Image – clairuswoodsii
Our Greenovia They are succulent plants that, although they resemble the Aeonium, actually have their own botanical genus. They are not very well known, perhaps because they are sensitive to cold, and that is why they are not cultivated as much. Although that does not have to worry you: it is relatively easy to find seeds for sale in online stores, and for them to germinate you only have to wait a maximum of two weeks.
Would you like to know them? Let’s go there.
Greenovia characteristics
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Guérin Nicolas
Our protagonists are native to the Canary Islands, where they grow at heights between 150 and 2300 meters above sea level, in volcanic terrain. Most of the time they are exposed to direct sun, but you can find them in shady corners. They are herbaceous plants with fleshy leaves that grow grouped in rosettes which they close when there is a shortage of water. It has a small stem that rises about 5-10cm from the ground. Its flowers are yellow, and they sprout in spring.
The genus is made up of six species, which are:
- G. dipocycla
- G. aurea
- G. drodentalis
- G. gracilis
- G.aizoon
- G. aureazoon
Cultivation or care
Image – Flickr / pazzapped
How to care for these plants? Do you have to have any previous experience to maintain them? The answer is no. The care it needs is practically the same as what we would give to the Aeonium, which are:
- Location: outside, in full sun. If the temperature drops below -2ºC, they should be kept inside the home in a room where a lot of natural light enters.
- Irrigation: infrequent. During the warm months, they will be watered twice a week at most, and the rest of the year once every 15 to 20 days.
- Subscriber: highly recommended to fertilize in spring and summer with liquid organic fertilizers.
- Plagues and diseases: they are very resistant. The only thing that could seriously affect them are the mealy bugs, but they can be easily removed with a cotton swab dipped in water or pharmacy alcohol.
- Transplant: every two years, in spring. To do this, use a substrate that is as porous as possible, such as pumice or akadama.
- Reproduction: by seeds in spring. Sow directly in pots with vermiculite.
Did you like the Greenovia?
