Cotyledon genus: the most lovely species
Cotyledon genus
Cotyledon is one of approximately 35 genera of succulent and very hardy plants in the family Crassulaceae. These succulent plants, characterised by fleshy leaves, are mainly native to southern Africa. They also occur in the drier parts of Africa up to the Arabian Peninsula in the north.
Almost all species of the genus Cotyledon are short shrubs with fleshy, brittle stems and evergreen succulent leaves highly variable in shape. Plants of this genus attract plant lovers and florists with their simplicity and numerous varieties suitable for growing at home.
Find in this article some beautiful species of Cotyledon genus and their description.
Cotyledon species
Cotyledon pendens
Cotyledon pendens, named also Cliff Cotyledon, is a beautiful trailing succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae family. This rare succulent is native to Eastern Cape in South Africa. Cliff Cotyledon is a much-branched shrublet plant with hanging stems up to 60 cm long and so named because in its natural surroundings in South Africa it grows on sheer cliff faces.
Also, this wonderful houseplant has thick, chalky, grey-green, and whitish leaves with attractive reddish margins which are sparsely beset with glandular hairs at first, and become hairless with age. Moreover, This stunning coloration can change depending on the season, temperature, drought and light intensity. During spring and summer, Cotyledon pendens produces hanging, coral, bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches.
Cotyledon tomentosa
Cotyledon tomentosa, also named Bear’s paw, is one of the most adorable members of the succulents family. It is a succulent shrub with densely branched stems that bear thick, fuzzy leaves that look just like tiny bear’s paws. These leaves have 3 to 10 teeth at the end that turn a deep red when the plant is properly cared for and in the right conditions. In spring, bell-shaped flowers appear in light yellow, pinkish, and orange to orange-red colour. Bear’s paw is easy to care for and it’s a great succulent for beginner growers.
Cotyledon papillaris
Cotyledon papillaris is a small spreading succulent shrublet that is able to reach 10 cm tall. This beautiful creeping plant has very fleshy soft green foliage with red to yellow edges. From last spring to summer, this Cotyledon species blooms in numerous bell-shaped, yellowish to orange-red flowers. You can grow this plant in a pot where the long leafy branches fall down the length of the pot and charm your interiors.
Cotyledon orbiculata
Cotyledon orbiculata, also known as pig’s ears Round-leafed navel-wort, is a fast-growing succulent native to South Africa. The most distinguishing feature of the Cotyledon orbiculata is their fleshy, red-rimmed leaves that closely resemble a pig’s ear. Flowering that appears in the spring is pendulous orange-red tubular flowers, united in a terminal cyme at the top of a 60 cm high floral stem.
Cotyledon barbeyi
Cotyledon barbeyi is a perennial succulent shrub with a bushy, upright habit and fleshy, oblong evergreen leaves. This branched succulent can measure up to 2 m in height and it is an ideal specimen for a rockery or mixed succulent garden bed. Moreover, the plant bears masses of long-lasting, pendulous, satiny, red, tubular flowers in clusters at the tip of the flowering stalks from March to September.
Cotyledon adscendens
Cotyledon Adscendens is a beautiful succulent that can reach around 2 m. The leaves of this plant are yellowish-green with a slight red colour around the leaves’ edges. During Winter, this Cotyledon succulent blooms in orange to red flowers. It is simple to grow and requires very little care.
Cotyledon chrysantha
Cotyledon chrysantha, also known as Venus Navel, is a perennial flowering plant of the stonecrop family. It is an ornamental mat-forming succulent with pale green, fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves forming rosettes up to 3cm across. In early summer, the plant produces clusters of narrowly funnel-shaped, white or pale creamy yellow flowers on upright stems. Individual rosettes die after flowering.
Lewisia Cotyledon
Elisa or Lewisia Cotyledon is a very branched small bush that can reach 20 cm high. Moreover, the foliage is light green with a red border (which can disappear as the light is too low). In spring, a lovely bloom of rose-red bells appears on short stems.
This succulent likes sunny locations, even full sun. It also tolerates forgetfulness of watering well, but will only do better if you respect the regular rhythm of watering as soon as the substrate is very dry.
Cotyledon undulata
Cotyledon ondulata, known commonly as Silver Ruffles Plant, is a very sculptural succulent from the Crassulaceae family that is native to Africa. It is a small shrub with an erect bearing and thick stem that reach 50 cm in height. These Cotyledon leaves are attractive, fleshy, grey-white to blue-grey in color, romoboidal-oval in shape with wavy edges and waxy covering. Then, the flowers are bright orange in color and dangle from a foot-tall inflorescence from spring to early summer.
This Cotyledon plant is amazingly simple to grow and care for and will give you long periods of delight. It likewise does well outdoors or indoors, so you can partake in this plant all year!
Cotyledon velutina
Cotyledon velutina is a shrubby plant that grows in subtropical regions and can reach 2-3 m in height. It has fuzzy, obovate to narrowly ovoid leaves with red margins. It produces also pendulous yellow flowers that have strong orange-red edged petals that bloom in summer. This succulent shrub makes a wonderful form of plant in pockets in a rockery or in a succulent bed.
Cotyledon woodii
Cotyledon woodii is a perennial shrub that can reach 1.20 m. This plant belonging to the Cotyledon genus has succulent stems that bear glaucous, grey-blue round leaves edged with reddish-brown in the upper part. Furthermore, it blooms in spring with wonderful bell-shaped orange flowers, for about two months. This small tidy succulent is absolutely very ornamental and suitable for containers or rockeries.
Cotyledon ladismithiensis
C. ladismithiensis, known commonly as Bear’s Paw is a popular succulent plant with green, thick, hairy leaves. This succulent shrub grows in arid regions of South Africa and has a stem that can be up to 30 cm tall. The leaves of this plant look like little fingers and the bloom is orange-pink. This succulent plant looks spectacular in both pots and gardens. It’s also relatively easy to grow, but it does have specific needs.
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