Edithcolea GRANDIS, Lake Baringo

Edithcolea GRANDIS, Lake Baringo - Large edithcolea, Persian carpet, Edithcolea grandis.

A very rare plant!

Edithcolea is a genus of succulents in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae from East Africa and the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Many species look very similar to one another: low (10-20 cm (4-8 in)) subshrubs of fleshy leafless toothed shoots. Even a specialist cannot always determine the species if the plant is not flowering at the moment. But the flowers of each species are truly unique, delightful, and unusual.

A small succulent subshrub with profusely branching, heavily spined shoots. Stems are light green or brown, rounded in cross-section or with longitudinal, low ribs. Spines are light, often white, short, but very sturdy. Flowers, like in most milkweeds, have 5 rounded or pointed, spotted petals covered with sparse fuzz, reaching 10-12 cm (4-5 in) in diameter. Flower shades include burgundy, brown, yellow, and greenish. Flowers of some plants may have an unpleasant odor.

Edithcolea grandis (Lake Baringo) blooms with huge, up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in diameter, beautiful flowers of unusual coloration. In Kenya it is called "a piece of Persian carpet". Heavily branched, prostrate or semi-prostrate, grey-green shoots, which under the sun develop a darker irregular pattern, reach 30 cm (12 in) in length with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 cm (0.6-1 in).

It is grown as an indoor culture on windowsills (except northern ones). It looks striking in ceramic planters, in a home succulent or rock garden. The form is named after the only freshwater lake of Kenya's East African Rift Valley, on whose shores it grows.

Seeds are sown in pure sand or a mix of peat, perlite, and sand (2:1:1) with the addition of 5-10% crushed charcoal, moistened from a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in the light, but not in full sun, at a temperature of 25-28 °C (77-82 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. Overwatering and drying out of the sowings must be avoided. Seeds germinate in 4 to 8 weeks.

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Edithcolea is easy to grow and can be recommended to beginner flower growers. Excessively long stems can be trimmed. A very unusual, showy, foliage plant is very attractive when grown in hanging planters. Flowering occurs in summer and lasts up to 1.5 months.

Edithcoleas do not like cold, so year-round maintenance at room temperature is suitable. Winter maintenance is in a cool room with a temperature of 12-15 °C (54-59 °F). They prefer growing in light shading from direct sunlight in summer. Only in morning and evening can plants remain under the sun. In autumn and winter, a windowsill well-illuminated by sunlight is required. With a shortage of light, leaf coloration fades and plants become stretched.

Water moderately but abundantly during the growing season; allow the soil to dry before the next watering. Reduce waterings in winter just enough so that the root ball does not dry out completely. There is no need to spray. In the winter period, the air must remain dry. It is desirable to provide good air movement around the plant, while avoiding cold drafts.

For growing, a loose soil is used, such as ready-made mixes for cacti and succulents with the addition of coarse river sand, perlite, or pumice to improve drainage. Fertilizer feeding is done with fertilizers for cacti and succulents high in potassium and low in nitrogen, twice a month at half concentration, monthly.

Adult plants are repotted every 2 years in spring; it is desirable to use clay pots, the walls of which breathe air and water and allow the soil to dry out faster.