I became entranced with the South African succulent genus, Aloinopsis, years ago, after discovering that Colorado rock gardener Bill Adams had found many of them hardy there in Zone 5/6. We tried quite a few, but found that while they take our winter cold temperatures, they do not take winter moisture. Once we built our crevice gardens, which included overhangs to keep plants dry in winter, we tried again, with much better luck. Flowering today is Aloinopsis rosulata.
Beautiful!
Congratulations! Creating a natural NC habitat that meets this plant’s needs so well must be satisfying. I love to see your long-term work pay off in all your propagation and breeding.
Well…doesn’t it depend on WHICH Aloinopsis/Wart Fig you are talking about ?
And then you have this magenta/pink-flowered Aloinopsis spathulata which the local South Africans call ‘Sutherland Wart Fig, and which is actually occurring naturally around & named after ‘SOUTH AFRICA’S COLDEST TOWN, SUTHERLAND’, over in the western part of S. A. & on top of their Great Escarpment. And where you have winter-rain climate,- as opposed to the summer-rain climate, further east & in The Drakensbergs.
And…then you have to wonder how much we can trust these people down in Jacksonville, FLA,- but their ‘Interactive & Online Internet Plant Hardiness Zone plantmaps.com Map of South Africa’…certainly seem to suggest that gardeners around Raleigh, NC, should be able to grow THIS particular Sutherland Wart Fig in their garden…!
Interestingly, we have tried Aloinopsis spathulata five times, and are 0 for 5. We also thought that should survive here, but we haven’t discovered the secret yet.