Scientific Name
Avonia quinaria (E.Mey. ex Fenzl) G.D.Rowley
Synonym(s)
Anacampseros quinaria, Avonia quinaria subsp. quinaria
Scientific Classification
Family: Anacampserotaceae
Genus: Avonia
Origin
The native range of Avonia quinaria is from south-eastern Namibia to Bushmanland and north-eastern Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
Description
Avonia quinaria, also known as Anacampseros quinaria, is a dwarf many-branched succulent with a flat-topped underground caudex and a crown of short slender branches with tiny leaves hidden by triangular to broadly ovate scales darkening towards the tip. It grows up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) tall. The caudex is fleshy to somewhat woody and up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
The solitary flowers are pink, up to 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) across, and appear at the tips of the branches in summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Although regarded as a choice and difficult plant, it is relatively easy to grow in cultivation. Avonias grow very slowly and require careful cultivation. Clustering in cultivation, if grown correctly, will reward the grower with generous displays of tiny flowers. These plants grow well at moderate to cooler temperatures in partial sun. Bright light enhances leaf colors and makes for a compact plant. Depending on the species, they enjoy gritty, free-draining soil with added organic material and low to moderate watering.
The seeds germinate quickly at temperatures between 59 and 70 °F (15 and 21 °C). In cultivation, the young plants develop much quicker than in their natural surroundings, where they do not get an ample water supply. Generally, they are not easy to raise from seed as too much water kills them immediately, which also happens when they are not watered.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Avonia.
Subspecies
Links
- Back to genus Avonia
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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