Scientific Name
Conophytum meyeri N.E.Br.
Synonym(s)
Conophytum meyeri var. meyeri
Scientific Classification
Family: Aizoaceae
Subfamily: Ruschioideae
Tribe: Ruschieae
Genus: Conophytum
Description
Conophytum meyeri is a dwarf, freely branching succulent that forms domed or straggly cushions of well-fused leaf-pairs. It can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. The leaf-pairs are heart-shaped with rounded or sometimes keeled apex, measuring up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) in diameter. They are grayish to pale grey-green, smooth or shortly papillate, sometimes with red keel lines, and fissure zone flanked by small, windowed patches.
The showy flowers are solitary, scentless, diurnal, daisy-like, and have yellow, rarely white, never pink, often drooping petals and with a prominent perianth tube. They appear in the fall.
Origin
Conophytum meyeri is native to South Africa. It grows on gneiss or quartzite slopes, often in shade in the Northern Cape province.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35 °F (+1.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Most Conophytums need bright light but do not like too much intense sunlight. To avoid sunburn, place them in a position to receive a few hours of full sun in cooler periods of the day.
These plants thrive best in a porous growing medium that will drain quickly. Use a commercial succulent soil specially designed for growing succulents or make your own mix.
When Conophytums go dormant in the spring, they require little or no water. In the fall, when plants will begin growing, it is safe to water deeply, allowing the soil to dry before watering again.
Conophytums are light feeders and do not need fertilizer at all if they are repotted every two years. It is best to feed at the beginning of the growth period and just before flowering.
These succulents will benefit from repotting. Depending on the pot's size and growth rate, they typically need to be repotted every 2 to 4 years. The best time to repot a Conophytum is at the beginning of a period of active growth.
Conophytums are easily propagated by division. They can also be grown from seeds.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Conophytum.
Links
- Back to genus Conophytum
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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