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Ruschia perfoliata
Place in a sunny location. During the summer, the plant can be grown outdoors in a sheltered spot.
Water moderately and only after the substrate has dried out completely. Reduce watering considerably during winter and keep the plant almost completely dry if overwintering in cooler conditions.
The plant can tolerate short periods of lower temperatures, but it is not frost hardy. Overwinter it in a bright, cooler location.
The species name perfoliata comes from Latin and refers to plants whose leaves appear to surround or pass through the stem. In Ruschia perfoliata, the name refers to its characteristic stem-clasping leaves.
Ruschia perfoliata is a succulent plant from the ice plant family (Aizoaceae), native to South Africa, where it occurs mainly in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. It grows in dry, rocky habitats and forms a loose, gradually spreading shrub.
The plant produces semi-woody, upright to spreading stems that branch only sparsely. Its fleshy, grey-green to pale reddish leaves are short, three-angled and closely attached to the stems. Their margins and keels are lined with several distinct teeth, and the leaves may develop reddish tones when grown in full sun.
In spring, it produces solitary pink to rose-red flowers measuring approximately 2.5 cm across. The flowers appear at the ends of the stems and create an attractive contrast with the grey-green foliage.
Ruschia perfoliata is an easy-to-grow succulent suitable for container cultivation and rock gardens. It grows best in full sun in a deep, lean and very well-drained substrate. Water moderately during the growing season, allowing the soil to dry out thoroughly between waterings. Reduce watering considerably during the dormant period. The plant tolerates both drought and cool temperatures well, but does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. Thanks to its unusual leaf shape and attractive pink flowers, it makes an interesting addition to a succulent collection.