In the Canary archipelago we find incredible plants, such as Aeonium or our protagonist: the Vero from the Canary Islands or also called Verode. This is a succulent that grows as a small shrub a few meters high. Its growth rate is slow, and it can be kept in a pot or in the garden.
It has a peculiarity that surely catches your attention and that is that, unlike the deciduous plants that we are used to seeing, the Vero de Canarias loses them during the dry seasonthat is to say, in summer. In autumn they sprout again, and so on until next year. Curious, right?
This adaptable and wonderful plant endemic to the Canary Islands (Spain) is known by the scientific name of old man’s face (Although the one I had before is still used a lot: kleinia neriifolia). It reaches a height of one and a half meters. It has a succulent trunk and branches, which means that stores water in these parts to survive the dry season.
The leaves are lanceolate green, and fall in summer. Its yellow flowers give off a pleasant aroma. And its seeds, which are like very soft ‘hairs’, can remain on the plant for up to a year.
The Vero de Canarias is ideal for low maintenance gardens as it hardly needs to be watered. It is very resistant to drought, so it will have to be watered 1-2 times a week or every ten days. It is important that let the substrate dry between wateringsbecause it fears waterlogging.
We will plant it in a very porous substrate so that the water can drain well. You can choose to use volcanic clay with a little black peat, or perlite and river sand in equal parts.
Withstands the cold down to -2ºC, but if in your area the winter is harsher take advantage of these months to have her decorating your homein a very bright room. This way, you can get to spring safely .
Did you know about Vero de Canarias?
