Bulbine mesembryanthemoides
| Light | Bright light to some direct sun; keep it strong to hold the compact, windowed form |
|---|---|
| Water | Water in the cool growing season; keep dry when leaves retract and rest |
| Soil | Very gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Frost-free; a winter grower, keep above freezing (roughly USDA zones 9–11) |
| Propagation | Seed; occasional division |
| Toxicity | No toxicity reported for this species; species-specific data are limited |
Bulbine mesembryanthemoides is a dwarf, window-leaved succulent from South Africa, grown as a collector's oddity for its habit of pulling its one or two fat, translucent-tipped leaves down into the soil as it goes dormant. When plump and exposed the leaves show clear "windows" of soft tissue that let light reach the interior, an adaptation that has arisen independently in other succulents — from the related Haworthia, in the same family, to the unrelated living stones; the species belongs to the genus Bulbine in the family Asphodelaceae.
Description
Bulbine mesembryanthemoides is a small, tuberous-rooted succulent that typically carries just one or two leaves at a time. Each leaf is short, swollen and rounded, tapering to a flattened, semi-transparent window at the tip. In good condition the leaf sits partly above the soil with its window facing the sky, giving the plant its curious, half-buried look.
The plant is strongly seasonal. During its dry rest the leaves shrivel and contract downward until little more than the flush window remains at soil level, a behaviour that protects the tissue from heat and drought in habitat. In season it sends up slender stalks of small, star-shaped yellow flowers typical of the genus — often appearing around the time the leaves retract — each bloom with the fluffy, bearded stamens that distinguish Bulbine from its relatives.
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in the arid Succulent Karoo of western South Africa, extending east into the Little Karoo, growing among quartz gravel and other sparse, mineral soils in open, sunbaked ground. In these habitats it endures long dry periods by retreating below the surface, with only the translucent leaf windows exposed, and grows actively in the cooler, wetter part of the year. As a broadly winter-growing, summer-deciduous succulent, it times its cycle to the region's rainfall rather than to summer warmth.
Cultivation
This is a rewarding plant for growers who can respect its rhythm, and an easy one to lose if watered on the wrong schedule. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a deep pot that suits its tuberous root, and give it strong light — bright conditions with some direct sun keep the body compact and the windows tight against the soil. In weak light the leaves stretch, soften and lose their characteristic buried form.
Water during the cool growing season when the plant is in active leaf, letting the mix dry out well between drinks. As the leaves begin to shrivel and retract, taper off and keep the plant dry through its rest; watering a dormant, contracted plant is the surest way to rot the tuber. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the most reliable method and the usual way this species is increased; sow onto a warm, gritty surface and keep lightly moist until the tiny seedlings establish, then grow them harder as they size up. Established plants may occasionally be divided if they form more than one growing point. See Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough.
Common problems
- Rot — almost always from water given during dormancy or from a mix that holds moisture; the tuber and leaf base soften and collapse.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the leaves elongate and flop, and the plant loses its tidy, windowed habit.
- Failure to retract — a plant kept wet and warm out of season may refuse to rest properly; honour the dry period to keep it healthy.
- Pests — mealybugs can hide at the leaf base and around the roots; watch for the telltale white fluff.
See also
- Bulbine — the genus overview
- Haworthia — window-leaved relatives in the same family with a similar, independently evolved adaptation
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed