Common names: Chinese Dunce Cap, Chinese Hat, Duncecap, Hen and Chicken
Orostachys is a genus of the succulent family Crassulaceae, a plant family that includes many South African plants like the Crassula ovata. Orostachys is however native to Japan.
I want to tell you more about two Orostachys species that we have available in our nursery:
Orostachys boehmeri
Orostachys boehmeri is a mat-forming succulent, with rosettes of oval, pale grey-green leaves with spaghetti-thin stems with offsets. In summer and early autumn, dense, pyramidal, spike-like racemes of pale bell-shaped, pale yellow flowers appear. Orostachys boehmeri resembles tiny roses and is a beautiful succulent.
Orostachys fimbriata
Orostachys fimbriata’s leaves are brownish to orange-red, and the flowers spikes are adorned with small, white star-shaped flowers in summer. A clump-forming growth habit makes Orostachys fimbriata an excellent rock garden plant.
As with plants from the Crassulaceae family, Orostachys thrives in nutritionally poor, fast-draining soil. Plant in full sun or dappled shade. They form a handsome, fast-growing groundcover and once established, they are drought tolerant. Allow soil to dry between watering. They are evergreen and make an excellent plant in containers and rock gardens. In summer and autumn, it grows fast, and in the winter’s low temperatures, it goes into dormancy. As they are monocarpic plants, the flowering rosettes die but are quickly replaced by offsetting ones.
Orostachys are elegant, charming and rewarding to grow succulents that deserve a place in your garden.
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