Vygie is an Afrikaans word that means little fig and these plants are so-named because the seed pods resmble little figs. They all have very fleshy succulent leaves and some have distinct stems whereas others don't. The plant pictured is Cheridopsis Robusta and the entire family is found growing close to the coastline of Western South Africa.
Although this plant comes from a winter rainfall area, it grows happily outside in my garden in a summer rainfall area. When it is exposed to full sun, the leaves turn purple although the newer leaves are still grey. It has made a new set of leaves from every stem in the clump as the weather cools and it feels that winter is approaching. It is probably one of many mesemb families that grows only one new set of leaves in a season and the older outer leaves will gradually die and shrivel, as the water that they contain is redistributed into the younger leaves, making it a very slow growing plant. This Cheirodopsis flowers in autumn and the flower opens at around midday and closes around sunset.
What is interesting to see is that flower will not open if it is overcast, and going to rain and the dried seed pods remain closed when it is dry but open after the rain, which gives the seeds that fall out a better chance of germinating. The flowers are visited by tiny solitary bees that burrow around on the stamens, covering themselves with pollen and pollinating the flowers.
Although mesembs can withstand an extreme range of temperatures, frost always kills them so I have to watch the weather at night in winter and bring them indoors or undercover if the weather turns nasty in winter. I always grow mesembs outside though, because they never seem to do well indoors and are easily attacked by pests like red spider mites.
Beautiful flower! Like the sun! As in nature everything is thought out, to the smallest detail.
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This looks a lot like what people in the US call "Ice Plant" as a blanket name for all the various varietals of similar succulents. They seem to grow a lot in temperate coastal California where there are frequent ocean fogs.
=^..^=
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Ice plant is a common name for this family
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I just posted about a South African flower I saw growing in San Diego!! :D
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I'll go and check it out!
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Hello friend!
Good shot!
Excellent friend! happy afternoon!
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Beautiful little succulent the flower looks like it belongs to another plant. We have a native plant called coastal pig face, but the flower is pink. carpobrotus senises.
Looks a bit simular.....it's a succulent too.
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I just bought a flower yesterday! I really liked his color. I took a photo, but I'll post it later.
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love the color of the flower. looks like it is fake and attached! Love it!!!you cannot believe what is really inside when it blooms!!!
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lol coastal pig face. Funny name
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Only in Australia ;)
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Mesembs are very ancient plants and they are found only in Africa, South America and Australia although most are in Southern Africa. I believe it is something to do with the fact that these 3 continents were once joined and are similar geologically
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Pretty flower. How many different types of succulents do you have? Sounds like you have an awesome collection.
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I'll say, I reckon she has a whole nursery going on.
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Getting a succulent nursery established is one of my longer-term goals
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I do have a fairly large collection. You'll see more in due course
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Cool to see how with the weather in South Africa, a plant like this can flourish in a wide range of conditions. I guess that's why it's characterized as semi-desert. Does it grow along the Garden Route?
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No, it comes from the Richtersveld and Northern Namaqualand. Although it grows in winter when it is cooler, it doesn't like being in a somewhat higher winter rainfall area
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Ah ok, I gotcha. Well that's really cool that you grow them in your garden.
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The climate works for them here
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It so nice to see your succulent. Nice to know they love growing there. Will venture to plant succulents soon too as addition to my cactuses and other flowering plants.
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I apresiasa the way you maintain it, .. not easy to take care of him.
beautiful flower @nikv
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The flower is a beautiful bright yellow.
It is true that succulents are often sensitive to frost.
I lost one this winter forgetting to return.
It is necessary to put them in a not too hot room so that there is not too much difference of T ° and it avoids more the attacks of parasites and mushrooms.
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the flower is a rear kind.
it stored water from a dying leaf is redistributed to the younger ones - is this peculiar with this flower general with other plants?
as it is killed by extreme temperatures, it must be potted when personally grown, right?
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It is quite common for succulent plants to redistribute their water and it is most noticeable because of the amount of water stored in them although all plants do it to a certain degree.
It should be potted if you live in an area where there is heavy frost or snow so that it can be moved inside. If not, it doesn't have to be potted, so long as it is grown in well-draining soil
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Amazingly, these mesembs grow very well here. I have a few because the texture and colors make a pretty garden. 🐓🐓
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