Scientific Name
Adenia glauca Schinz
Scientific Classification
Family: Passifloraceae
Subfamily: Passifloroideae
Tribe: Passifloreae
Genus: Adenia
Description
Adenia glauca is an attractive caudiciform succulent that starts forming a fat green trunk almost after seed germination and keeps getting fatter as it grows. It will attain a base that is 3.3 feet (1 m) wide with a vine that can run up to 10 feet (3 m). Leaves are pale grey-green to glaucous green. They are larger near the base of the stem and smaller near the tips. The creamy-green flowers are inconspicuous and produced in spring. The male and female flowers are borne on different plants.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 11a to 11b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Adenia plants are summer growers and can be watered and fed regularly if planted in fast-draining soil. Let the soil dry between watering if you are in a humid climate.
Most of your growth will be during the warm season, and the plant will have the most leaves. The plant will also grow best with the leaves exposed to bright light but the caudex shaded.
During the cool months, protect the plant from frost to keep it alive. The plant rests typically during this period, and water should be kept to a minimum. However, you can keep the plant active if you can keep it above 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).
Their sap is poisonous, and they should be handled with caution, particularly when pruning.
Most cuttings do not produce a caudex, so it is best to propagate by seeds. Adenias are either male or female, so one of each is required to produce seeds.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Adenia.
Origin
Native to South Africa.
Links
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