Adromischus

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Adromischus have a wide variety of leaf colors, shapes, and sizes. Some have very small stems, with the leaves sprouting from the base of the plant, while others have longer stems. Some even have stems and roots which get quite thick to form a caudex. Adros are fun to collect because they are fairly easy to care for, and they grow slowly and stay very compact so you can fit a large collection in a smaller space. Very few adromischus are commonly available, the vast majority are considered rare because they are slow growing and hard to find.

Care

Needs can vary a little bit between different types of Adromischus, but this general care guide applies to most of them.

Light – Full to part sun. Adromischus love tons of sun, but still need some protection if your area gets very hot. High light levels will bring out the varied colors, while in the shade they all tend to turn green.

Soil – Well draining gritty soil such as Vivid Root Bark Mix.

Water – Enjoy regular water year-round. Water deeply, then let them dry out before watering again.

Temperature – They can handle a brief frost, down to 25° F (USDA zone 9b). People in colder climates usually bring their plants inside with grow lights for the winter.

Propagation – Detached leaves will grow new plants. Lay the leaf on top of the soil, or stick the end that was attached to the stem into the soil. The length of time before a leaf roots varies between species. Some can take months. If the leaf still looks alive and not dried out or rotted, it probably will still root.

Blooms – Summer. They send up tall flower stalks which take a long time to produce tiny little flowers. I often cut off the flower stalks since they tend to get in the way and the flowers are not especially notable anyway.

Origin – Endemic to southern Africa

Mealybugs – Somewhat susceptible, though mealies seem to prefer other plants first. Signs of infestation are distorted new leaves and seeing the mealies or their white fluff where the leaves meet the stems.

Trouble spots – Some adromischus can take a long time to recover their roots after spending a long time in shipping (like for importing). However, they can usually recover even if it takes weeks or months.

Adromischus marianiae

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Adromischus cristatus – wavy leaf margins

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Adromischus filicaulis – narrow tubular leaves that come to a point, covered in prominant spots.

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Other adromischus

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Adromischus bloom – tiny nondescript flowers that take a very long time to develop.