Carpobrotus (Succulents)

This genus native to South Africa is a succulent perennial carpet that grows along the coasts and in the coastal dunes. Its name derives from the ancient Greek , ' karpos ' which means fruit and ' brotos ' which means edible therefore, edible fruit. It is commonly called 'Hottentot Fig' because the fruit was used as food by the people of Khoi in Botswana who were called 'Hottentot' ( stutterers ) by the Dutch settlers for their dialect. The Carpobrotus has a climbing/drooping habit with long stems, robust dark green tending to reddish. The leaves are generally very fleshy, triangular shape of bright green color. The flowering period is summer. Their flowers have a shape similar to daisies and have bright colors such as pink, yellow, red depending on the variety. Some of the varieties are: C. edulis, C. acinaciformis, C. chilensis etc. This plant is very appreciated precisely for the blooms and should not be missing in your collection.