Fairy Elephant's feet
Family
Aizoaceae
Origin
South Africa
Description
Frithia are low-growing evergreen succulent perennials with erect, club-shaped leaves with a clear window at the apex.These rare plants have an extremely low growth habit, are very adaptable, and thrive in their harsh native grasslands.
The single flowers are bright magenta with a white or light yellow centre and are 25 - 35 mm in diameter and are borne on very short stalks or are stalkless. The five sepals are unequal and closely resemble the cylindrical leaves. Petals number between 30 and 45 and usually have blunt, rounded tips.
Environment
The 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.
Frithia 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
