Image – Wikimedia Commons / David J. Stang
There are many plants in Africa that are really beautiful and very interesting to grow in a pot. One of them is what is known as plant of lifea shrub or small tree with large and fleshy leaves that sprout from stems of a very beautiful greenish color.
Its maintenance, as I say, is not complicated. I have two specimens in the yard, of different sizes, and I am delighted with them. Yes indeed, It is important that you take into account what I am going to tell youbecause they are not plants that resist much the cold.
Origin and characteristics
Image – Wikimedia Commons / David J. Stang
It is a shrub or sapling, usually evergreen but it behaves like deciduous or semi-deciduous in somewhat cool climates, whose scientific name is Synadenium grant. It is native to tropical Africa, as well as South Africa, and is known by the names of the plant of life or African milkman.
It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, and like all of them, it contains a latex that is irritating and poisonous. Reaches a height of 4 to 5 meterswith cylindrical stems of green color, without thorns. These over time become somewhat woody, with greyish bark. The leaves are alternate, fleshy, 5-17 by 2-6cm, glabrous, green or purple (the ‘Rubra’ variety).
The flowers are about 5mm in diameter, and are red. The fruit is trilobed, 8-10mm long, containing seeds of a size of 2,5mm.
What are their cares?
If you want to have a copy, we recommend you take care of it in the following way:
- Location:
- Indoors: in a bright room or interior patio with light, away from drafts.
- Outside: in full sun.
- Earth:
- Pot: if the climate is very humid, plant it in volcanic sand (akadama, pomx or similar), otherwise, it can be kept in universal growing substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts.
- Garden: need well-drained soils, since it is afraid of waterlogging.
- Irrigation: about 2 times a week in summer, and every 10-15 days the rest.
- Subscriber: fertilize in spring and summer with fertilizers for cacti and other succulents following the instructions specified on the package.
- Multiplication: by seeds and cuttings in spring.
- Rusticity: it can be grown outdoors all year round if the temperature does not drop more than -1ºC. If in your area it drops half a degree more, that is, down to -1,5ºC, put it in a sheltered place.
Synadenium grantii ‘Red’ from my collection.
What did you think of the plant of life?
