Calico hearts

Calico hearts Adromischus maculatus

What is the plant

Adromischus maculatus a.k.a. “chocolate-drop” is a nice succulent with fairly flat wedge-shaped leaves, though thick, which are beautifully marked in chocolate colour giving them a marbled appearance.

Adromischus maculatus is a fairly easy succulent to grow and one of the easier Adromischus species tolerating some frost. It develops quite a massive caudex with age, but plant rarely blooms indoors. The plant has a very short, somewhat woody, decumbent to prostrate up to 15 cm long, little branched stem. The leaves are obovate, spatulate or oblanceolate, dorsiventrally flattened, tip obtuse and often mucronate or notched, (25-)30-70(-100) x (15-)20-35(-40) mm, rounded, usually abruptly wedge-shaped but rarely subpetiolate, and with horny margin all round the leaf, green, grey-green to greyish brown, glossy sometimes almost scarlet from the sun rays and with or without dark purple spots, but growing a dark green colour under bushes. The young plants are often without spots.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 20°C

Hardiness zone

min 9b

Difficulty

Easy

Hibernation

Cold Period

Water
It takes more water than cacti, but let the soil dry between soaking, in the wild, it receives rain mostly in spring and fall. Must have very dry atmosphere. Water less in winter but do not allow it to shrivel. During the winter months the plants are only watered enough to keep the leaves from shriveling.
Sunlight
It grows best in a partially shaded position but tolerate full sun too. It got sunburned moved suddenly to midday sun.
Fertilizer
During the growing season (May-October), the plants are fertilized only once with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ¼ the strength recommended on the label.

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Soil
It prefers a well-draining soil. You can add small gravel to insure good drainage.
Temperature
The plant requires a minimum temperature 5°C (but hardy down to -7°C for short periods), with good drainage and dryness in winter to resist the cold.
Container
Pick a container with enough drainage holes. Repot every other years. All species of this genus are happy in small pots.