Adromischus triflorus cv. Calico Hearts

True to its South African heritage, this cultivar experiences its main vegetative growth and root activity during the cool, bright months of autumn and spring, slowing down during mid-winter chills and high summer heat. The thick, water-gorged leaves are highly efficient storage organs, allowing the plant to cruise through prolonged summer droughts in a semi-dormant state before pushing up thin, wiry flower spikes with tiny, tubular pale-pink blossoms. Like many in the genus, the leaves are brittle and detach easily to form new plants from the base. In cultivation, it requires an exceptionally sharp-draining, mineral-heavy substrate (such as 80% to 90% premium pumice, coarse sand, and a tiny fraction of organic material) and must be watered only when the potting medium is entirely bone-dry, accompanied by excellent ventilation to protect its shallow root system.