Gibbaeum Album
(This plant comes in a 3.5" pot. You will receive a very similar plant to the one in the picture. It may or may not be blooming at the time of your purchase. This plant is shipped in its pot to prevent any damage to the roots).
Gibbaeum Album is a dwarf and compact plant that belongs to the Aizoaceae family. The succulent is native to the Karoo region of South Africa and offers a dormancy of summers. It can grow up to 6 inches in height.
Growth Rate
The speed of growth depends on the climatic conditions of where the plant is growing. Usually, the plant only grows rapidly if it gets to experience the winter rains. Hence, it is considered a slow grower.
Flowering
This striking plant has angular and white leaves, perfectly complimenting its flowers which are red and pink in color.
Watering and Feeding
Gibbaeum Album can stand extended periods of drought. Water minimally in summer and more abundantly in autumn and spring. Feed it once during the growing season with a fertilizer low in nitrogen.
Soil
Like most succulents, this one is prone to root rot too and so the first thing to do is provide an excellent drainage system. Using a sandy-gritty is ideal.
Hardiness
With a hardiness zone of 9A to 11, Gibbaeum Album prefers an extremely bright and hot situation. It has a frost tolerance of -7°C and can be called slightly frost hardy.
Light
Gibbaeum Album cannot do too well without a sunny and bright situation. However, keep it away from peak sun during the summer season. Instead, keep it cool and shaded.
Propagation
It is difficult to propagate the plant from cuttings and hence, seeding is the most common. If using cuttings, make sure you take them from the mother plant.
The scientific name of the succulent means “beak of a shark” in English. This is a very apt name since it comes from the shape of the two leaves that form the base of this plant.
Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz
| Blooming Season | Summer and long lasting. |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Parrot Beak |
| Dormancy | Summer |
| Family | Aizoaceae |
| Flower | White |
| Frost Tolerance | 10° c |
| Growth Rate | - |
| Hardiness Zone | 8 to 11 |
| Height | 2 cm |
| Origin | South africa |
| Pot Size | 3.5" |
| Scientific Name | Gibbaeum album |
| Shape | Dwarf |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |