Gasteria pillansii
| Light | Bright, filtered light; protect from harsh midday sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Sparingly; let the soil dry fully between waterings. A winter grower — water through the cooler months and keep dry in summer |
| Soil | Fast-draining, gritty mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Leaf cuttings, offsets and seed |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Gasteria pillansii is a long-lived South African succulent that keeps its leaves arranged in a flat, two-ranked (distichous) fan of strap-shaped leaves throughout its life, never forming the spiralling rosette that most of its relatives adopt as they mature. A tough, drought-hardy plant from the arid, winter-rainfall west of southern Africa, it is a rewarding and forgiving member of the genus Gasteria.
Description
Gasteria pillansii forms low, compact clumps of thick, strap-shaped leaves held in a single flat plane, giving a distinctly fan-like or two-ranked (distichous) silhouette. Unlike many gasterias, which begin life distichous and later twist into a rosette, this species retains its fan arrangement for its whole life, a trait that makes it easy to recognise. The leaves are firm and dark green, mottled with paler whitish spots often set in rough transverse bands, and edged with a hard, minutely toothed (tuberculate) pale margin; they store water well against long dry spells.
In time the plant offsets freely from the base — often from short underground stolons — to build up a tight cluster. In summer it sends up a slender, arching flower spike bearing the pendent, stomach-shaped (hence Gasteria) tubular flowers typical of the genus, usually pinkish to red at the swollen base and greenish at the tips. Individual heads stay small and low to the ground, though old plants can build into a broad clump.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the arid, winter-rainfall west of southern Africa, ranging from around Clanwilliam in the Western Cape northwards through Namaqualand and into southern Namibia — further north-west than any other Gasteria, and the only purely winter-rainfall member of the genus. It grows in Succulent Karoo vegetation, where plants typically shelter among rocks or beneath low shrubs on cooler south- and east-facing slopes, shaded from the fiercest sun. In these habitats they endure long dry periods and rely on their thick leaves for water storage.
Cultivation
Gasteria pillansii is an excellent beginner's succulent: undemanding, tough and tolerant of neglect. Grow it in a gritty, very free-draining mix in a snug pot, and give it bright but filtered light. Some shade from intense midday sun keeps the leaves dark and unblemished, as too much direct sun can bleach or scorch them, while too little light leads to weak, stretched growth.
Water thoroughly only once the soil has dried out, then wait; the plant needs far less water than most houseplants and rots easily if kept damp. Because it is a winter grower, give it most of its water through the cooler growing months and keep it dry during its summer rest. Ease off in the coldest, darkest weeks and protect it from freezing, as it is not frost-hardy. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Gasteria pillansii is easily propagated. The simplest route is to remove the offsets it produces around the base and pot them up once any cut surface has callused; see Propagation — offsets. It can also be grown from leaf cuttings — a whole leaf removed cleanly and left to callus before being set on gritty mix will often root and form pups, as described in Propagation — cuttings. Seed is used chiefly for producing large numbers or for breeding, and is slower; see Propagation — seed. Because gasterias hybridise readily, seed-raised plants may not come true unless the flowers were controlled.
Common problems
- Rot — the usual cause of loss, from overwatering or a mix that holds moisture; the leaves soften and yellow from the base.
- Scorch and bleaching — too much direct sun pales or marks the leaves; move to brighter shade.
- Etiolation — insufficient light makes leaves thin, pale and stretched, spoiling the neat fan.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the leaf axils) and, less often, scale insects; see Pests and diseases.
See also
- Gasteria — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings · Repotting