Africa. They are relatively small (pot sized) plants that are classified as succulent – which means that they can cope with relatively harsh waterless hot environments. Their leaves are swollen to store water and may be green or attractively coloured. They are however not frost hardy, which means that for cultivation they need either a sunny windowsill or preferably a greenhouse.


Haworthias are grown for their shape and markings. There are many different types (or species). Some collectors also grow hybrids, which are crosses between two or more plants and are selected for their attractiveness. In many cases they multiply by producing “pups” or offsets and may also be grown from seed.
Info from the Haworthia Society


Another Haworthia in my collection



At the moment my Haworthias are outside but every winter I bring them in as the frost here in Tarlton can get quite severe.

I have just added two new Haworthias to my collection (below), given to me by a dear friend, Elizabeth Kendall, who also lives in Gauteng (South Africa). We exchange plants by post and these two survived a nightmare trip of almost 4weeks. The postal service was on strike and the parcel, posted on the 1st February, only arrived yesterday, 26th February. But, after lovingly planting them into a pot and giving them some water, they seem none the worse for the wear. Brave little plants!




::
 

.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...