Baby Toes
Family
Aizoaceae
Origin
South Africa
Description
Fenestraria aurantiaca, is an evergreen, perennial succulent, up to 15 cm tall, with a not present or very reduced stem. Fenestraria rhopalophylla appears very similar to Frithia pulchra, though the leaves are a slightly different shape. Each leaf has an epidermal window, a transparent window-like area, at its rounded tip, it is for these window-like structures that the genus is named (Latin: fenestra) .The leaves are smooth, glaucous green, with a convex apex and up to 4 cm long.
F. rhopalophylla has yellow flowers, compared to the pink flowers of F. pulchra. The flowers are solitary or in groups of up to 3, golden yellow, up to 3 cm in diameter,and borne on long pedicels.
Environment
Fenestraria plant will take as much light as you can give it, but fierce sunshine could "scorch" the plant. In habitat, the plant overcomes this problem by only having the leaf tips showing above the ground.
Gritty, well drained soil containing a small amount of organic material will keep this species happy. They can be sown from seed sown in a gritty sandstone (acid) medium or propagated vegetatively. They can be grown in pots or out of doors in a rockery.
Fenestraria is not shy of water and should be watered regularly during the growing season, but the water must be able to drain away quickly. Keep the plant dry in winter.
When in growth, feed the plants every two or three weeks with a low nitrogen liquid fertilizer.
Landscape Use
Suitable for Container, Rock Garden & Xeriscaping
