Adromiscus is a large genus of succulent plants that are very popular lately and fit well into the interior. Attracts adromiscus with an unusual leaf shape. Like inflated pads have a wavy or smooth edge. Easy-to-care plants will delight owners with elegant beauty for a long time.
Plant description
Adromiscus translates as "thick stem", it belongs to the Tolstyankov family. The plant is most widely distributed in natural conditions in the south and south-west of Africa. This is a perennial herbaceous or shrub plant with a creeping stem. The maximum height of the bush is 15 cm.
The stem often has a contrasting terracotta hue and is covered with aerial roots, so in the photo the adromiscus sometimes resembles small palm trees. Aerial roots are designed to receive moisture and nutrients from the air. The roots of the plant are very thin, filiform, require special attention during transplantation and care.
The foliage of adromiscus is very thick, fleshy, can have a plain green or variegated color. Leaflets are round or triangular in shape and are fixed on a dense, short petiole. Elongated leaves reach a width of 5 cm with a thickness of 1 cm. In some varieties, leaf rosettes are formed. Blooms adromiskus white-pink tubular flowers. An inflorescence in the form of an ear has a long, fleshy peduncle.
Varieties of Hadromiscus
According to various data in nature, there are from 50 to 70 species of adromiscus. Only some of them are grown in the culture. Before you buy Adromiscus, it is worth exploring the features of each variety and choosing the most interesting option.
Popular types are as follows:
Adromiscus Cooper. Miniature succulent with dark green leaves, covered with brownish spots. The sheet plate is smooth, with a glossy surface, has an oval shape and a wavy edge. The leaf is 5 cm long. Pink, tubular flowers with five fused petals are located along a long, fleshy peduncle. The size of one flower is 1.5 cm.
Adromiscus Pelnitz. A plant with strongly branched short stems from the base. The height of an adult bush does not exceed 10 cm. The leaves have the shape of an inverted triangle. Gradually expanding, smooth edge, covered with whitish, very short villi. Fleshy, nondescript inflorescences are 40 cm long and have a creeping character. The flowers are white-green, small.
Adromiscus Schuldianus differs from other representatives of the genus in leaf color. They are covered with a monophonic blue-gray film and have an ovoid shape. The edge is slightly pointed and curvy, has a red or burgundy stripe.
Adromiscus Spotted differs in a more stable, upright stalk about 10 cm high. The plant weakly branches from the base and is covered with round or oval foliage. Green leaf blades have oval burgundy spots. The leaf length is 5 cm, and the width is 3 cm. The flowers are collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence and have a reddish-brown border.
Adromiscus triple reaches a length of 10 cm, has short stems and elongated leaves. The latter are pointed to the edge and have reddish spots that are collected at the upper extremity of the leaf. The length of the leaves is 4-5 cm, and the width is 3-4 cm. The flower tube is whitish at the base, becomes brownish red towards the edge.
Adromiscus cristatus or crested - a small shrub up to 15 cm high. It differs by a wavy outer edge of the leaves. Inverted triangle foliage has a light green hue. The ground part is covered with whitish villi. Leaflets reach 2-5 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width. The greenish-white flowers along the edge have a pink border.
Reproduction and transplantation
Adromiscus propagates vegetatively. Spring is best suited for this procedure. It is enough to cut individual leaves from an adult plant, dry them in the air for several hours and put them in a prepared substrate. A mixture of coarse river sand, peat and vermiculite is excellent for succulents. You can use a ready-made soil mixture for cacti and other succulents. After a month, the young plant will have its own roots, and it will begin to actively develop.
It is best to keep adromiscus in sufficient, but not too large containers. When the pot is small, you can transplant the plant into a new container. Do this in the spring very carefully so as not to damage the delicate root system. Pebbles for drainage are laid at the bottom, and then the soil mixture is poured. It is important not to deepen the stem of hadromiscus too much so that the process of decay does not begin.
Care Rules
Having bought adromiscus, home care is not difficult to master. This flower even loves to be forgotten sometimes, rather than surrounded by constant care. The inhabitant of the African wasteland prefers bright sun and limited moisture. In summer, the optimum temperature is +30 ° C. However, place plants on the windowsill with caution. The sun without access to fresh air can cause leaf burns. In winter, cooling is allowed to + 10 ... +15 ° C, if the temperature drops to +7 ° C, the plant may die.
It is undesirable to spray the leaves, they perfectly tolerate the dry air of the heated rooms, but droplets of water will lead to decay or sunburn. All damaged leaves should be removed immediately so that the disease does not spread further.
Adromiscus should be watered rarely enough so that the soil has time to completely dry. It is better to pour liquid into a pallet or at a distance from a sheet outlet. The accumulation of water droplets leads to leaf disease. In the cold period, watering is done once a month or even less. Since mid-April, you can monthly feed bushes with mineral fertilizers for cacti.
Possible problems and solutions
Adromiscus has good resistance to diseases and pests. Some inconveniences can be caused by a spider mite, aphid or mealybug. If damage or the finest cobweb is found, insecticides (confidor, actara) should be treated immediately. Sometimes it is enough to wipe the affected areas with a cotton swab dipped in a soap or alcohol solution.
Cracked leaves indicate an excess of watering. Too flooded, it can begin to rot. If you managed to notice the problem right away, there is a chance to save the entire bush by removing only single processes. In a more severe case, you will have to cut off several healthy leaves for propagation, and throw out the rest of the soil.
If the stem begins to stretch very much, and the lower leaves fall off, then the adromiscus does not have enough light. It is necessary to rearrange the pot on the south window. If this is not possible, it is worth using a special lamp.
Using
Adromiscus can be used as an independent plant in small pots. They look very decorative on window sills or tables. From several varieties in the company with other succulents, you can create a large composition and even arrange a succulent garden.
