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 December
1998
 Buxus
microphylla
'Kingsville'
November
1998
Orostachys
malacophyllus
October
1998
Artemisia
schmidtiana
nana
September
1998
Athyrium
nipponicum
'Pictum'
August
1998
Cyclamen
purpurascens
July
1998
Thalictrum
kiusianum
June
1998
Geranium
cinereum
subcaulescens
May
1998
Genista
dalmatica
April
1998
Aquilegia
discolor
March
1998
Pulsatilla
patens
February
1998
Helleborus
x hybridus
 January
1998
Orostachys
spinosa
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2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
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1999
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1997
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Plant
of the Month
January
1998
Orostachys
spinosa
by Iza Goroff
Orostachys
spinosa is a plant grown for the fascinating symmetry
of its rosette. People who are mathematically inclined may
notice that the leaf pattern follows a Fibonacci sequence. O.
spinosa is a native of Siberia and other
Central Asian areas.
It is grown
very much like its relative sempervivum, the December Plant
of the Month. However, although the plant produces offsets,
to get the best effect one should separate these and grow
the plants individually. The plant should be placed in a
well drained situation with some sun. A single offset
planted in a crevice or in a slight depression in a
limestone rock with a small amount of soil can form an
impressive specimen in a growing season. It is also an
excellent plant for trough culture.
A plant may
flower after five or more years but the rosette dies after
flowering, producing offsets as it departs. The leafy
inflorescence looks like an inverted ice cream cone, a
characteristic of orostachys. The flowers are relatively
insignificant, small and yellow. O.
spinosa is hardy to at least -30 degrees F
(-35 degrees C) and is an easy plant to grow.
Some
botanical lumpers place Orostachys
spinosa in the genus sedum where it is called
Sedum spinosum.
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