Growing mesembs part 1: coastal semi-desert vygies

Vygie is an Afrikaans word that means little fig and these plants are so-named because the seed pods resmble little figs. They all have very fleshy succulent leaves and some have distinct stems whereas others don't. The plant pictured is Cheridopsis Robusta and the entire family is found growing close to the coastline of Western South Africa.

Although this plant comes from a winter rainfall area, it grows happily outside in my garden in a summer rainfall area. When it is exposed to full sun, the leaves turn purple although the newer leaves are still grey. It has made a new set of leaves from every stem in the clump as the weather cools and it feels that winter is approaching. It is probably one of many mesemb families that grows only one new set of leaves in a season and the older outer leaves will gradually die and shrivel, as the water that they contain is redistributed into the younger leaves, making it a very slow growing plant. This Cheirodopsis flowers in autumn and the flower opens at around midday and closes around sunset.
What is interesting to see is that flower will not open if it is overcast, and going to rain and the dried seed pods remain closed when it is dry but open after the rain, which gives the seeds that fall out a better chance of germinating. The flowers are visited by tiny solitary bees that burrow around on the stamens, covering themselves with pollen and pollinating the flowers.

Although mesembs can withstand an extreme range of temperatures, frost always kills them so I have to watch the weather at night in winter and bring them indoors or undercover if the weather turns nasty in winter. I always grow mesembs outside though, because they never seem to do well indoors and are easily attacked by pests like red spider mites.