What indoor plant is native to the desert. The Best Houseplants – Desert Plants

10 of the most spectacular indoor plants from the desert Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other plants can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones. The special character of plants native to deserts The natural conditions of the desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low air humidity, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas have acquired exceptional features: - the ability to be content a minimum amount of moisture, sometimes hundreds of times less than for inhabitants of even a temperate climate; - variable metabolism - the ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night and close the stomata to stop the evaporation of moisture; - a sharp change in periods of active growth and complete dormancy - seasonal, pronounced vegetative activity, followed by deep “sleep”; - absence or minimal number of stomata, leathery leaves protected by a wax or fatty coating. Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where the problem of lack of nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less pressing, although we are talking about completely different climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti. Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting. One of the key features of desert plants is their extremely narrow “specialization.” Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their character well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars for many years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. Standard care will not work for such plants. All indoor plants that came to us from desert places have other characteristics in common: 1) drought resistance; 2) sun-loving up to the need to be in direct sunlight, extreme sensitivity to any shading and insufficient lighting; 3) thermophilicity; 4) love for differences in night and day temperatures; 5) the need for a long and strict dormant period for subsequent flowering. There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky. Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors. 1. Star Cactus Astrophytum Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube. This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition. 2. Invulnerable prickly pear Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pears (Opuntia) lose their aggressiveness in indoor culture. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it is not for nothing that they have become a symbol of the Mexican deserts. The flat, segmented stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped, are surprising with spines and thin bristles, which, due to the jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state are reminiscent of roses. Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly, love abundant watering in spring and summer, and very little in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving. 3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising. Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air. 4. New varieties of interesting aloe A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Similar to the bizarre inhabitant of the deep sea, Aloe marlothii, flower-like elegant rosettes of variegated aloe (Aloe variegata), unique multi-leaf aloe (Aloe polyphylla) with its leaves arranged in a complex spiral in flat rosettes, etc. - here are the new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns. All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding. 5. Fan gasteria Shortened to the point of being completely invisible, the stems of these succulents allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in double-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And the daughter rosettes formed in very large numbers make it easy to propagate the plant or grow it in “colonies”. Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer. 6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - deltoid oscularia (Oscularia deltoides), but other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them. The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing the right watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its dormant period in the cold, but bright lighting is a measure that plants need all year round. Without access to fresh air, it is very difficult to grow lampranthus. 7. The thinnest shoots of Othonna The most unique of the succulents, Othonna, is a plant whose true desert character is not easy to recognize even upon close examination. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air. 8. Round-leaved portulacaria trees It would be a big mistake to compare portulacaria with another tree-like succulent - the crassula. After all, portulacaria are special plants. Shrubs, which in indoor conditions develop in the form of densely branching, amazingly beautiful, compact trees, look amazingly impressive. Round, fleshy leaves with bright colors sit opposite on fleshy, drooping shoots. The plant is easy to shape, even creating silhouettes reminiscent of bonsai, and the presence of several variegated forms allows you to choose plants to your liking. Portulacaria love to spend the summer outdoors and are not afraid of even the midday sun. They are easy to grow, because even in summer the plant prefers moderate watering, and they are fertilized very rarely. 9. Guatemalan miracle - Hechtia Guatemala One of the most unusual plants not only in the list of desert stars, but also among exotic indoor crops. The shortened stem is not visible under the stunning rosette, which looks artificial. Dense “bundles” of hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis) contain long and very narrow linear leaves that can stretch up to half a meter. The spiny edge, grayish color, scaly bottom and reddish coating turn Hechtia Guatemala into a sparkling star in bright light. But this succulent also manages to surprise with its flowering - panicles of white three-petaled flowers. Growing this original crop is easy. To flower, it needs to be provided with a cool winter, the light regime must be stable, and watering must be very careful. Otherwise, hechtia is a typical unpretentious succulent, surprising with its endurance 10. Silver pebbles of pachyphytum oviferum One of the most unusual and “precious” indoor plants, pachyphytum (Pachyphytum oviferum) surprises with its texture, shape, and color. Shortened shoots are not visible under obovate, round or oval in cross-section, resembling either outlandish pebbles or decorative pebbles, leaves reaching 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy, waxy leaves are grey-white, but their texture makes them appear bright silver in the shade, with a hint of rose gold in bright light. They seem to be strung or scattered in slides on the soil, seeming like an artificial decoration of the interior. Silver pachyphytums also bloom in an original way, producing bright red flowers on long pubescent pedicels. Growing this silvery miracle is no more difficult than any ordinary succulent. In summer, pachyphytum will not refuse a place on the balcony, but even there it is content with scanty watering, it is sun-loving and magnificent in any temperature. Even a cool winter is needed only for flowering.

Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other plants can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones.

Growing cacti at home

The special character of plants native to deserts

The natural conditions of the desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low air humidity, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas have acquired exceptional features:

• the ability to be content with a minimum amount of moisture, sometimes hundreds of times less than for inhabitants of even a temperate climate;
• variable metabolism - the ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night and close the stomata to stop the evaporation of moisture;
• a sharp change in periods of active growth and complete dormancy - seasonal, pronounced vegetative activity, followed by deep “sleep”;
• absence or minimal number of stomata, leathery leaves protected by a waxy or fatty coating.

Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where the problem of lack of nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less pressing, although we are talking about completely different climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti.

Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting.

One of the key features of desert plants is their extremely narrow “specialization.” Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their character well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars for many years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. Standard care will not work for such plants.

All indoor plants that came to us from desert places are united by other characteristics:

There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky.

Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors.

1. Star cactus astrophytum

Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube.

Astrophytum asterias. © seedsexotic

Distribution area: USA and Mexico.

This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition.

2. Invulnerable prickly pear

Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pears (Opuntia) lose their aggressiveness in indoor culture. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it is not for nothing that they have become a symbol of the Mexican deserts. The flat, segmented stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped, are surprising with spines and thin bristles, which, due to the jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state are reminiscent of roses.

Opuntia. © C T Johansson

Distribution area: Australia, Central and South America.

Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly, love abundant watering in spring and summer, and very little in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving.

3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti

One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising.

Echinocactus, or Hedgehog cactus (Echinocactus)

Distribution area: deserts of Mexico and the USA.

Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air.

4. New varieties of boring aloe

A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Looks like a bizarre inhabitant of the deep sea aloe Marlota(Aloe marlothii), flower-like elegant rosettes aloe variegated(Aloe variegata), unique aloe multifolia(Aloe polyphylla) with its complex spiral leaves in flat rosettes, etc., are new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns.

Aloe marlothii. © Stan Shebs

Aloe variegata

Aloe polyphylla. © Linda De Volder

Distribution area: deserts of Africa and the American continents.

All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding.

5. Fan Gasteria

The stems of these succulents, shortened to the point of being completely invisible, allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in double-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And the daughter rosettes formed in very large numbers make it easy to propagate the plant or grow it in “colonies”.

Gasteria. © skyviewsucculents

Distribution area: deserts of Africa.

Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer.

6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus

Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - oscularia deltoid(Oscularia deltoides), but also other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them.

Lampranthus deltoides, or Oscularia deltoides

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing the right watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its dormant period in the cold, but bright lighting is a measure that plants need all year round. Without access to fresh air, it is very difficult to grow lampranthus.

7. The thinnest otton shoots

The most unique of the succulents, Othonna is a plant whose true desert character is not easily recognized even upon close inspection. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family.

Otton capensis (Othonna capensis). © cactusjohn

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air.

8. Round-leaved portulacaria trees

It would be a big mistake to compare Portulacaria with another tree-like succulent - Crassula. After all, portulacaria are special plants. Shrubs, which in indoor conditions develop in the form of densely branching, amazingly beautiful, compact trees, look amazingly impressive. Round, fleshy leaves with bright colors sit opposite on fleshy, drooping shoots. The plant is easy to shape, even creating silhouettes reminiscent of bonsai, and the presence of several variegated forms allows you to choose plants to your liking.

African portulacaria (Portulacaria afra). © WoS

Distribution area: deserts of Africa.

Portulacaria love to spend the summer outdoors and are not afraid of even the midday sun. They are easy to grow, because even in summer the plant prefers moderate watering, and they are fertilized very rarely.

9. Guatemalan miracle - Hechtia Guatemala

One of the most unusual plants not only on the list of desert stars, but also among exotic indoor crops. The shortened stem is not visible under the stunning rosette, which looks artificial. Dense “bundles” of hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis) contain long and very narrow linear leaves that can stretch up to half a meter. The spiny edge, grayish color, scaly bottom and reddish coating turn Hechtia Guatemala into a sparkling star in bright light. But this succulent also manages to surprise with its flowering - panicles of white three-petaled flowers.

Hybrid of Guatemalan Hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis hybrid). © nixwickedgarden

Distribution area: deserts of Central and South America.

Growing this original crop is easy. To flower, it needs to be provided with a cool winter, the light regime must be stable, and watering must be very careful. Otherwise, hechtia is a typical unpretentious succulent, surprising with its endurance

10. Silver pebbles of pachyphytum ovifera

One of the most unusual and “precious” indoor plants, pachyphytum (Pachyphytum oviferum) surprises with its texture, shape, and color. Shortened shoots are not visible under obovate, round or oval in cross-section, resembling either outlandish pebbles or decorative pebbles, leaves reaching 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy, waxy leaves are grey-white, but their texture makes them appear bright silver in the shade, with a hint of rose gold in bright light. They seem to be strung or scattered in slides on the soil, seeming like an artificial decoration of the interior. Silver pachyphytums also bloom in an original way, producing bright red flowers on long pubescent pedicels.

Pachyphytum oviferum. © Tangopaso

Distribution area: deserts of the American continents.

Growing this silvery miracle is no more difficult than any ordinary succulent. In summer, pachyphytum will not refuse a place on the balcony, but even there it is content with scanty watering, it is sun-loving and magnificent in any temperature. Even a cool winter is needed only for flowering.

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Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other plants can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones.

Growing cacti at home

The special character of plants native to deserts

The natural conditions of the desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low air humidity, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas have acquired exceptional features:

Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where the problem of lack of nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less pressing, although we are talking about completely different climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti.

Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting.

One of the key features of desert plants is their extremely narrow “specialization.” Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their character well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars for many years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. Standard care will not work for such plants.

All indoor plants that came to us from desert places are united by other characteristics:

drought resistance; sun-loving up to the need to be in direct sunlight, extreme sensitivity to any shading and insufficient lighting; heat-loving; love of changes in night and day temperatures; need for a long and strict dormant period for subsequent flowering.

There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky.

Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors.

1. Star cactus astrophytum

Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube.

Astrophytum asterias. © seedsexotic

Distribution area: USA and Mexico.

This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition.

2. Invulnerable prickly pear

Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pears (Opuntia) lose their aggressiveness in indoor culture. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it is not for nothing that they have become a symbol of the Mexican deserts. The flat, segmented stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped, are surprising with spines and thin bristles, which, due to the jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state are reminiscent of roses.

Opuntia. © C T Johansson

Distribution area: Australia, Central and South America.

Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly, love abundant watering in spring and summer, and very little in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving.

3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti

One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising.

Echinocactus, or Hedgehog cactus (Echinocactus)

Distribution area: deserts of Mexico and the USA.

Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air.

4. New varieties of boring aloe

A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Looks like a bizarre inhabitant of the deep sea aloe Marlota(Aloe marlothii), flower-like elegant rosettes aloe variegated(Aloe variegata), unique aloe multifolia(Aloe polyphylla) with its complex spiral leaves in flat rosettes, etc., are new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns.

Aloe marlothii. © Stan Shebs

Aloe variegata

Aloe polyphylla. © Linda De Volder

Distribution area: deserts of Africa and the American continents.

All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding.

5. Fan Gasteria

The stems of these succulents, shortened to the point of being completely invisible, allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in double-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And the daughter rosettes formed in very large numbers make it easy to propagate the plant or grow it in “colonies”.

Gasteria. © skyviewsucculents

Distribution area: deserts of Africa.

Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer.

6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus

Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - oscularia deltoid(Oscularia deltoides), but also other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them.

Lampranthus deltoides, or Oscularia deltoides

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing the right watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its dormant period in the cold, but bright lighting is a measure that plants need all year round. Without access to fresh air, it is very difficult to grow lampranthus.

7. The thinnest otton shoots

The most unique of the succulents, Othonna is a plant whose true desert character is not easily recognized even upon close inspection. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family.

Otton capensis (Othonna capensis). © cactusjohn

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air.

8. Round-leaved portulacaria trees

It would be a big mistake to compare Portulacaria with another tree-like succulent - Crassula. After all, portulacaria are special plants. Shrubs, which in indoor conditions develop in the form of densely branching, amazingly beautiful, compact trees, look amazingly impressive. Round, fleshy leaves with bright colors sit opposite on fleshy, drooping shoots. The plant is easy to shape, even creating silhouettes reminiscent of bonsai, and the presence of several variegated forms allows you to choose plants to your liking.

African portulacaria (Portulacaria afra). © WoS

Distribution area: deserts of Africa.

Portulacaria love to spend the summer outdoors and are not afraid of even the midday sun. They are easy to grow, because even in summer the plant prefers moderate watering, and they are fertilized very rarely.

9. Guatemalan miracle - Hechtia Guatemala

One of the most unusual plants not only on the list of desert stars, but also among exotic indoor crops. The shortened stem is not visible under the stunning rosette, which looks artificial. Dense “bundles” of hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis) contain long and very narrow linear leaves that can stretch up to half a meter. The spiny edge, grayish color, scaly bottom and reddish coating turn Hechtia Guatemala into a sparkling star in bright light. But this succulent also manages to surprise with its flowering - panicles of white three-petaled flowers.

Hybrid of Guatemalan Hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis hybrid). © nixwickedgarden

Distribution area: deserts of Central and South America.

Growing this original crop is easy. To flower, it needs to be provided with a cool winter, the light regime must be stable, and watering must be very careful. Otherwise, hechtia is a typical unpretentious succulent, surprising with its endurance

10. Silver pebbles of pachyphytum ovifera

One of the most unusual and “precious” indoor plants, pachyphytum (Pachyphytum oviferum) surprises with its texture, shape, and color. Shortened shoots are not visible under obovate, round or oval in cross-section, resembling either outlandish pebbles or decorative pebbles, leaves reaching 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy, waxy leaves are grey-white, but their texture makes them appear bright silver in the shade, with a hint of rose gold in bright light. They seem to be strung or scattered in slides on the soil, seeming like an artificial decoration of the interior. Silver pachyphytums also bloom in an original way, producing bright red flowers on long pubescent pedicels.

Pachyphytum oviferum. © Tangopaso

Distribution area: deserts of the American continents.

Growing this silvery miracle is no more difficult than any ordinary succulent. In summer, pachyphytum will not refuse a place on the balcony, but even there it is content with scanty watering, it is sun-loving and magnificent in any temperature. Even a cool winter is needed only for flowering.

In the previous article, the children and I met the inhabitants of arid places - cacti (see article). Today the children and I will meet other inhabitants of arid places and deserts.

Plants that grow in dry conditions are called xerophytes (“xero” - dry, “phyto” - plant).

Among xerophytes, there is a group of plants that accumulate water inside themselves - "succulents" This word translates as “juice accumulators.”

Depending on where the plant accumulates water, Succulents are divided into two categories:

1. stem,
2. leafy.

Note: For preschool children, the group of leafy succulents will be preferable for observations, since their representatives are less thorny.

• Leaf succulents accumulate water in fleshy leaves. These include aloe, Kalanchoe, sedum, havortia (haworthia), and Crassula.
• Cacti include to stem succulents, since water accumulates in the tissues of its stem.

Sometimes people confuse the concepts and call all succulents cacti. Cacti are a separate systematic group of plants. Every cactus is a succulent, but not every succulent is a cactus.

Exercise 1. There is little water in deserts, and therefore plants create a supply of water for themselves in the stems or in the leaves. Invite the children to divide the pictures into two groups:

• one group will include plants of deserts and arid places that accumulate water in their leaves,
• The second group includes those plants that accumulate water in the stem.

This can be determined by the appearance of the plant, even if children do not yet know their names and terms. Draw the children's attention to the stem and leaves of the plant (The correct answer to the task: Kalanchoe, aloe, sedum, Crassula, Haworthia accumulate water in the leaves, and cacti - in the stems).

Task 2. Ask the children to guess which plants are in the picture below:

• accumulate water in leaves
• accumulate water in the stems.

Ask the kids how they guessed?

Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments and we’ll look for answers together :)!

Section 2. Does living water only exist in fairy tales? The healing power of succulents

Let's remember the tales of living water from fairy tales. Living water is found in a variety of fairy tales: this is the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm “Living Water”, Russian folk tales “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf”, “Fyodor Tugarin and Anastasia the Beautiful”, “The Legless and Blind Hero” "(living water returns the ability to walk and see), "Fake Illness", "Marya Morevna", "Wonderful Shirt", "Animal's Milk", "The Tale of the Three Little Princes", the Belarusian fairy tale "Pokatigoroshek".

What did living water do in fairy tales? Healed, revived, put on her feet, rejuvenated. Let's remember about living water from fairy tales and listen to audio stories about it with the children.

Does living water exist in real life? Ask the children about this and after listening to their opinion, tell them what happens! Succulents contain this water. The moisture that succulents accumulate in their leaves and stems can heal. It is added to anti-aging skin creams and ointments for wound healing. Medicines are also made from it.

A well-known medicinal plant is the indoor aloe plant.

Section 3. How are desert plants protected? Aichrizon – tree of love and happiness

Let's approach this bush with small leaves or look at it with the children at home or in the picture. On the leaves you can see a fluff of small delicate hairs. What do the leaves remind us of? They look a little like hearts, which is why this plant is popularly called the “tree of love”, “tree of happiness”. There is a belief that in a house where there is such a tree, love and happiness reign.

The real name of the plant is aichrizon. Its homeland is the Azores and Canary Islands. How is this plant protected?

• This plant is not poisonous. This means that it cannot protect itself with poison.
• It doesn't have thorns either. Its leaves will not help it protect itself.

How does it protect itself?

Let's conduct an experiment. What happens if you touch the leaves? Take a sniff. The plant gives off an unpleasant odor. It turns out that his hairs are designed like... bottles of perfume! (show your child a bottle of eau de toilette or perfume, open it, smell it, close it). As soon as we touch the air, its delicate hairs are damaged. It’s like tearing the cap off a bottle of perfume, only the smell of the perfume is pleasant, but this plant has a very unpleasant smell! Few animals would want to eat such a plant. This is the kind of protection wise nature came up with for this plant!

Aichrizon tolerates pruning well. You can cut a few branches for propagation. And we will treat the sections with crushed activated carbon.

Section 4. Sansevieria - pike tail

“What kind of tail has started to grow:
Not in a pond, not in a river -
On the window, by the stove. ( Sansevieria/pike tail/)»

Consider this plant of deserts and arid places with your children. Its scientific name is very difficult for children. It is called “sansevieria”. But people came up with other names for this plant - very simple and even funny!

Let's figure out what this plant looks like? Yes, bunny ears! That’s why people sometimes call the plant “rabbit ears.” This plant also looks like fish tails. Do you see the stripes? They look like stripes of fish - pike. That’s why this whole plant has a very unusual name: “pike tail.” What an interesting name!

How does sansevieria, the piketail, survive in arid regions? Let's look at its leaves with the children. What are they? (hard, covered with a thick layer of wax, like aloe). Wax protects leaves from moisture evaporation, helps the plant retain it and not lose it! And the hard fibers inside the leaf protect the pike tail... from what do you think? (listen to the children's opinion). They protect the plant from being eaten by animals. Who would enjoy chewing rope? The animal will not want to eat such a plant! Sansevieria fibers are so powerful that African tribes used them to make strong ropes.

Like flax, sansevieria belongs to fibrous plants.

Section 5. Are there living stones or lithops?

Look at the picture. What is this? Stones? But no! You didn't guess!

And these small plants of the African deserts deceive animals with their appearance. They disguise themselves as stones. They are called lithops, from the Latin “lito” - stone.

On the surface they have only two leaves, 5 cm in size. When it gets too hot and the air heats up to +50 degrees, the babies bury themselves in the sand. They have special retracting roots. And only when the babies bloom with small white, yellow or orange flowers, it becomes clear that they are alive. Small Lithops like to grow in groups. When there are a lot of them, they bloom much easier.

Here is a short video about lithops.

Let's make an unusual craft - let's try to revive the stones together with the children!

Master class “Living stones”

Invite children to become wizards and bring pebbles to life, turning them into blooming lithops.

Materials:

• round pebbles no larger than 5 cm in size,
• brush,
• green and white gouache,
• blanks for flowers (circle with a diameter of 3 cm and a center of 1 cm),
• scissors.

Step by step description:

Step 1. "Match a Pair" task. Let's group the pebbles into pairs, trying to choose ones that are as similar to each other as possible.

Step 2. Paint the window on top of each stone with green gouache. Lithops look at the sun through a narrow “window” so as not to get burned. There is no need to paint the entire stone.

Step 3. While the gouache on the stones is drying, let's start cutting the petals in the flowers. Let's paint the middle yellow. We must cut the circle only to the yellow center. The petals should be approximately 3-4 mm wide.

The finished cut flower needs to be folded in half and in half again (up to a quarter). Fluff the petals with your finger. Carefully unfold the flower, but do not straighten it all the way, to add volume.

Step 4. Let's take white gouache and apply white specks to the green windows of the lithops. They can be applied by spraying paint using a toothbrush.

Step 5. Insert a flower into the middle between a pair of pebbles. Our “lithops” - living flowering stones - are ready.

Section 6. Mini-quest for children “Meet Kalanchoe”

The game is suitable for older preschoolers and younger schoolchildren - those who can already read words. We divide the players into 4 groups (assign a color to each to make it easier to navigate). Each group is given the name of the plants to search for and a recommendation where to look for the clue. We use 2-3 hints for one group.

Helpful advice: If children do not read yet, then there is no need to give up this interesting game! You can use photographs of objects - tips, and an adult will read the text - what is the name of a plant in deserts and arid places.

• The white team is tenacious;
• The red team is a calloused tree;
• Green Team – Bryophyllum;
• The yellow team is a living tree;

We use simple places as tips. For example, for the white team that goes in search of a survivor, the clue will be “yellow bear.” When the children approach the yellow bear, they pick it up and find the next clue on the note. For example, "stool". The following clue “The plant on the table is a survivor” will be glued to the stool.

The intrigue of this mini-quest is that the last clue will be the same for everyone, “A plant on the table (for example, a plant on the teacher’s desk / or a plant on the teacher’s desk / or a plant on daddy’s desk.” Each group will think that they have found their plant. Everyone sits around, calm down, and the adult asks each group what plant they found.The children point to the flower and call it: tenacious, callus tree, bryophyllum, living tree.

It turns out that everyone was looking for the same plant, it just has several names!

“The tree of life is called Kalanchoe.
It is a healing flower, like aloe.
There are bouquets of flowers on the peduncle
There may be different colors.
Here is soft pink, dark burgundy,
Here is purple, lavender,
Here is blue, and here is white and blue.
Oh, how beautiful Kalanchoe is!”

Some plants, like Kalanchoe, have several names. But why does this happen? Let's talk with the children.

Why is Kalanchoe called tenacious or “living tree”?

Kalanchoe takes root very well and reproduces easily, which is why it is called “tenacious,” “living tree.”

Why is Kalanchoe called the callus tree?

They treat calluses by applying the succulent leaves to the feet.

Why is Kalanchoe called bryophyllum?

Bryophyllum... What a difficult word! Kalanchoe is so called for its leafy children with roots that grow along the edge of the leaflet of Bryophyllum Degremon. Their small roots hang from the leaf like moss, hence the name “brio” - moss, “phyllon” - leaves.

These babies fall and take root nearby.

« The flower is fleshy, unsightly,
Grows without any care
But for many years already in high esteem
The plant is among the people.
Let Kalanchoe be in the house -
An ambulance assistant is at hand.
Kalanchoe will improve your health
And it will keep you at peace in your soul."

To avoid confusion with names, the plant has an official name in Latin, which is written in its passport.

Section 7. Gavortia (haworthia)

And now the children and I are waiting for a creative speech task “What to call havortia (haworthia)?”

Pretend to listen and tell the children: “Can you hear someone crying? This is a havortia. What happened? Why is she crying? It turns out that the poor thing has only one name - “gavortia striped”. And she is very upset that all the plants have three or four names, but she only has one! Let’s help her and come up with different names for her.”

Look at the plant. What does she look like? How do its leaves grow? Touch them. What are they? What makes the stripes? Perhaps children will want to call havortia “striped star”, or “striped tuft”, or maybe it will be “lizard tail bouquet”? Imagine with your children.

Section 8. How to care for desert plants?

Read the poem to the children:

“What a funny hedgehog -
He has no arms and no legs,
He always lived in the desert,
Where there is no water.
And now he lives in a pot.
This is Cactus - my flower.
How slowly he grows
It hasn't bloomed for years.
I'll water it with water
I'll feed you chocolate.
He will respond to affection
It will bloom like a flower from a fairy tale!” (T. Lavrova)

Ask the children: “Is the kid in the poem taking care of the cactus correctly? Is it possible to feed a cactus chocolate? What needs to be done to make the cactus bloom?” Tell the children about the rules for caring for indoor desert plants.

In order for the cactus to grow and bloom well, we must create conditions for it, like at home, in its homeland in the deserts and semi-deserts of Africa or America. These are inhabitants of open spaces, so they love the sun. They prefer south windows.

Caring for a cactus is similar to other succulents:

• In winter they need a temperature of 10-16 degrees. Pots are placed closer to the windows, and sometimes cacti are placed between the window frames.
• Watering in winter once every 7 - 10 days. In some cases, a break in winter watering can be up to 3-4 weeks. If watering is not reduced during winter and the temperature is not low enough, the plant will not bloom. In summer, watering becomes more intense - a couple of times a week.
• Succulents are not sprayed.
• Before watering, you need to wait until the soil is completely dry and wait a couple more days. Stagnation of water is unacceptable. If there is too much water, the cactus will die.
• The soil must be permeable and have good drainage. Ideal mixture for soil of cacti, havortia: 3 parts leaf soil, 3 parts fine gravel (small pebbles are suitable for an aquarium), 3 parts coarse sand, 2 parts broken shell rock, 1 part clay. The clay will bind the components, its structure will retain water available for the roots, but it will not be enough for mold to develop. For leafy succulents, the mixture should be more nutritious.
• Young plants are replanted annually. Adults - once every 3 years.
• To propagate by shoots, they should first be dried for 1-2 days before planting in the ground. Treat the cut with crushed activated carbon. This must be done to avoid fungal damage to the plant, because succulents contain a lot of moisture. For shoots, it is worth adding another 1 part of crushed charcoal to the soil.

Desert and Arid Lands Houseplant Passports for Preschool and Kindergarten Children

You can learn how to properly care for a plant from its passport. Yes, plants also have passports. Plant passports for children - preschoolers and preschool educational institutions necessarily contain conventional drawn icons - hints, “pictograms” that the child “reads”. With the help of these icons, the child receives basic information about the features of plant care. The passport also provides a verbal description of the plant's main characteristics for adults.

Author of the folder and plant passports from this article— Olga Astrakhantseva, Master of Biological Sciences, teacher-biologist, author of the blog “The Magic of Biology”, author of the column “For children about indoor plants” on the “Native Path” website.

In the folder “Passports for indoor plants of deserts and arid places” you will find:

• table “Symbols for plant passports”,
• passports of indoor plants living in deserts and arid places: aloe, Kalanchoe, ovoid or oval Crassula, Havortia (Haworthia), Sansevieria, hybrid Echinopsis.

In the continuation of this article, you can introduce children to the money tree and make an interesting craft. Read the next article in a series of fascinating stories about indoor plants. make crafts and explore nature with us!

The author of the article and the section “For children about indoor plants” of the site “Native Path” is Olga Astrakhantseva, teacher - biologist, Master of Biological Sciences, reader of the site “Native Path”, author of the blog “The Magic of Biology” (http://biomagic27.blogspot.ru/).

You will find more interesting materials for games and activities with children on the topic “Indoor plants of deserts” in the articles on the site:

— 23 poems for kids, preschoolers and schoolchildren, as well as humorous poems about a cactus with tasks for children.

— Riddles from simple to the most complex.

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