Gasteria
Gasteria is a rather interesting representative of succulent plants. In total, there are about seven species of plants in this genus, which will belong to the family called Asphodelaceae or Liliaceae.
Description of Gasteria
Gasteria is endowed with fleshy, tongue-shaped leaves, which can be either pointed or round in shape. The color of these leaves will be dark green with the addition of white stripes or spots. This plant is distinguished by very beautiful flowering; the peduncle itself can reach about forty to seventy centimeters in length. The flowers of the plant are very bright, with transitions of red, green and yellow. Gasteria flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. It should be noted that this plant is quite unpretentious in care.
The most arid regions of South Africa are considered the homeland of gasteria; under natural conditions, the plant grows in the shade of bushes both on mountain slopes and in the desert. The Latin name of this plant translated will mean “pot-bellied vessel.” Actually, the plant owes this name to the very significant similarity of the flowers themselves with the vessel.
Gasteria will bloom for one month. This plant will look great either alone or among other flowers in the composition. The following plants are most often grown in culture: Gasteria spotted, keeled and warty.
Description of Gasteria verruciformis
This herbaceous plant has a basal rosette, as well as double-rowed fleshy leaves, which become pointed closer to the ends. The leaves can reach fifteen to twenty centimeters in length, and their color is dark green, with white rough warts scattered across the surface of the leaf. The flowers of such a plant will be pink-green.
Description of Gasteria maculata
The main difference of this plant will be the warty coloring of the leaves: the warts are replaced here by stripes of different colors located along the stripes of the flower. The color of such stripes can be either silver, brown or dark green. The flowers of the plant will be red-green and they are collected in a sparse cluster.
Description of Gasteria keeled
Gasteria keeled is endowed with a rosette of fleshy leaves that will fit quite tightly to each other. These leaves will be pointed at the ends and are narrowly triangular in shape. The leaves of this plant are arranged in a spiral and, in turn, are covered with very small warts, which are very difficult to notice with the naked eye.
Care and cultivation of gasteria
It is recommended to plant Gasteria on eastern or western windows; if you plan to grow this plant on southern windows, you will need to provide adequate protection from excessively bright rays of the sun during the daytime. As for the northern windows, the plant simply cannot bloom here. In winter, the plant will need sunlight, so you should move the pot with gasteria to a more illuminated place in the apartment.
As for the air temperature, it should be moderate. In spring and summer, this temperature should be about eighteen to twenty-five degrees. In winter, the plant will require cooler temperatures: about ten to twelve degrees.
During the entire growing season, namely from March to October, gasteria will require abundant watering. Watering should be done only after the top layer of soil has dried. In winter, you should water gasteria no more than once or twice a week. Do not allow the earthen soil to dry out or have an excess of moisture.
