Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Gasteria Ox Tongues

The succulent above is from the Gasteria or Ox Tongue genus. I believe it is either a gasteria obtusa or gasteria brachyphylla. They are similar plants which are related to the Aloe. Gasterias come from southern or southwestern Africa and prefer some shade. Its flowers appear on stalks with branches that come from the center of the plant and are usually red or orange in color. The leaves, themselves, can be gray or green or spotted or variegated with bands. They should be kept dry in the winter and can withstand low temperatures for short periods of time. Little watering is necessary in the summer and it is better to err on the dry side.



Although I believe this plant is also a gasteria, I am unable to find the species' name. It is similar to a gasteria x or Blushing Star but the rosette has grown tall instead of staying squat like the pictures I have seen. On the left is a picture of it when still outside in the very warm shade. It turned red with the heat and a little shrivelled. I brought it inside when the temperatures began reaching 100 degrees and the green returned very quickly as you see in the picture on the right. I'm not sure if it is good or bad that the plant has grown up and spindly but it seems happy now.

No comments:

Post a Comment