XGraptosedum 'California Sunset'
×Graptosedum 'California Sunset is a popular hybrid succulent grown for its pointed, fleshy leaves that flush warm shades of orange, apricot and rose-pink, borne in loose rosettes on stems that lengthen and trail as the plant matures. It belongs to the nothogenus xGraptosedum, the intergeneric crosses between Graptopetalum and Sedum, and is generally attributed to a cross of Graptopetalum paraguayense with Sedum adolphii. Its care follows that of the parent genera.
Like most ×Graptosedum cultivars, 'California Sunset' is prized for the way its colour shifts with the seasons and with light: cooler, brighter conditions bring out the strongest oranges and pinks, while shade fades the rosettes toward a plain blue-green.
Description
'California Sunset' forms open rosettes of thick, pointed leaves. The leaves carry a light waxy bloom (a natural farina) and range from apricot and coral to orange-pink, deepening at the tips and edges when the plant is grown hard in bright light and cool temperatures. In lower light the colour reverts to a muted green.
As with other ×Graptosedum, the rosettes sit at the ends of stems that elongate over time, so an older plant tends to sprawl or spill over the rim of its pot rather than staying tight and low. Small, star-shaped white to pale flowers may appear in spring. The stems root readily wherever they touch the soil, and dropped leaves often strike on their own.
Cultivation
Care is as for the parent genera — grow it much as you would a Sedum or Graptopetalum. Give it the brightest light you can, ideally some direct sun, which is what drives the warm colouring; too little light produces pale, stretched, green rosettes with long gaps between the leaves. Plant in a free-draining, mostly mineral mix and water only when the soil has dried, easing off in winter. It is not frost-hardy and should be kept above freezing.
Because the stems lengthen and trail, many growers periodically behead the rosettes and re-root them to keep the plant compact, using the leftover stem and its offsets to bulk up the pot. See Watering and Repotting for general technique. The soft leaves bruise and lose their bloom if handled, so move the plant by the pot where possible.
Propagation is easy: root stem cuttings or beheaded rosettes after letting the cut end callus, or lay fallen leaves on the soil surface to strike. See Propagation — cuttings and Propagation — offsets.
Common problems
- Etiolation — the most common complaint; insufficient light stretches the stems, widens the leaf spacing and washes the colour out to green.
- Rot — from overwatering or a soil that holds moisture; the stems soften and blacken at the base.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff tucked among the leaves) and the occasional aphid on flower stalks.
See also
- xGraptosedum — the parent nothogenus overview
- Graptopetalum · Sedum
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets