Fockea (Variegated)

Its name was chosen in honor of Gustav Woldemar Focke - a passionate physician, who wrote several botanical articles. It’sa caudiciform plant, whose massive woody caudex immediately stands out, consisting of dense intertwined roots. In addition to giving the plant an extremely ornamental appearance, its caudex has the important function of retaining a lot of water inside, to be used during long periods of drought, which happen quite often in the places of its origin. During the vegetative periods, climbing stems branch off from this greyish protuberance, producing small leaves of a beautiful dark green color, which gives the leaves a kind of glossy effect. Perhaps not many know that, in the past, some species were used as food, after a long and elaborate cooking process. Here are some tips for its cultivation: It requires a lot of light throughout the year, however, avoid direct sunlight especially during the hottest hours of the day. Keep it at mild temperatures and never below 7 °C. Shelter it during the winter period. Water regularly but moderately during the growing season (when new leaves are born), always making sure that the soil is completely dry between every watering. During the dormant period (when the leaves turn yellow and fall) suspend watering. The best soil is a well-draining and porous one, even better if further enriched with 50% or more of inert materials such as pumice, lapilli or clay. They do not need frequent fertilization, it is sufficient to dilute the fertilizer with watering once a year.