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  Faucaria tigrina CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


Faucaria tigrina (Locality Grahamston) are very handsome plants with soft white teeth along the edges.
They look like little alligator jaws. In the garden they slowly sucker growing in a circle larger and larger until they come up upon another plant making a unique carpet of plant completely covering the ground.


Decription: Succulent clump-forming perennial, rosettes, usually stemless (but can builds short woody stems with age). It clumps more than the plants in the 'felina' group and has often a reddish tinge.
Leaves: Thick, green triangular with up to 10 (ten) pointed curved soft translucent slightly recurved "teeth" along the edges, making them look like open jaws: The upper surface is slightly rough with a profusion of tiny white dots upon close inspection and with a rounded interface.
Flowers: Numerous, silky yellow, up to 5 cm wide, attractive daisy like, appearing from the centre of the rosette.
Blooming season: Autumn to early winter. They need full sun to open, open around noon and close at night.

Cultivation: F. tigrina is an opportunistic grower that  tend to grow in fair weather and rest when temperatures are too hot or too cool, so water thoroughly whenever the soil mixture is dry to the touch but pay attention it will not tolerate water-logged soils. During the winter they can be watered less often, about every 2-3 weeks. Water more frequently in extreme temperatures. Furthermore too much water makes it become too large. Fertilizing this plant really isn't needed as it's already a voracious grower. However, a liquid 10-10-10 diluted to half strength or a cactus fertilizer once a month during spring and summer can benefit the plant.
Repotting: Make sure to repot during its more active period, starting in spring. Prefers a soil with less organic material; extra pumice or perlite provides excellent drainage essential to these type of plants. Bright light is best, which will make the leaves stay their greenest and encourage blooming. They can anyway tolerate lower light conditions. In extreme hot temperatures, make sure there is some shade. Faucarias become woody and untidy as they age.
Inside they grow fine on windowsills, and will even bloom, if they get enough direct sunlight.
Not susceptible to many pests, but watch for mealy bugs. they make excellent specimens for a small succulent garden.

Propagation: Seeds or cuttings. Seeds can be sown in early to mid-spring and germinated in heated humid environment. Alternatively, use stem cuttings taken towards the end of summer in an heated propagating case (15-21°C)

Family: Mesebrianthemaceae (Aizoaceae)
 

Scientific name:  Faucaria tigrina (Haw.) Schwantes

Origin: South Africa (Eastern Cape Province: Albany))

Common Names include:  Tiger Jaws, Shark's Jaws

Etymology: The genus name Faucaria is Latin for "jaws" due to the teeth-like structure on the leaf margins.

Note: Faucaria tigrina is a variable taxon that now comprises many Faucaria’s form previously considered independent the species.

Synonyms:  
  • Mesembryanthemum tigrinum

Note: The several species of this South African genus of succulents are so similar that many may be hybrids.

Cultivation: The plants in this genus represent some of the more easily cultivated succulent species ; These plants grow on winter rain and were heading for spring-summer dormancy. Requires little water otherwise their epidermis breaks (resulting in unsightly scars). Water moderately from the middle of summer to the end of winter, and keep the compost almost dry when the plants are dormant. Water minimally in spring and summer, only when the plant starts shrivelling (, but they will generally grow even in summer if given water) In areas prone to frost, grow in an intermediate greenhouse or conservatory, in pots of cactus compost, obtainable from good garden centres. Keep cool and shaded in summer, but provide maximum light the rest of the year.

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery FAUCARIA

 
 
 

A Special Thanks to all Those Who help us to make this web site
This plant description is based on research and personal experiences and is too short to provide a comprehensive coverage of the subject. Do you see an error in what is shown? Or do you know more about the species than we are showing? Your help is greatly appreciated. Why not send us an email with further information or photos so that we can correct or extend the information provided?

The photos in  this site are subject to copyright. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of CACTUS ART nursery and the original photographer.

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