Deuterocohnia is a genus of plants in the family Bromeliaceae endemic to South America. Plants once described as belonging to the genus Abromeitiella have been reevaluated and reclassified within Deuterocohnia following modern DNA analysis. The generic name honors Ferdinand Julius Cohn, a German botanist and bacteriologist.
The genus comprises a few generally mat-forming succulents from Argentina and Bolivia. They are rosette-forming terrestrial Bromeliads with heavily spined leaf margins. The flowers are green and inconspicuous and appear on a short inflorescence. These plants do not die after flowering and often rebloom on the same flower spike. The sizes range from the tiny Deuterocohnia brevifolia, only a few inches across, to huge plants with broad leaves.
Growing Conditions
Light: Deuterocohnias need full sun to light shade.
Water: These plants are very drought tolerant but do best with average water during spring and summer. They do not like to have water on leaves in cold weather. Limit water during the winter.
Soil: Grow your Deuterocohnia in well-drained, humus-rich soil.
Temperature: Hardy down to 20 °F (-7 °C).
Propagation
Pests and Diseases
Fungal rots from overwatering in poor draining soils.
Grower's Tips
Deuterocohnias are perennial Bromeliads that form interesting mounding ground covers. They grow very slowly into a tight cushion-shaped colony. In their native environments, they are watered perhaps only twice a year, obtaining most of their moisture from the air itself. They can obtain extra moisture from ocean fogs that roll in.
These plants are nice for a small-scale groundcover in rock, cactus, or succulent gardens. These Bromeliads make interesting plants in containers.
Grow your Deuterocohnia in well-drained humus-rich soil with added pebbles, perlite, hardwood bark, or other material to facilitate drainage. Keep in bright light or part sun and water moderately in spring and summer, letting the soil dry between waterings. Limit water during the winter. Deuterocohnias are probably one of the cold hardiest of the Bromeliads, but detesting winter wet on its foliage proves difficult to keep outside.
Links
- Back to genus Deuterocohnia
- Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus