Orostachys species

[Lori S.]

I have this one marked as Orostachys spinosa, but I am questioning if that species is correct, from the variety of forms that a google search brings up.  (The little rosettes on the right are from a neighboring sempervivum.)  Any help would be much appreciated!  Thank you.

[Carlo]

Lori,

Doesn't look like spinosa...but from the looks of the sempervivum next door it could be out of character. Is the area getting lots of light?

[shelagh]

Lori it is definitely not O. spinosa perhaps JohnnyD or MartinR will post a shot they both have excellent examples.

[Martinr]

Orostachys spinosum as requested

[Lori S.]

Thank you very much, Martin.

As I look more closely at my plant, it does actually have the congested center in the middle of the looser ring - though it is very small.  So I believe it is actually O. spinosa... unless someone thinks otherwise?  I had one previously growing in this area - perhaps with more light then - that had proportions (i.e. center to outer ring) like yours, Martin (but it was only a single rosette and I lost it when it bloomed). 

So, what is the life cycle of this species... does it start with the congested little center rosettes and later form the looser ring around the outside?  (I have some seedlings - a couple of years old now - which consist only of the tight central rosette.)
 
Carlo, this area has been overhung by a rose from above and by California poppies (that we have only recently beaten back), so it has not had maximum light conditions... perhaps that does explain its odd proportions.

Thanks all!

 

[JohnnyD]

I suspect this is O.spinosum that has had quite a lot of water.
It normally retains a distinct central boss of leaves which is the bit which survives througn the winter when most of the roots are lost.
Watering well just once or twice in a season - the first just around Christmas - makes a very attractive foliage plant for the early shows and it lasts well through the season. More water reduces the central boss and this tends to lose the general architecture of the plant.
I did write an (unpublished so far) article, with pics of it in flower. This was some years ago and may take a little resurrecting, but perhaps it's worth a try if anyone is interested. (I suspect the copy is on an old floppy and the pics will need scanning. )
The theme was the variety of ways in which it propagates itself as it seems it is very reluctant to bloom. I would be interested to know if anyone else flowered it?
JohnnyD

[Maggi Young]

Johnny, this sounds like a good article for the main section of the site.......... .... please and thank you! 

[Lori S.]

Thanks for the info, JohnnyD.
The plant is outdoors - the norm in this area - so it gets the moisture our climate provides (av. 40 cm annual precip) plus whatever  supplemental watering is done (twice through the summer so far) to keep things going. 

My first one bloomed in pre-digital days (pre-photography days for me!) so no pix.

Sounds like a fascinating article, and hope you will post it!

[JohnnyD]

I seem to remember that someone had seen a mention of flowering in Canada - but nowhere else!
Anybody know different?
I will try to scan the pics even if the article proves a little elusive.
Watch this space!!!!!
Johnny

[Lori S.]

See the entry on the Gardens North site for it, attached:
http://gardensnorth.com/site/

[Diane Clement]

Mine has never flowered, but it is looking quite good at the moment, although a spider has clearly taken up residence 

[Anthony Darby]

Diane and Martin, I was kindly sent some by Kristl Walek. How do you grow it?

[Martinr]

Mine is in a fairly standard mix of J.I. No. 2 and grit. It stands on the patio during the summer but from early September on it is under glass till April. I don't water from October to early March. As John Dower has pointed out you can, to some extent, control the openness of the rosettes by varying your watering. I got my plant as a rosette so have no experience of raising it from seed.

[Diane Clement]

Diane and Martin, I was kindly sent some by Kristl Walek. How do you grow it? 

Mine has been grown totally under glass.  With the amount of rain we have had this summer, I'm not sure how well it would have survived outside.  It's probably grown in a mixture similar to Martin's, pretty gritty.  I water it in the summer, perhaps a few times.  Its leaves are succulent in nature so you can tell by looking at it whether it is too dry.  Mine has never flowered, but I have wondered if the rosettes die if they do flower?

Sometimes it makes little offsets in the centre of the main spikey rosette, but sometimes under the rosette.  They are like mini version of the large ones and just get bigger!

[Maggi Young]

Kristl writes that  the rosettes do die after flowering and that they take about  3 to 4 years to reach flowering sixe. Which species is yours, Diane?