With its unusual appearance, the tiger faucaria fascinates and delights, it is impossible to look away from it. Its spiky fleshy leaves look like the open jaws of a predator, and bright flowers attract with tenderness and grace. In the people, the succulent is better known under the names "wolf, tiger or cat's mouth."
This miniature plant grows naturally in the arid regions of South Africa. It perfectly adapted to difficult climatic conditions. Faucaria tiger care at home is simple, but the exotic plant is sure to become an adornment of your houseplant collection.
Description of the plant
Effective flower belongs to the Aizaceae family. Faucaria tigrina (tiger faucaria) is a succulent, compact and succulent perennial, usually stemless. This species was discovered in 1790.
Leaves
Quite thick, up to 50 mm long, 15 to 25 mm wide. They are very closely pressed to each other, upright. Color ranges from green to grey-greencolors. The shape of the leaves is triangular, ovate-rhomboid in the upper part. The bottom half is square. From above, the leaves are pointed and serrated. The keel and edges are whitish, serrated along each edge, with translucent soft, slightly curved back spines, reminiscent of open jaws.
From above, the leaves of the faucaria, the photo of which you can see below, are covered with a rough skin with many white dots merging into larger spots.
Flowers
Very attractive, chamomile-like flowers emerge from the very center of the rosette. They are silky yellow, numerous, up to 5 cm in diameter. Petals are sharp, linear, about 1.25 cm wide. Brown nectar glands with a ribbed surface.
Fruits
Easy splitting, spherical shape with a flattened top, bell-shaped, about 9.5 mm long and up to 10 mm wide. The fruit stem is either absent or very small - 0.9 mm. The seeds are very small black. Tiger aukaria blooms (you can see the photo in the article) from early autumn until the first frost. At home, the plant blooms regularly and continuously.
Tiger Faucaria Care: Lighting
In order for the faucaria leaves not to stretch and look neat, the lighting should be bright. Put flower pots on the south windowsill, but on a sunny summer afternoon it is better to shade them. Faucaria grows well on both eastern and western window sills.
Air temperature
Tiger faucaria feels comfortable in spring and summer at temperatures from +25 to +30 °C, and if the room is regularly ventilated, the temperature may be higher. In the warm season, faucaria can be taken out to an open balcony, veranda, or garden. The plant needs a cool wintering. This will allow flower buds to form. Keep the temperature around 15°C.
What soil do you need?
For tiger faucaria, a soil mixture is suitable, consisting of leafy soil, clay, brick chips (1 part each) and three parts of sand. Plant plants in wide, shallow pots.
Irrigation
Like other succulents, tiger faucaria needs moderate watering. In spring and summer, in the intervals between them, the earthen ball should dry to the middle, in the fall - completely, in winter, watering stops. It is advisable to use purified water - filtered, settled for two days, tap water at room temperature.
Humidity
Exotic faucaria feels great even in very dry air. This allows you to grow it indoors. The owner does not have to worry about the level of humidity. Periodically, in the warm season, dust should be removed from the leaves with a cloth.
Feeding
Feed required for this flower between April and August. For this, complex fertilizers for cacti and succulents are used. They are applied once a month in accordance with the instructions on the package.
Transfer
Replantedfaucaria in the spring once every two years. For a flower, you should choose a wide and low capacity. Lay a drainage layer on the bottom up to a quarter of the total volume. To do this, you can use pebbles, expanded clay, clay shards, broken bricks, and other similar materials.
You can independently prepare a loose, air- and water-permeable soil mixture or buy ready-made soil for succulents. Transfer the plant, together with the earthen clod, into a pot of a larger diameter, being careful not to damage the root system, and add the missing soil on the sides.
After transplanting, the plant needs to be watered a little, and after the soil has settled, add a little more to it. Drain excess water from the tray.
Growing from seeds
Faucaria seeds should be sown in spring in wide containers - seedling boxes, plastic containers with lids, any flat container with wet sand. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil, sprinkle them on top with a thin layer of sand. Cover containers with lids, glass or plastic wrap. Put them in a place with diffused lighting. For seedlings, a comfortable temperature is from + 20 to + 25 ° C. Open the shelter daily for half an hour to ventilate. When the substrate dries a little, spray it with a fine mist sprayer.
In two weeks, the first shoots will appear, after which you can remove the shelter. After the appearance of two true leaves, seedlings can be planted in separate containers with a substrate for adult plants. The seed method of reproduction allows you to get several new ones at once.plants, however, it will require accuracy and patience from you. Plants from seeds grow more resistant to pests and diseases, although they bloom much later than those grown from cuttings.
Vegetative propagation
From early spring to mid-summer, leaf cuttings can be rooted. Using a scalpel or a sharp, pre-sanitized knife, cut off the cuttings. Sprinkle the place of the cut on the mother plant with wood ash, and the stalk should dry out a little, the cut should be covered with a film. After that, immerse it with its lower part in Kornevin and plant it in sand or wet vermiculite, pressing it into the soil a little. Support it with a match so that your seedling does not fall. Put on the south window and water a little. After three weeks, the seedling will take root and grow. After that, transplant it into a permanent pot of succulent potting soil.
Diseases and pests
This plant is resistant to pests and diseases, but sometimes the succulent is attacked by spider mites, mealybugs or root bugs. To combat them, wipe the leaves with a soft brush dipped in a solution of Aktara insecticide.
When a root bug is found, the flower must be taken out of the pot, shake off the roots from the ground and wash them in an insecticide solution. Then rinse with water. After that, the roots are dried and the plant is planted in dry new soil. Water only the plant only after two weeks.
