Othonna Appreciation Day March 5th

[Apicra]

I too grow a modest number of Othonnas and have been trying to name the numerous habitat photos in iNaturalist, the citizen science, natural history, photo gallery. Like mine, your plants are looking a bit droopy and starting to think about shedding their leaves. I water freely through winter, even in low temps and try to keep leaves turgid. I like to see if their soil is still wet, so would not want any top dressing on plastic pots.

O. quercifolia and retrofracta have lobed leaves when mature, but the entire leaves here are probably just a reaction to UK conditions. O. dentata is a small coastal shrub around Cape Town, so yours is definitely something else. It looks OK for O. bulbosa, with very long petioles on the initial leaves. Rather different with cylindrical succulent leaves, O. clavifolia is now a Crassothonna, as is O. protecta. O. sonchifolia has lobed leaves and this looks like another O. bulbosa. When it flowers, count the number of ray "petals": 8-9 for sonchi. vs. 12-13 for bulbosa. O. silenifolia is not a valid name and I cannot guess what it is - sight of flowers would help. O ramulosa is a shrub and may not be worthwhile in a pot, but it may be worth trying?

My plants take a long summer (nearly) dry rest for 5-6 months, the time for repotting. The growth is explosive in autumn and early winter and there would be little point in fertilizing at other times i.m.h.o. Anyone know if Othonnas are C.A.M. plants?

Best wishes,
Derek

[Pattock]

O. silenifolia is not a valid name and I cannot guess what it is - sight of flowers would help.

I am guessing Othonna stenophylla by a combination of bad handwriting and accidental Greek to Latin translation. Synonym Othonna linifolia, which could have helped a well-educated confusion.

Edited to add: I am not suggesting that this is a correct identification. The leaves do not look narrow nor like flax leaves. Though there is some change of leaf shape in some species according to maturity, I gather. It might be the intended identification of the first label writer.

[ralphrmartin]

Mine do get regular feeding. I guess the short summer break helps. The seedlings you sent me are actually growing well. It's the more mature plants I have which seem slow.

[Tina]

Hi Mike,
Late to the party but I have a very handsome othonna cremnophilla, just a shame its a poor picture, the second photo is one of its seedlings, fast growers from seed if your generous with watering & a repot.
Parent

Offspring

[AnTTun]

@MikeDom : how often / 'much' you water them during their 'hibernation' period? I'm asking because I had 12 or 14 of them 2 years ago, now I'm down to 3. I kept them at shaded place from late spring to early fall, watered once a month (not too much) but too many never woke up, they've just dried & died...

[MikeDom]

AnTTun, I keep the hibernation period as short as possible (6 weeks or less), so they don't often lose their roots even if they do hibernate. I would suggest that if they do hibernate for a longer period that watering once a month would be about right. But if they are in the hot sun, watering them will cause them to literally boil, so only water if they are in the shade.

[Apicra]

Handsome species Othonna cremnophylla. Tina, pls tell us how you set seed - or is it self-fertile?

The first of my Othonna is showing yellowing of the leaves and I expect the others to follow by April.

I suspect we may be talking about different plants in different situations. I'm not thinking terms of seedlings or the leafier Othonnas from the Fynbos biome. But 'lumpy' succulent species from the Succulent Karoo don't get any summer watering. In nature, five months without water would be normal and probably longer. And the Fynbos often endures three months in summer without rainfall. Plant such as these without leaves need no water - they just sit the drought out (as annuals would in the form of seeds).

I don't recognise this desire to "keep the hibernation period as short as possible", nor trying to stop them "losing roots". Rather species from the Richtersveld or Knersvlakte such as O. herrei or O. wrinkleana do seem to be susceptible to watering when leaves are not present and I have lost plants in the past, as described.

As usual, the strategy should be to "read" your plants by watching for changes. So when new leaves start, water generously, which is usually in Sept. depending upon the weather. Without green leaves, apply neglect and "leave them alone". I think it is risky to apply water in the hope of stretching the period with leaves, or of starting again early.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

[Tina]

Hi Derek,
I have two unrelated plants that were flowering at the same time I just wiggled a few flowers together but I didn't get many viable seeds maybe a dozen, this year they didn't flower at the same time but next time they do I will bring them into the kitchen so they can get more regular attention.
I did get a few herrei seedlings aswell but not many,