Argyroderma Blooms!

Not much has been happening in the World of the Mesembs lately, but today is watering day, and look what I found!

Argyrodermas, or "silver skins", are lovely, utterly unique mesembs that I've been growing for several years. Some have gone through leaf regeneration, but this is the first one to bloom. Argy flowers can also be yellow or white. They mostly live in dry quartz fields of coastal Namaqualand in an area known as the Knersvlakte. They need 2-4 inches of winter rain per year, and fog. I will try growing some in crushed quartz someday perhaps. They proliferate well in their native habitat but are notoriously fussy here in the tropics and most people I know who grow them seem to have given up on them. If you grow Argies, what's your opinion?

Please Don't Call Me Lithops (Though I'm Awesome, Too)

I can't believe I found this mint-green cutie at a big-box store in the spring. They only had one, and it was labeled as a Lithops. It's an Argyroderma, or "silver skin" mesemb, and ain't it gorgeous?? Despite the cool and refreshing color, Argy seems to like a LOT of sun, so it's outside to catch the morning rays, then inside during the hot afternoons. Seems to want about as much water as cousin Lithops, in other words, not much. I'd love to find more of this genus someday. They hail from Namaqualand.