Adromischus alstonii

Adromischus alstonii is a small, slow, characterful succulent grown for its stems as much as its leaves. The branches are thick and knobbly with peeling, papery bark, and they carry rounded grey to grey-green leaves that are sometimes flecked with purple and dusted with a flaking, waxy bloom. It has the look of a miniature old tree, which is a big part of the appeal for collectors.

Origins

It grows in the Succulent Karoo, running from southern Namibia down into the Northern Cape of South Africa. Out there it tucks itself into rock crevices and under low bushes on stony slopes, sheltering from the worst of the sun and drying out hard between the rains.

Care

Bright light keeps it compact and brings out the leaf markings, so give it a bright windowsill, with a little shelter from the fiercest midday sun through glass. Water when the compost has dried through, then let it drain and dry again, and keep it clearly on the dry side in winter when it is resting. Like most small karoo succulents it hates staying wet, so a gritty, very free-draining mix and a pot with good drainage are the way to keep it happy.