Common names: Desert Rose, Impala Lily, Sabi Star
Usually a shrub no more than about 1.5 m tall, branching into multiple stems with age. The Desert Rose can reach heights of 4.5 m or more in some of its tropical African races. Its usual habitat is sundrenched rock outcrops. The roots are swollen and succulent, as are the stem bases. Flower colours vary from pink to deep crimson, with a white or paler zone in the middle of each petal, and at least a hint of yellow in the throat. Flowering season varies in response to climate, from late summer-autumn through to late winter.
Requires excellent drainage. In warm-temperate climates they can be grown against a hot, sunny wall, but in cool climates they require greenhouses or glass houses with high light levels. Very drought and heat tolerant, but watering through summer and autumn promotes leaf growth and prolongs flowering.
Does anybody know of a webbsite on the cultivation of the Desert Rose,
ReplyDeleteCheers, Graeme