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- Adromischus cristatus var. clavifolius
Adromischus cristatus var. clavifolius
Ideally placed in a sunny location, but can tolerate partial shade.
Always water a few days after the substrate has dried out. Watering should be reduced in winter.
Can tolerate -3.9 °C in the short term. However, the plant is not hardy.
The variant clavifolius means nail and leaf. It refers to the characteristic shape of the leaf which, with a little imagination, resembles a nail.
Adromischus cristatus var. clavifolius, a succulent plant with nail-like leaves and a rusty hairy stem, is native to the Alexandria, Grahamstown and East London areas of the Eastern Cape.
Leaves are light green to grey-green, sometimes reddish at the tips and usually with tiny glandular hairs. The long, narrow leaves have wavy, horn-like apical margins that may resemble the outline of nails. Hence the name of the variant. The plant forms a dense clump of initially short stems that later branch. The stem is densely clothed with rust-coloured hairs that give the plant a unique appearance. Over time, Adromischus cristatus var. clavifolius grows up to 30 cm tall.
The flowers have white to pinkish petals. They appear on a stem up to 30 cm long and form inflorescences, usually lightly covered with hairs. Flowering takes place, depending on growing conditions, usually in spring.
It is an unpretentious plant with an atypical appearance. It has rusty hairs and a characteristic leaf shape. It is also suitable as a houseplant, which you will be happy to place on your green windowsill.