plover eggs

order: saxifragales
family: crassulaceae
genus: adromischus
species: cooperi

First Story

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2 june 2014

This plant has been in my collection since 2012. It took me sometimes to find out what it is because it wasn't labeled. Adromischus cooperi was named after Thomas Cooper, the botanist who collected it from Southern Africa. This plant grows short stems and branches freely in a compact cluster. Thick, fleshy and glossy leaves which are spirally arranged are greyish-green with darker green spots all over them. The appearance no doubt resembles plover eggs. Some undulation can be observed at the tips of the leaves.

I can see that it has multiple trunks and branches, but I'm not able to see the lines of growth clearly enough to count. All I observed is that the plant grows very absolutely slowly. Its leaves reduced in size since it came under my care. I think I hadn't fed it enough in those years. While I actually quite like those tiny leaves, I want to give it more water and food this season in the hope that it will grow into a bigger cluster more quickly.

It's suggested by many to keep it above 7°C and to only water it when temperature is even higher in order to avoid root rot. I keep it in my room all year round, meaning in the coldest part of the year it gets down to 16°C. With that I water it every once in a long while in winter and in summer I water at least twice a week. After the recent repot, watering it has been made very easy. The very sharp draining soil I use dries out fairly quickly, and the unglazed clay pot also improved evaporation rate, which is very good for the plant's health. Especially because gnats are a serious problem at my abode. I had lost quite a number of plants including taros and lithops to their babies. In order to reduce the risk of breeding, I added a thick layer of small granules at the top. All is going well so far.