Conophytum wettsteinii
| Light | Bright, filtered light; avoid harsh midday summer sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Water in autumn and winter growth; keep dry through summer dormancy |
| Soil | Very free-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Frost-free; a cool, dry winter rest suits it best (USDA zones 9b–11) |
| Propagation | Seed and division of clumps (see Propagation — seed, Propagation — offsets) |
| Toxicity | Not known to be toxic to cats or dogs |
Conophytum wettsteinii is a small, clump-forming succulent from southern Africa in the Conophytum genus. Each plant body is a neat "cono" whose spotted top carries translucent windows, and in the cooler months it produces cheerful diurnal (day-opening) flowers in shades of magenta to pale pink, occasionally white.
Description
Conophytum wettsteinii consists of paired, fused leaves that form a firm, broad-topped body only a couple of centimetres across. The green to blue-green upper surface is marked by a small fissure and dotted with darker, semi-translucent spots — windows that let light into the leaf interior, a common adaptation among window-leaved mesembs. With age a single head divides and re-divides to build up a tidy, cushion-like clump of many bodies.
The flowers open by day rather than at night, appearing from the top fissure in autumn to early winter. They are typically magenta to pale pink, occasionally white, with the fine, strappy petals characteristic of the genus. As with other conos, each body sheds its old skin once a year, the new body emerging from within the papery remains of the last season's growth.
Distribution and habitat
Like most of its genus, C. wettsteinii is native to the arid winter-rainfall Northern Cape of South Africa, in the Richtersveld and northern Namaqualand around Steinkopf. There it grows in rocky, mineral ground — forming cushions on granite outcrops (sometimes among moss) and in quartz fields — where it endures long, hot, dry summers and receives most of its moisture in the cooler months. The mottled, windowed bodies blend into the surrounding rock, sheltering the plant from both sun and grazing.
Cultivation
Conophytum wettsteinii is grown much like other Conophytum and follows the same seasonal rhythm: it is a winter grower that rests in summer. The single most important thing to get right is the watering cycle. Keep the plant dry and shaded through the heat of summer while it is dormant; as the weather cools in late summer to autumn and the old sheaths split, gradually resume watering to bring it into active growth and flower.
Grow it in a shallow pot of very free-draining, mostly mineral mix, in bright but filtered light — enough to keep the bodies compact and well-coloured, but with protection from scorching summer sun. Water thoroughly during the growing season only once the mix has dried, and stop as the plant heads back into dormancy. Overwatering, especially in summer, is the usual cause of loss. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The species is easily propagated by division: an established clump can be lifted at the start of the growing season and teased apart into rooted or semi-rooted heads, which are then potted individually. It can also be raised from seed, sown onto a fine mineral surface and kept humid and cool through the winter growing months. See Propagation — seed and Propagation — offsets for full walkthroughs.
Common problems
- Rot — almost always from watering during summer dormancy or from a slow-draining mix; bodies go soft, translucent and mushy.
- Failure to shed cleanly — too much water at the wrong time can cause bodies to stack old sheaths or grow lax; keep the summer rest genuinely dry.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the bodies stretch, pale and lose their neat form.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff between and beneath the bodies) and, in dry stagnant air, spider mites are the usual culprits. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Conophytum — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets · Pests and diseases