Scientific Name
Astroloba herrei Uitewaal
Synonym(s)
Astroloba dodsoniana, Haworthia dodsoniana, Haworthia harlandiana, Tulista herrei
Scientific Classification
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Astroloba
Etymology
The specific epithet "herrei" (pronounced "HER-ray-eye") honors Hans Herre (1925-1962), a well-known botanist who collected succulents in the Namaqualand and Richtersveld areas of South Africa and in Namibia.
Origin
Astroloba herrei is native to South Africa. It grows in Karroid flats and slopes from Prince Albert to Uniondale in the Western Cape.
Description
Astroloba herrei is a small succulent with sharply pointed leaves densely arranged in 5 more or less distinct spiraled rows around the stems, forming columns up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) wide. The stems can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall, initially erect, ascending with age, and produce offsets from the base or higher up. The leaves are deep green, covered with a thin layer of wax and many narrow, darker, longitudinal lines. They are ovate, abruptly ending in a rather long, rigid, very sharp point, and can measure up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, up to 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) wide, and 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick.
The flowers are erect-spreading, white with yellow tepals, pale green midribs, sometimes slightly inflated below outer tepals, and appear in lax racemes in winter and spring. The peduncle is simple, erect, reddish brown, somewhat waxy, and with few bracts. It can reach up to 13.8 inches (34 cm) in height, including the racemes.
Astroloba herrei is easily mistaken for the closely related Astroloba spiralis, but can be distinguished by its flowers. Both have puffed-up, inflated flowers, but those of Astroloba herrei are smooth, unlike those of Astroloba spiralis, which have a wrinkled transversely rugose perianth.
How to Grow and Care for Astroloba herrei
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30°F (-1.1°C) to 50°F (10°C).
Astroloba plants are increasingly popular as succulent ornamentals due to the extraordinary beauty of their leaf structure. Some have intricate patterns of lines, margins, spots, and raised tubercles on their leaves. Nearly all of them display a crystal-like regularity in their leaf arrangement. This is not always apparent in wild plants, which are usually disfigured by their harsh habitats.
In cultivation, Astrolobas are at their best when given some protection from full sun. However, Astrolobas can become remarkably beautiful and ornate in semi-shade, with well-drained soil and gentle conditions.
Unfortunately, when conditions are not ideal, occasional leaves can die, shrivel, and turn brown along their stems. This is unfortunate because much of the plants' beauty comes from the intricate, crystalline pattern of their leaves. However, this disfigurement can be avoided by keeping the plants in optimal, fertile conditions – growing steadily and sheltered from stress.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Astroloba.
Links
- Back to genus Astroloba
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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