Cactus and Succulents - Part Sun

Aloe petricola

Medium stemless aloe with 2 ft. rosette. Will grow moderately spiny. From rocky, open grasslands of Northern South Africa. Blooms on an abundance of very tall racemes start off orange and open to yellow.

Aloe plicatilis

Kumara plicatilis

12ft in habitat (5ft. in Bay Area) with fan shaped leaf rosettes, a large thick stout trunk, and broad canopy.
Member of the Asphodelaceae

Habitat:
Restricted to mountainous regions in the Western Cape, South Africa, from northern Elandskloof to Southern Franschhoek. Grows in the winter rainfall region and is relatively coastal.

Cultivation:
These plants can do well in pots when small, but do best in the landscape where they can grow in to a beautiful focal point of any xeric garden. They should be planted in well draining soil, and appreciate winter water during their active growing season. These plants require much less water in the summer, when dormant, and a well-established plant may survive without summer irrigation. This makes them an ideal plant for our dry Mediterranean climate.

Aloe rupestris

Large upright tree aloe with large rosette and huge upright branched bloom sprays in winter covered in orange tubular flowers.

Aloe salm-dyckiana

A. arborescens x ferox hybrid

Can get 8ft. tall; branching inflorescence, red blooms.

 

Aloe speciosa

Single head tree to 12-15ft.; blue-green red-edged leaves.

Aloe suprafoliata

Large rosettes, deep scarlet flowers on a silvery bloom stalk. Often solitary. Leaves will recurve as they age.

Aloe variegata

Stemless elongated rosettes to 8″h., dark leaves w/bands of white spots

Aloinopsis malherbei

Family: Aizoaceae

Grows into small clumps of thick open green leaves with small tubercles at margins. Produces orange flowers in spring.

Habitat:
Found growing on shale slopes in the Northern Cape of South Africa

Cultivation:
These plants are from a winter rainfall area and therefore do well outdoors in our Mediterranean climate if grown in a highly inorganic well draining media such as pumice, and exposed to full sun for at least part of the day. Tends to be rot prone if grown in organic material. These plants can be used in rock gardens or landscapes if the soil is mounted and well draining (amending with 75% lava sand, or high-quality decomposed granite, can accomplish this). Reduce watering in summer.

Aloinopsis schooneesii

Small dense clumps of speckled blue-green leaves sit on large tuberous roots, which can be esposed over time to form an unusual bonsai. Yellow flowers in spring.

Ananas lucidus

Tropical terrestrial bromeliad in the Pineapple family; evergreen to 4’t.

Antimima fenestrata

Purple flowers on the branch tips. Forms dense mounds, grows in limestone outcrops.

Astroloba foliosa

2″ rosettes grow to 12″h.; pups at base; light-shade, protect from frost

Astrophytum asterias

Small solitary globular species, to 4″d.; yellow flowers; spineless areoles.

Astrophytum capricorne

4″d. to 8″h. with long and twisted spines, many yellow/red blooms. Highly varied patterning of white spots.

Astrophytum caput-medusae

Digitostigma caput-medusae

Rare, endangered. Short round stem with supersized horn-like spotted green tubercles. Yellow flowers. Grows in shaded spots among scrub plants. Fast grower. Growth season is March thru August. Can lose tubercles if too dry in summer.

Austrocylindropuntia verschaffeltii

Opuntia verschaffeltii

Shrubby to 12″; purple in full sun; small red blooms. Many low-growing wide-spreading green stems with purple leaves on new growth. Will form large clumps.

Avonia buderiana

Thin papery scales over tiny leaves; 2″l. stems; white flowers; dry, fast-draining soil