Pachyphytum is a miniature ornamental plant from the family Crassulaceae. The genus of this elegant succulent is widespread in Mexico, and some species are found in the southern United States. Teardrop-shaped leaves of green or gray-blue color resemble pebbles. Not surprisingly, pachyphytum is also called the "moonstone."
Plant description
Pachyphytum is a rhizome perennial. The root system of the plant is very branched, but the roots themselves are thin. On the surface of the earth is a drooping or creeping stem with sparse aerial roots and lateral processes. The fleshy stems are very densely dotted with sessile or short-leaved leaves. The length of the stem can reach 30 cm. The leaves are grouped on the young parts of the shoot and gradually fall off at its base.
Leaflets are very thickened, they have a rounded or cylindrical shape. The end may be pointed or blunt. The leaf plates are painted in green, bluish or bluish hues and appear to be covered with velvet plaque.
From July to the end of September, pachyphytum blooms. It produces a long, erect or drooping peduncle with spike-shaped inflorescences. Miniature flowers in the shape of five-petalled bells are painted in white, pink or red. Sepals and petals also have a fleshy structure and velvety skin. Flowering is accompanied by a very delicate, pleasant aroma.
After flowering, small pods with small seeds ripen on pachyphytum. Seed setting is possible only in the natural environment, this process does not occur with home growing.
Types of pachyphytum
In the genus, 10 species of pachyphytum are registered, but only some of them are used in culture. The most popular are the following varieties.
Pachyphytum oviparous. The plant has creeping stems up to 20 cm long and about 1 cm thick. Bare branches at the base are covered with scars from fallen leaves. Rounded, fleshy (up to 1.5 cm) leaves are gray-blue in color. Sometimes the tips of the leaves become pinkish. The length of the leaf plate is 5 cm and the thickness is about 2 cm. In July-September, a peduncle with a bunch of white-pink bells blooms from the lower leaf sockets. The height of the direct peduncle is 20 cm.
Pachyphytum bract. The plant has lodging stems up to 30 cm long and 2 cm thick. The leaves are grouped at the top of the shoot into dense rosettes. Sheet plates are flattened and extended. The maximum leaf length is 10 cm and a width of 5 cm. The skin of the plant is covered with a silvery waxy coating. In August-November, a dense spike-shaped inflorescence blossoms on a long peduncle (40 cm). Flowers are painted red.
Pachyphytum is compact. The plant is very compact in size. The length of the stems does not exceed 10 cm. The shoots are completely covered with foliage. The cylindrical leaves are in the shape of grapes 4 cm long and 1 cm thick. The peel of the leaves is painted dark green and contains whitish wax stains resembling a marble pattern. Flowering occurs in mid-spring. On a long (up to 40 cm) peduncle, a small spike-shaped inflorescence with red-orange bell-shaped flowers blooms.
Pachyphytum lilac. The plant has shortened stems, covered with oblong foliage. Elongated, flattened leaves reach a length of 7 cm. The surface of the shoots and leaves is covered with a waxy coating with a purple hue. On a long, upright peduncle, a panicle of dark pink bells blooms.
Growing
Pachyphytum is propagated by seed and cuttings. Propagation by seeds will require more effort. Seeds are poorly germinated, therefore, only fresh material is used. For sowing, prepare a mixture of sheet soil and sand, which is placed in a flat box. Moisturize the soil and sow the seeds to a depth of 5 mm. The container is covered with a film and left in a room with an air temperature not lower than + 22 ° C. Every day the earth is ventilated for about half an hour and sprayed with water. After emergence, the shelter is removed. The grown seedlings without picking are transplanted into separate small pots.
To propagate pachyphytum in a vegetative way, use the lateral processes of the stem or individual leaves. They are cut with a sharp blade and left in the air for up to 7 days. The dried cuttings are only slightly buried in the sand and peat soil. If necessary, create a support. During rooting, moisten the soil very carefully. When the pachyphytum takes root and begins to produce new shoots, it can be transplanted into the ground for adult plants.
Care Rules
Caring for pachyphytum at home is extremely simple. This plant has a very unpretentious character. For planting, choose small pots, since succulent for the whole year will add only a few centimeters in length. There must be drainage holes in the pots, and a thick layer of expanded clay or pebble is poured on the bottom. For planting, a mixture of the following components is used:
- leaf soil;
- soddy soil;
- river sand.
You can take a ready-made substrate for cacti with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. Add peat is not recommended. Pachyphytum prefers depleted substrates. A transplant is best done in the spring every 1-2 years.
Pachyphytum needs bright and long-lasting lighting. He is not afraid of direct sunlight, but with a lack of light, the leaves can turn pale. Light is also needed to form flower buds.
The optimum air temperature in summer is + 20 ... + 25 ° C. On hotter days, it is recommended to ventilate the room more often or take the pot out onto the balcony. The winter period should be cooler. Pachyphytum is transferred to a room with a temperature of about + 16 ° C. It is important to remember that cooling to + 10 ° C and below is fatal to the plant.
Pachyphytum is watered very carefully. He is accustomed to periodic droughts, but an excess of moisture will lead to decay of the roots. Between watering the land should dry out by no less than a third.
Spraying the plant is also undesirable. Dry air is not a problem for succulents. Drops of water can leave marks and reduce the decorativeness of leaves.
From April to October, you can feed the plant several times with a mixture of cacti. It is important to ensure that the nitrogen salts in the fertilizer are at a minimum level, and potash components prevail. For a year it is enough to make 3-4 dressings. A powder or solution is added to water for irrigation.
Pachyphytum is not attacked by insects and is resistant to disease. The only problem can be root rot, which develops with excessive watering. It can be very difficult to save an adult plant, so when blackening the base of the stem, cuttings from healthy areas should be cut and rooted. The soil and damaged areas are destroyed, and the pot is disinfected.
