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Family: Crassulaceae
Scientific Name:
Graptoveria "Fred Ives" forma cristata
Origin:
Garden origin (Nursery
produced cultivar)
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Description:
Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' is a cross between Graptopetalum
paraguayense and Echeveria gibbiflora. It is a
large shrub-forming cultivar and a very vigorous grower in the garden,
that
offsets to produce a clump
and can take over an area
if let alone.
Rosettes: It produces rosettes up to 20 cm tall by nearly 20-30
cm wide atop short 10-30 cm tall stems
Leaves: Broad, stiff,
overlapping each other, with concave
upper surface,
rubbery to the touch,
waxy
pearly-bronze
to purplish yellow-orange to blue green (depending on time of year and
growing conditons). Often shading from grey-blue at the centre out to
orange-bronze-purple.
The purple blush is fairly consistent throughout the seasons. Higher
light and heat seem to increase the purple a bit, though.
Flowers: 30-50 cm long arching
branched inflorescence
bearing red-orange centred pale yellow flowers
Blooming season: Summer.
Forma cristata:
The cultivar “Fred Ives” has given rise to a
beautiful crested form with sunset colours & wonderful habit. It creates
dense round mounds of tightly packed smaller leaves.
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A lovely succulent of the most delicious
kind it has bronze-mauve leaves with a silvery sheen and change shades
with the seasons. Bright light is required to promote optimal growth.
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Cultivation: Very easy and reliable plant it can stay outdoors in
summer, in mild climate it can grows in the garden where it takes lots
of water without rotting. It is relatively slow growing and very slow to
sucker (if at all). It prefers a bit of afternoon shade but does also
well in bright light with high heat situations. It is however adaptable
to low light situations too. Plant in fertile free draining soil or a
cacti well-drained mix. Water well during the warmer months, preferably
from below, and sparingly in winter. Hardy hybrid tolerant of a wide
range of conditions including some frost. The flowers spike sometime
wilt because the rosette is almost drained of moisture, and may wither
badly. Early removal of the dying flower stems will prevent this being
aggravated by the production of seed, which of course will have the same
effect, since the flower stems stay turgid for some time to support the
seed production.
Uses: Beautiful succulent for container planting adding colour to
mixed collections. Excellent for windowsills or as colour accent in rock
garden or dish garden. Ideal for adding dramatic foliage contrast to
garden beds and borders and colour to the winter garden.
Propagation: The crested form is usually propagated by division of
larger specimen. The standard (non crested) form is usually
propagated by suckers or basal leaves, if If the
plant is
repotted some of the bottom
leaves can be removed, in order to attempt
leaf propagation, it is also a common practice to collect the leaves
on the
flower stem. However many such
cuttings will dry out without producing a
plantlet, but with perseverance it is likely
to get a few new plants.
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