Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Sub-Class Rosidae
Order Rosales
Family Crassulaceae
Genus Rosularia
Species Approximately 25
A
rosette forming member of the
succulent family
Crassulaceae (making them relatives of
kalanchoe and
jade plant). They closely resemble other
rosette forming
crassulaceae such as
sempervivum and
echeveria, although they are more closely related to the genus
Sedum.
Rosularia's flat leaves range in colour from
glaucus green to lovely dusky
rose. The leaf margins may be lined with small hairs, called
cillia or a contrasting colour to the rest of the
leaf. The leaves will be brighter in
summer, when the natural light is brighter.
Rosularia tends to have small
rosettes, and beautiful
funnel or
tube-shaped
flowers which grow on tall
inflorescenses (usually from the
rosette's center) and range in colour from white and yellow, to bright pinks and purples and may be striped.
Rosularia rosettes will not die after
flowering (
polycarpic, versus
monocarpic).
Rosularia blooms in late
spring.
Like
sempervivum,
rosularia are cold-tolerant
alpine succulents which are found natively in the mountains and hills of
Turkey,
Cyprus, North
Africa, and
Asia. These plants are fairly
hardy, but is a hard-to-find plant in
cultivation. North and South American rosette-forming crassulaceae are more common.
Rosularia will propagate themselves through the formation of offshoots, also called "pups" (some
species are more
prolific than others). In
cultivation, the grower would propagate
Rosularia using
leaf cuttings or separation of offsets.
COMMON NAMES:
"
hens and chicks", "
houseleek"
CONDITIONS PREFERRED:
Like
sempervivum,
rosularia will tolerate cold. This plant can withstand -10°F to 0°F temperatures (-23°C to -17C). Full sun is ideal in environments which are not too hot, but partial
shade is satisfactory for most species. As with most
Crassulaceae,
rosularia can tolerate poor
soil conditions, so long as it is well draining. Ideally, I recommend 1" - 2" of horticultural
charcoal in the bottom of the pot, then a commercial cactus and succulent soil mixture or 2 parts common houseplant soil mixed with one part sand. Potted
rosularia should be watered when the soil is moderately dry, those grown
in situ should be left to the whims of nature (though if you live in a very
wet area, these plants will not fare well). When grown in a hot environment (say,
Phoenix), these plants should not be placed in full
sun, or the plant will
scorch and
die.
Allow the
soil to dry out to a depth of 1" before watering, and be careful to avoid getting
water on the leaves. In winter, the plants will require less water, as reduced
temperature and
humidity will induce
dormancy. If you are unsure when to water your
rosularia, watch the lower most leaves for signs of drying and water them then.
PROPAGATION:
As mentioned above, the plant self-propagates through offshoots, and given time one plant will form a dense mat of many. In
cultivation, however, it is more common for the grower to use offset separation or leaf cutting methods.
To separate an
offset, remove soil from the base of the offset to find the
stolon (thick
root which attaches the pup to the
mother plant). It is best to use an offset which has already established some roots of its own. Cut the
stolon close to the pup (to discourage roots growing from the
stolon). Place the offset into a small pot with well-draining, sandy soil. Do not water until new growth is noted.
Leaf cutting entails cutting a young
leaf from near the center of the rosette. Leave the
leaf out in the open air for a day to allow the wound to callous over. Dip the leaf into rooting hormone (such as RootOne, which can be purchased almost anywhere you buy plants) and place the leaf (cut-side down) into slightly moist
succulent mix potting soil (even better is very lightly moist
sand). Soon, a new
rosette will grow from the base of the leaf. As soon as enough roots are present to repot, remove the original leaf cutting and repot the
rosette.
It is best to pot at the start of the active growing season, in late
winter or early
spring.
PRUNING AND GENERAL CARE:
Pruning:
No pruning is necessary except to remove any leaves which have
died. This will help to avoid
rot and bugs.
Tips:
- Whether grown outdoors or in, these plants are good to forget about. Too much attention by nervous gardeners will kill the plant.
- When grown outdoors in a wet environment, make sure that the soil is sandy and well-draining. If you aren't careful, your plant will turn to rotten mush. Mix native soil with sand, if necessary.
- When grown indoors, a standard commercial cactus and succulent soil mixture works well.
Problems:
In the event of an unhealthy plant, the first thing to examine is your watering habits. The most common problem is root rot due to overwatering. If the
soil is too
wet, don't hope it will safely dry out so long as you don't water it for a while. Replace the soil immediately, and remove any damaged roots with sharp
sterile scissors or a
knife.
One of the most common pests to
houseplants is the mealybug, and your
rosularia may fall prey to this pest. However, due to the tightly packed leaves, more often than not the
mealybugs will attack the
roots. This makes them far less visible than
mealybugs which attack leaf-stem junctions. The symptoms of a root mealybug infestation is slowed or stopped growth (though in summer this is a normal sign of
dormancy). If this occurs without apparent cause, remove the plant from the pot and examine the roots. A white cottony substance on the roots and in the soil is a sure sign of mealybug infestation. Remove all
soil and wash the roots gently. Remove any roots which appear damaged with a sharp
sterile knife or
scissors. Let them dry very throroughly before replanting.
This plant is best grown outdoors and if you live in an area where winters temperatures rarely go below -10°F (-23°C), this is the best for
rosularia. When potted, these plants are very
susceptible to
vine weevil. The plant is often used as a bedding or
groundcover plant.