Scientific Name
Fockea comaru N.E.Br.
Synonym(s)
Brachystelma comaru, Fockea gracilis
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Tribe: Fockeeae
Genus: Fockea
Etymology
The specific epithet "comaru (koh-MAR-oo)" derives from the Khoisan languages, a unique group of African languages.
Origin
Fockea comaru is native to South Africa (Eastern Cape and Western Cape).
Description
Fockea comaru is a caudiciform succulent with a large tuber and annual thin branches that appear at the beginning of winter. The caudex is variable in shape, grey or brown, and can reach up to 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. The branches are erect, decumbent or climbing, and can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) long. The leaves are gray-green, narrow with recurved margins, measuring up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) long.
The flowers have five lance-shaped sepals and five narrow yellow-green to brown-green corolla lobes on a bell-shaped corolla tube. They appear in spring and summer.
How to Grow and Care for Fockea comaru
Light: These plants prefer partial shade. They can tolerate full sun but need a little sun protection during the hottest part of the day.
Soil: A fast-draining soil mix is the best soil for your Fockea to drain excess water.
Hardiness: Fockea comaru can withstand temperatures as low as 25 to 50 °F (-3.9 to 10 °C), USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11b.
Watering: During the growing season, from spring to fall, water regularly and allow the soil to dry between waterings. Reduce watering in the winter. Water it only enough to prevent the shriveling of the tuber.
Fertilizing: Feed with high-nitrogen fertilizer with a lower potassium level only during the growing season to force tuber growth.
Propagation: Fockea plants are relatively easy to grow from seeds. They are dioecious, so both male and female plants are needed to produce seeds. Vegetative propagation is difficult to impossible.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Fockea.
Toxicity of Fockea comaru
Fockeas are known as food plants, but the tuber has milky sap, which is said to be poisonous. Avoid contact with skin or eyes, and keep away from children and pets.
Links
- Back to genus Fockea
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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