If there are two succulents I don't really pay any attention to and they are still healthy and thriving one is the sedum adolphii and the other is the Graptosedum Darley sunshine. I had potted this one in a medium sized pot but now I have I guess 20 pots full of plants even after giving away many of these plants as gifts.
This image shows the sedum adolphii and Graptosedum Darley sunshine in a tiny container. Just look at the colors in the first image, this is how the plant looks when it is moderately exposed to our kind of tropical sunshine. This image above shows a little bleached look after direct sun exposure for sometime. The beauty of this plant if grown in perfect light is stunning to say the least. Pinks, purple and bluish green made a bit more subtle due to the powdery coating on the leaves gives the plant a pastel, pearl like look.
The starry swirls of the rosettes, the long trailing stems and the thick growth of shoots on the stems make this an amazing plant for succulent arrangements. I love to pot them in tall vases to display their beauty. A couple of my arrangements fell down and been destroyed due to strong winds we have had during the summer thunderstorms.
The lesser the water the better the survival of this succulent. I water my succulents once in three days as they are directly exposed to sun and wind, but when it comes to Darley sunshine I water them once in five days even when it is sunny. Partial sun is the best for these lovelies. The thick leaves and stem store a lot of water and they don't take well to over watering. You would hardly see the leaves shrink even if you did not water them for a month.
When exposed to the sun directly you would see copper, grey blue shades dominate. Touching the leaves removes the white powdery coating and makes the copper shade more prominent. This white coating is called Farina, or epicuticular wax, which protects succulents from harsh sun and rain. This coating actually helps these plants from getting sun burned. It also enables rain water to flow down easily from the leaves and the stems thereby preventing rotting of the plant.
Baby plants growing from leaves
Cool fact
Did you know that when you avoid touching the leaves of succulents you not only help the plant retain their good looks but also help them protect themselves from weather damage. This was one of the cool things I found out a couple of years ago after growing succulents for a long, long time. For more information read this
I have never seen any pest on the Darley sunshine, not even mealy bugs (which I find attacking my other succulents)
dare to come near the Darley sunshine.
Propagation can be done from cuttings and leaves. These are the easiest plants to propagate. I often find a number of baby plants growing from the leaves that have fallen from the plant due to movement. I let the fallen leaves stay in the shade of the mother plant and soon I would find new plants growing from them.
Darley sunshine is surely the succulent you need to own if you are a forgetful plant parent. This plant surely thrives on neglect, this is what I have learned from my experience. Just make sure that your plant is in a well draining soil and the container you plant it in has good drainage. This plant can also be great for beginner succulent parents.
I love potfuls of graptosedums like this, especially when they get leggy
Ooohhh these succulents are so lovely! I'm not sure if I could find them locally. I have yet to start my hand at growing succulents again. My first try was not too successful. Then we got lots of rainy weather. Now we have dry days again. LOL! Thank you for constantly sharing your lovely garden and plants :D enjoy your weekend!
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