Dorstenia foetida, a most curious succulent plant

Dorstenia foetida

La Dorstenia foetida it is one of the most amazing collection plants. Unlike the others, its flower is very curious, green in color and with petals that do not resemble those of daisies, for example.

It is a small, caudiciform succulent plant that lives well in a pot, as long as it is given some care. Dare to discover this extraordinary species 🙂.

Characteristics of Dorstenia foetida

Dorstenia foetida flower

Stem

Our protagonist is a sub-shrub whose stem sometimes branches. Stems are conical in shape and thick, dark green to mahogany in color, about 15cm in diameter and about 40cm high.

Leaves

Leaves they are perennial or deciduous depending on the climate and growing conditions, and are light green or grayish green in color. They are lanceolate in shape, and are 1 to 15cm long and 0,5 to 4,5cm wide.

Flowers

The flowers are actually green structures known in English as hyphantodiums. They are a type of disc-shaped inflorescence that has "horns" or "tentacles" on the edge. On the "shield" are the flowers themselves, which are tiny, and greenish-white in color (they look like dots or lines).

Fruit

The fruit it is a pod that opens explosively sending the seeds to a distance of up to 2 meters.

Seeds

Conclusion tiny, so if you intend to obtain new specimens you have to catch them with a piece of white cloth, or wait for them to germinate in the substrate.

How do you take care of yourself?

Dorstenia foetida specimen

If you buy a specimen of Dorstenia foetida, here is its care guide:

  • Location: semi-shade with lots of light, or full sun.
  • Substratum: it must have very good drainage. It is highly recommended to plant it on the pumice so that the roots are always properly aerated.
  • Irrigation: moderate in summer, somewhat scarcer the rest of the year. The substrate must be allowed to dry completely before watering again.
  • Subscriber: fertilize every 15 days with Nitrofoska, pouring a small spoonful on the surface of the substrate. It can also be paid with fertilizers for cacti and other succulents, following the instructions specified on the package.
  • Multiplication: by seeds (difficult, due to their own size), or by cuttings in spring-summer.
  • Rusticity: it is very sensitive to cold. The ideal minimum temperature is 15ºC.

Have you ever seen this plant?


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