What does the genus Othonna look like and what care do the plants need?

othonna arbuscule

What do you know of the genus Othonna? Have you seen these plants before? I’m sure so, but maybe you didn’t know them by their original name but by the one they commonly call.

So that this does not happen, below we will talk about these plants, their number and some of the most well-known and their care. Go for it?

Contents

What gender is the Othonna

capensis detail

To begin with, you should know that Othonna is a genus of phanerogam plants. That is, seed plants, discovered by Carlos Linnaeus in 1753.

In total, there are 258 species described, but the official (accepted) ones are not all, the list is rather reduced to only 111. They grow in different habitats and that means each has different characteristics and needs. But most of them are from South Africa and Namibia.

A curiosity you should know about the Othonna plant is that its name comes from othonne, which is a Greek word that translates as “linen”, “cloth”. And this refers to the softness of the leaves (not in all species, but in many).

Physically, to be family AseraceaeThey look like sunflowers and daisies. At the succulent level, it is very similar to senecio. And that’s it, visually, they are succulent (or sub-succulent, depending on the species) herbs or shrubs. The leaves are flattened on the back (more or less dense) with a succulent habit, which means that they accumulate water. They are elongated although they can have different shapes. They are almost always evergreen, but there are species that die back in the fall and these have a woody stem and a caudex where water and nutrients accumulate.

As for the flowers, they look like daisies, but not the same color. They are totally yellow.

What are the species of Othonna

dental

The truth is that if we were to tell you about the 258 species, you would end up getting bored, so we will only list some of the best known. These are the following:

  • Othonna capensis.
  • O. cherifolia.
  • O. triplinervia.
  • Othonna cacalioides.
  • O.herrei.
  • Othonna dentata.
  • O. euphorbioides.
  • O. opal necklace.
  • Othonna sonchifolia.

As you know, there are many more, but almost all of them are very similar (there are only a few that are quite different).

Othonna care

Capensis

Although each species is unique and will have its peculiarities, in general the care that we are going to recommend can be used for almost all of them. And it is that having an Othonna at home is not as easy as it seems. But that he stays well and doesn’t die, it may be more complicated without some basics.

Luckily, you have those basics here.

lighting and temperature

The first thing you need to know is that Othonna is a solar plant, but not direct. It is recommended to put it on the ground or in a pot in a semi-shaded place, in order to take advantage of the leaves of the morning and afternoon sun but not of those with greater incidence.

These plants adapt very well to hot climates and can even withstand high temperatures without problems. But in terms of losses, he is not so good at resisting. If it is below 10 ° C, it may suffer or even lose it.

Substrate

Another important point so that the Othonna does not die is to use a soil suitable for these plants. In this sense, the best is a mixture between peat and sand or light gravel.

Keep in mind that it needs more drainage than nutritionwith which the soil you put in them should not be very rich in nutrients (in fact, if it is not, it is much better).

Depending on the species, the graft must be done before or after. This will consist of removing it from the pot, completely removing the soil and replanting it again, either in the same pot or in another one.

Irrigation

Of all care, watering is one of the most important for the Othonna. It is recommended to water only from spring to autumn, leaving the winter season and part of the autumn season without watering.

When it comes to watering, it should not be overdone. It’s best to wait for the soil to dry out before watering again so the leaves don’t rot from the water. Also, it is impractical to leave water in a container as it can lead to the loss of the plant.

Subscriber

In general, succulents are not fertilized, or if they are given something, it must be little. However, in the case of Othonnas, they are fertilized in spring and summer. The normal thing is that it is given every 15 days but it will depend on the size of this. If it is still young, once every two months will suffice, more if you planted it recently.

Plagues and diseases

Succulents are plants that do not cause pest or disease problems. And in the case of Othonna, it will be no different. However, it is true that you must be aware of it, especially to avoid any disease related to soil fungi or due to problems such as lack or lack of lighting or irrigation.

One of the obvious symptoms that things are not going well is leaf loss. If each time you touch an Othonna the leaves fall off easily, it means it is in trouble and could end up getting lost.

For this reason, you will have to check the type of land it has, the irrigation given to it (whether abundant or not) as well as the light it receives. Sometimes the having it inside may be the cause, since when he is out of the house (and if caught in time) he can be retrieved.

Multiplication

Finally, we come to the propagation of the Othonna. In this case, it will depend on the species, but usually succeed in propagating via leaves, stem cuttings or, in the case of caudex plants, they will be more complicated (they can take root but not form the caudex.

Is it clearer to you now what the genre Othonna looks like?

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