Anacampseros

Family. Portulacaceae.

Origin. South Africa.

Description. The genus Anacampseros consists of several species of small perennial succulents native to South Africa. The roots of the plant are thick, tuberous. Sometimes branched with age, forming stems 10 cm long, erect or creeping. The leaves of the plant are collected in a star-shaped rosette, smooth or pubescent, fleshy, pointed, dark olive, turning purple in bright light, obovate, 2 cm long and 1 cm wide. The lower part of the leaves is dark purple. Anacampseros shoots are covered with white filiform hairs, contrasting with the dark foliage. Single or collected together 3-4 flowers 2-3 cm in diameter rise above the leaves on a peduncle 7-10 cm long, reminiscent of purslane flowers in shape, open in the evening for only a few hours, with a delicate aroma. The flowers range in colour from white to violet, the stamens are numerous and pink with golden-yellow anthers. The plants are self-pollinating and produce seeds. Anacampseros often forms dense mats and is dormant in winter.

Height. Just a few centimeters and about 20 cm in diameter. 

Home care

Temperature of the flower content

For growing anacampseros, the usual room temperature is 20 - 25 ° C. Store in a dry place at 5 - 10 ° C in winter, outdoors during the summer months. 

Lighting

It grows well in bright light, but does not like direct sunlight - it can cause leaf burns. Sufficient lighting is necessary to maintain a beautiful shade of foliage, and, in addition, helps the plant maintain its compact shape and stimulates flowering. In the shade, anacampseros stretches out. 

Reproduction

Anacampseros can be easily obtained from seeds at home. Seeds are sown in loose, nutritious soil in the spring. The first shoots appear within 3 - 14 days at a temperature of about 21 - 25 ° C. Sow in well-drained soil, picking is carried out as quickly as possible. Seedlings are kept under cover to maintain a constant level of humidity, ventilating the crops daily. The germination rate of fresh seeds reaches 100%. Young plants are watered only with softened water. Rooting cuttings is quite difficult and rarely succeeds.

Growing

A very unpretentious plant, the only thing that can kill it is cold and waterlogging.

When anacampseros blooms

Flowering time - late  spring, summer.

Soil

Anacampseros require very good drainage; mineral compost with a small amount of organic matter (peat, humus) is suitable, which allows the roots to breathe. Rocky or sandy soil is ideal.

Feeding

Potassium fertilizers in the summer during the growing season, diluted to ¼ of the recommended concentration. 

Purpose

A very impressive and at the same time miniature plant. The creeping stems of Anacampseros form mats. It can be used as a ground cover plant. Mature plants can form a beautiful caudex, which is worth opening for everyone to see by planting the plant in a shallow bowl.

Air humidity

Loves frequent ventilation, but is otherwise undemanding. Water on leaves combined with direct sunlight will cause sunburn. 

Watering anacampseros

Do not over-water the plant; allow the substrate to dry before watering again. Loves winter rest, must be completely dry during the winter months. In early spring the plant will begin to grow and watering should be gradually increased. Does not tolerate stagnation of water in the pan. At the end of summer, watering is gradually reduced. 

Transfer

Repot once a year in the spring to assess the health of the plant into a larger pot, carefully so as not to damage the sensitive roots. 

Pests and diseases

Anacampseros are prone to rotting and should be watered very sparingly.

Healthy plants with proper care are almost not damaged by pests. Only occasionally do problems arise with spider mites and mealybugs.  

Types of Anacampseros:

Anacampseros alstonii

Synonym: Alston's avonia. Dwarf perennial succulent with a large, turnip-shaped root - caudex. It has several shoots covered with scales, curved in different directions. Shoots may be bluish-green, brownish or gray. During the flowering period, Alston's anacampseros forms large buds at the tips of the shoots. The flowers are large compared to the plant itself - they reach 3 cm in diameter, have 5 white petals and long yellow stamens. 

Anacampseros rufescens

A very attractive species, producing short, slightly branching stems bearing rosettes of thick, fleshy, diamond-shaped leaves. Each rosette bears up to 70 leaves. The leaves of anacampseros rufous are often covered with sparse, but very long, white hairs. In bright light conditions, the leaves take on a bright pink or even purple hue. The leaves of this species have long white hairs.  During the flowering period, anacampseros rufous produces tall, winding peduncles, at the top of which there are pink flowers. The flowers are pink, attractive, collected in few-flowered inflorescences of 3 - 4 pieces. Each flower reaches 3 cm in diameter and remains open only during the daytime. With age, plants form small, up to 10 cm long, lodging stems on which leaves are arranged in a spiral. This subspecies is the largest of the anacampseros. 

Anacampseros marlothii

A small leafy succulent with short, almost round in cross-section leaves, collected in a rounded basal rosette. During the flowering period, a low, erect, strong peduncle appears from the center of the rosette, bearing a white or pink flower at the top. The diameter of the flower is almost equal to the diameter of the leaf rosette.