🌸 Desert.plants.passion / Faucaria / The Throat of an Animal
Faucaria tigrina/ 2018. with seed capsule
For those who had a wonderful opportunity to learn Latin language, it would be known that fauces, -ium, f., refers to the throat of an animal. It is not surprising at all that one genus of succulents got exactly that name: Faucaria.
One species so much reminds of the tiger's throat, because of the white ‘teeth’ along the edges of it’s leaves, that they even called it Faucaria tigrina.
The other one (photo below) has tubercles on leaf surface, and also white ‘teeth’ along the edges, so it got the name Faucaria tuberculosa.
In 1999. the whole genus was reorganized and reduced to only 6 species by Groen & Van Der Maesen. Most of the species that existed before 1999., are now under the name Faucaria felina. One of them is F. tuberculosa, now considered as subspecies of F. felina.
Faucaria tuberculosa/ 2018.
I really love the shape of their rosettes and the low clumps they form. They are easy to grow, not demanding when it comes to soil, nor are sensitive to excess water. But they look much better if placed on the full sun and rain with a well-drained soil mix.
Main period of growth is spring and fall, and is recommended to leave them to dormant in summer. But in summer months I do not do anything special, they stand in the same place; in the sun and the rain, not complaining at all. Every autumn, when almost all other plants are slowly falling into the winter dream, their flower parade begins.
They can even tolerate light frost. When the temperature falls below zero degrees Celsius, Faucarias should be kept completely dry. Although require abundance of water at the time of growth, they can endure 6 months of dry period at dormant time without any problems.
Faucaria tuberculosa/ 2017. autumn bloom
Faucaria tuberculosa/ 2017. autumn bloom
I have found Faucaria tigrina and tuberculosa in flower shops in my home town. They are one of the common mass production succulents, and can be easily acquired. But other members of Faucaria genus are quite rare. So I decided to find some quality seed seller, which was not easy at all, but I succeeded.
You can have a look in some of my seedlings on photos below. 😊
Those are plants only one year old, and already in them glimpses of future beauty which will embellish them.
I’m very happy to have the opportunity to watch them grow. 😊
Faucaria britteniae/ 2018. (sown 2017.)
Faucaria bosscheana (paucidens)/ 2018. (sown 2017.)
Thank you for your attention!
Some of my other cacti & other succulents stories:
Pelecyphora aseliformis
Cacti Flowering for the First Time (2)
Dichotomous Branching in Mammillaria hahniana
Cacti Flowering for the First Time (1)
Echinocereus scheeri
If you are interested in reading about desert plants from my own growing experience fell free to follow and enjoy!
@andrijana
I can't get enough of faucaria, I always want more. Faucaria, titanopsis and aloinopsis are my favourite among the mesembs
I agree.
I also love Lithops and Conos and Dinteranthus...
Every year I sow few new species of mesembs, that's my way of discovering them. .. Argyroderma, Ihlenfeldtia, Nanathus, Gibbeaum, Herreroa... Every one is special to me.
I really like the idea of growing Conos. Dinteranthus and the others you mention are scary to me although I have grown lithops before. I will get back to them. I am also managing to keep fenestraria alive this time. I really hate it when they rot on you. They rot so easily and I feel like such a fool when that happens
Conos and Lithops are the most easiest plants to grow. The catch is in the right time of watering and letting them to dormant. And that's it. With Dinteranthus I'm still in learning phase, I have one year old seedlings.. we'll see. I won't give up.
I have never grown Fenestraria, I'll have to try. But Frithia...OMG so short living.. sadly.
Argyroderma and Nananthus and Bijlia... are easy. Some Gibbeaums are no problem, but some of them I'm still not ready to try.
Did you find Frithia difficult? It is supposed to be easier. Fenestraria is more difficult for us to grow here. I once brought one home and it was dead 4 days later :( I have another now and I am pleased that I have had it 2 months without killing it yet
Every Frithia died to me after few years. At the end I've decided that next one I will grow only from seeds and not to buy grown adult plant. Maybe, if it'll be adjusted to my conditions from the beginning, it will last longer.
I heard that Fenestraria is much harder to grow. I wish you good luck, actually more like good observation, to know how to fulfill it's needs.
Frithia are unusual, because they are found in grasslands in a summer rainfall area instead of desert and they like quite a lot more water but I also find that some plants don't do well for years if watered from the tap. Are you using rainwater?
Very beautiful Faucaria!
It is a pity that it is impossible to have all the flowers that I like!
I feel the same way. I love all plants in the world. But just had to make a choice. There is no time and space for everything.
Yes, and me too ...