Saturday, February 16, 2008

SPLIT ROCK: Aizoaceae Pleiospilos Nelii

I just got back from hiking. I'm pooped out, so this is a good time to Blog more of my succulent plants. Last weekend, I picked up three super-cool looking succulent plants. They have several names, but the most common are Split Rock and Living Rock. These are quite young compared to the cute, chubby one I got from my buddy Donna...

This one's nice and plump! They are quite hardy from what I read, but you've got to be careful with over-watering, which is something I need to learn! I read that if you over-water them, they split. Yikes! I guess they usually heal okay, but they don't look so hot. Anyway, I really love these plants. They have such a cool, unique look to them. I need to get some regular colored stones to put around the plants, so they really show how well they can camouflauge themselves! They also have purple Living Rocks that are neato too! I want them also!

Okay, here's the scientific info on them:

Family: Aizoaceae (ay-zoh-AY-see-ay)
Genus: Pleiospilos (plee-oh-SPIL-os) meaning many spots.
Species: Nelii (NEL-ee-eye) named for Gert Cornelius Nel, early 20th century botanist.
Common Name: Split Rock, Living Rock, Mimicry
Min Temp: to 32 degrees F
Bloom: Orange/Bright Yellow - Varies when it blooms.
USDA Zone: Zone 9
Exposure: Filtered sun to bright light
Height: 6 inches tall
Origin: South Africa

3 comments:

Donna said...

That looks really nice. I finally repotted my Split Rock as well. I hope it does okay. The living rock plants make me a little nervous when I'm handling them.

Kelly said...

I added different rocks around the nice, plump Living Rock you gave me. I went to that 99cent store that I love in La Crescenta, and picked up some rocks, among other things. They had some neat twirly-thingies there for a buck! I wish you and I could go shopping once in a while. It would have been fun buying things for a buck! I'll post some pics on my Blog today!

Donna said...

Hee-hee, we should totally go shopping. We can hit all the garden centers and 99cent stores in our area and see what kinds of goodies we find.