Pleiospilos 'Royal Flush'
Pleiospilos 'Royal Flush is a selected cultivar of Pleiospilos nelii, the split rock or mimicry plant, distinguished by its unusual purple-flushed leaves. Where the typical species wears muted grey-green, 'Royal Flush' carries a wash of purple-to-burgundy pigment across its stubby paired leaves, and it is widely propagated in the succulent trade for that striking coloration.
Description
Like its parent, 'Royal Flush' forms a very compact plant of one or two pairs of thick, fleshy, semi-globular leaves that sit almost flush with the soil, mimicking a split stone. The defining trait is colour: under good light the leaf surfaces develop a purple to plum flush over the base grey-green, dotted with the small darker flecks characteristic of Pleiospilos nelii. The daisy-like flowers open in the afternoon and are the golden-yellow to orange typical of the species, standing out against the coloured foliage.
As with all Pleiospilos, the plant renews itself by drawing a new pair of leaves from between the old pair, which shrivel and are absorbed — so a healthy plant normally shows only one fresh set of leaves at a time.
Cultivation
Care follows the parent species; see Pleiospilos nelii for full detail. In short, grow it in a very gritty, fast-draining, mostly mineral mix, water sparingly, and let the soil dry completely between drinks. These are winter-growing mesembs from South Africa: give a little water in autumn through spring, and keep the plant dry and cool while it renews its leaves in summer. Overwatering — especially during leaf renewal — is the quickest way to lose one, causing the body to swell, split and rot.
One point specific to this cultivar: the purple flush is light-driven. Grow 'Royal Flush' in the brightest position you can give it, with only light protection from the fiercest afternoon sun. In dim conditions the plant etiolates, loses its compact stone-like form and fades back toward plain green, taking the prized colour with it. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation is as for the parent — mainly by seed, though colour is variable in seedlings, and by division of the occasional clustered plant.
See also
- Pleiospilos nelii — the parent species
- Pleiospilos — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation - seed