The cotyledon succulent flowering plant for the garden

The Cotyledon genus in South Africa has about nine species of which five are endemic to Namaqualand.  This plant is very easy to grow, it flowers well and the birds love the nectar. 

The leaves are covered more or less by a wax layer which change the green to different shades from dark  green (no wax) to blue-green and near to white.   The shape of the leaves are also different and the color of the flowers are shades of pink, red and orange. This makes it possible to have an interesting water saving low maintenance garden with mainly Cotyledon.

These photos are from plants in my garden.   I do not know their scientific data and I  do not feel that it is important for me to know as there is no need to read up on growing or cultivating them. In any case, the garden plants will be mainly hybrids of different Cotyledon species.  The sugarbirds are the main pollinaters and they can fly far and wide with the pollen. The only maintenance I do is to cut back the plants during or after the rain season.

The Cotyledon plants bloom throughout the year, but not as much as they do in the rain season.  We do not water them at all during the dry hot summer.

Happy colors.

This color was known as "baby-pink ".  It will be interesting to know what it is called in modern times.

Cotyledon soften the formal effect of the aloes.

This is a small Cotyledon species.  The yellow-green emphasize the blue-green of   the aloes.

For more photos of the different cotyledon in the garden    visit our web site