Scientific Name
Cotyledon orbiculata 'Oophylla'
Common Name(s)
Lady Fingers, Round-leafed Navel Wort
Synonym(s)
Cotyledon orbiculata var. oophylla, Cotyledon 'Boegoeberg', Cotyledon 'Oophylla'
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Kalanchoideae
Genus: Cotyledon
Description
Cotyledon orbiculata 'Oophylla' is an attractive succulent subshrub with branched stems that bear grey-green leaves with a white, waxy covering and a dark purple mark at the rounded tip. It grows up to 6 inches (15 cm) tall and spreads into a colony. The leaves are opposite, somewhat egg-shaped, up to 2.2 inches (5.5 cm) long, up to 0.7 inches (1.8 cm) wide, and 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) thick. They take on a burgundy hue in full sun.
Clusters of pretty orange-red flowers appear in winter on short erect stalks rising above the foliage. The flowers are tubular with recurved petals and are usually about 0.8 inches (2 cm) long.
Origin
Cotyledon orbiculata 'Oophylla' is a popular cultivar of Cotyledon orbiculata. It originates from locations in Richtersveld and adjacent coastal regions in the Northern Cape province of South Africa and Sperrgebiet (for the synonym Cotyledon 'Boegoeberg') in southwestern Namibia, from where it was introduced to cultivation.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Cotyledons can be divided into two groups. One group consists of evergreen plants with a summer growing period. The other group is made up of deciduous plants, splendidly magnificent with large, solid fleshy stems. The second group grows during the winter and sheds its leaves during the summer.
Cotyledons require a free-draining gritty mix and plenty of sunlight. They tolerate cool, frost-free conditions during the winter if kept dry. Some require pruning to maintain an attractive shape.
Cotyledons should be kept in a sunny position. Follow general succulent watering procedures. Be careful of over-watering when they are deciduous.
As succulents go, Cotyledons certainly are the rewarding garden and indoor subjects, practically independent of irrigation in all but full desert conditions. However, they cannot survive poor light or bad drainage in the wet.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Cotyledon.
Links
- Back to genus Cotyledon
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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