Care of the succulent plant Lewisia cotyledon or Siskiyou lewisia |
The genus Lewisia, family Portulacaceae, comprises 20 species of succulent plants native to the west coast of North America. Some species are: Lewisia cotyledon, Lewisia tweedyi, Lewisia brachycalyx, Lewisia rediviva. Most of the Lewisias used in gardening are hybrids. Common names: Cliff maids, Siskiyou lewisia. This species is native to Oregon and California. They are small creeping plants that form rosettes of bluish-green leaves. The showy flowers appear in umbels at the end of a long peduncle and can be pink, red, white, or salmon in color. They bloom in spring and summer. These delicate plants are used as indoor, greenhouse, balcony and terrace plants and in rockery. Lewisia cotyledon needs a sunny exposure. It does not resist the cold, especially if it is humid. The soil must contain organic matter and be well drained: outdoors use a mixture of leaf mulch and coarse siliceous sand, and indoors increase the amount of coarse sand and add gravel to the bottom of the pot. Water frequently with little amount of water during the flowering season. It's very important not to flood the ground. The rest of the year almost no watering because the plant goes to rest. Siskiyou lewisia does not need pruning or fertilizers. The biggest danger to Lewisia cotyledon is overwatering, which can rot the roots. Cliff maids propagates from cuttings in early summer; rooting in sand with wet peat. The seeds do not usually germinate if they are hybrid plants. The seeds of plants that are not hybrids germinate quickly. |
Images of the succulent plant Lewisia cotyledon or Siskiyou lewisia |