{"title":"50% shade","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"adenia-perrieri","title":"Adenia perrieri","description":"\u003cp\u003eAdenia perrieri is a plant that needs little introduction. It is the only species that we receive requests for almost every week and it’s easy to understand why. The naturally variegated leaf is among the most iconic in the plant kingdom, deeply lobed with contrasting shades of blue-green. From the seasonally dry forests of Madagascar, this species is more of a liana than a caudiciform or tree, although some examples in cultivation exceed 10 ft in height. A good candidate for a bright indoor spot or greenhouse until it reaches a few feet tall and can handle full sun. Despite being in such high demand, this species is seldom offered.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635099832600,"sku":null,"price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/perrieri2_a8b99ea6-fc51-414d-bf18-2d895e0b6d7f.png?v=1760470300"},{"product_id":"aloe-calcairophila","title":"Aloe calcairophila","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most sought-after aloes, Aloe calcairophila is confined to a few limestone outcrops in southern Madagascar. Its name means “limestone-loving,” a nod to the nutrient-poor, mineral-rich soils it inhabits. The plant always forms a distichous fan of thin, bluish-green leaves, armed along the margin by evenly spaced teeth that stand out in sharp contrast to the otherwise inconspicuous leaves. In the wild, drought and sun can stress the foliage into a deep brownish hue. Unlike many rarities, it offsets freely, forming tight clumps over time. The inflorescence is almost haworthioid with miniature white flowers that hang off a thin bloom spike. These are rooted offsets, cultivated from our confirmed pure parent stock. keep it closer to this\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100389656,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/aloecalc_c1a450b2-beac-481a-8690-5f99077b6e41.png?v=1759969575"},{"product_id":"anacampseros-baeseckei","title":"Anacampseros baeseckei","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the oppressively arid Richtersveld, Anacampseros baeseckei forms a tight cushion of rounded leaves, often purple-flushed and adorned with a small tuft of white wool at the tip of each head. These hairs shed lightly over the older leaves as they descend, giving the plant a cobwebbed appearance. Beneath the beaded foliage, the stems remain completely hidden, branching over time to form a dense mound that sits low against the soil and gradually divides into a small colony of individual heads. In summer it sends up thin bloom spikes with proportionally large magenta flowers, reminiscent of some cacti, to which this genus is more closely related than to any other group of plants. The flowers open briefly in the afternoon and evening, as is typical of Anacampseros (and Avonia). These are seed-grown plants, far less common in cultivation than those propagated by cuttings.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100651800,"sku":null,"price":6.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Anacampseros_baeseckei_873c466e-1844-4c93-be56-1884d979df00.png?v=1759986674"},{"product_id":"anacampseros-namaquensis-pakhais","title":"Anacampseros namaquensis (Pakhais pass)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAnacampseros namaquensis is slow to reach maturity but it is an easy plant to keep, content in a small container for years. Sometimes treated as a subspecies of filamentosa or part of a species gradient, namaquensis is set apart by its distinctly shorter hairs, or “filaments” in the term is used for this genus. The clone we grow comes with location data placing it, somewhat ironically, outside its namesake Namaqualand, in the Cedarberg mountains along the well-known Pakhuis Pass. This stretch of road cuts through an trasitionary zone between two distinct ecosystems, with sandstone blending into the quartzite fields of the Doringrivier valley. The area holds a dense concentration of winter growers, with new species still being described from its more inaccessible hills.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635100717336,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Anacampseros_namaquensis_Pakhais_pass_80183aa3-3de9-4306-8761-32486482c38f.png?v=1759969637"},{"product_id":"begonia-dregei","title":"Begonia dregei","description":"\u003cp\u003eBegonia dregei is one of the few true caudiciform representatives of this genus. From South Africa, this species has a lot of variability in the leaves but always makes a nice stalky pachycaul plant. Despite being a popular species, not a lot is known about the habitat and ecology of this plant and it’s challenging to find photos of mature specimens in the wild or cultivation. We suspect plants offered under this name might be several different species, with this spotted-leaf form being the true B. dregei. Field reports place these different species in both winter and summer rainfall areas of South Africa, but we find it never goes dormant and keeps leaves all year when watered. Sensitive to extreme heat but capable of handling more cold than would be expected.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101110552,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/begonia_9a99a47d-1500-4b8e-bcf3-84d176f6f9ec.png?v=1759986761"},{"product_id":"ceropegia-simonae","title":"Ceropegia simonae","description":"\u003cp\u003eCeropegia simonae is worth growing for both its flowers and its strange, almost reptilian stems. This stapeliad from Madagascar forms small trailing branches, deep green and textured with a network of fine wrinkles. New growth twists and spirals around the pot, resembling what the tail of a small dragon might look like. The flowers are classic Ceropegia but particularly showy, with long, narrow tubes that flare at the tips like a bell, often patterned with vibrant green and purple spots that match the hues of the plant. It blooms well in warm conditions with bright light, and the stems eventually grow long enough to hang and coil around themselves. These are well-established rooted cuttings from our parent plant pictured in the second photo.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635101634840,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/ceropegiasimonae_7999a33a-d4de-4aae-9043-9721e3a4b150.png?v=1759972107"},{"product_id":"cynorkis-gibbosa","title":"Cynorkis gibbosa","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis hardy terrestrial orchid is a lesser-known representative of Madagascar's interior dry region, usually thought of for its charismatic succulents in contrast to the island's eastern coastal rainforests. From the riverine banks of rocky forests near urban centers like Antananarivo and Toliara (Tuléar), Cynorkis gibbosa is usually found in damp granitic soils growing in shade. The species bears vivid orange flowers with purple markings, but it is also one of the few orchids we grow that can be admired just as much for its darkly spotted foliage, a feature enhanced when treated a bit like a succulent bulb. The plant goes dormant in fall, and watering should be withheld until new leaves appear in spring. That rest period is also a good time to divide tubers into new plants. We find these among the easier orchids to maintain, keeping them alongside many summer-growing African bulbs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635102257432,"sku":null,"price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Cynorkis_gibbosa_344561ba-beba-48f8-9928-f0e4286e38f4.png?v=1759972290"},{"product_id":"cynorkis-guttata","title":"Cynorkis guttata","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis hardy terrestrial orchid is a lesser-known representative of Madagascar's interior dry region, usually thought of for its charismatic succulents in contrast to the island's eastern coastal rainforests. From the riverine banks of rocky forests near urban centers like Antananarivo and Toliara (Tuléar), Cynorkis guttata is usually found in damp granitic soils growing in shade. The flowers are pale lilac with darker purple spotting, and hang in loose sprays that twist slightly on their stalks, giving the plant a light, dancing look when in bloom. The plant goes dormant in fall, and watering should be withheld until new leaves appear in spring. That rest period is also a good time to divide tubers into new plants. We find these among the easier orchids to maintain, keeping them alongside many summer-growing African bulbs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635102322968,"sku":null,"price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Cynorkis_guttataflowers_197bec19-1b78-4668-8075-6f92affc08be.png?v=1759972308"},{"product_id":"echidnopsis-nubica","title":"Echidnopsis nubica","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the Red Sea Hills of Sudan, Echidnopsis nubica makes short, creeping stems covered with rounded tubercles arranged in even rows along the surface. In summer it bears clusters of flowers so small they might pass unnoticed, were it not for a pungent scent carried far on the air, intended not for human enjoyment but to draw in flies as pollinators. In habitat it grows among scattered Acacias and Aloes on rocky slopes, often rooting in pockets of wind-blown grit. It is close to E. cereiformis but distinguished by its smaller flowers and upright petals, reddish-brown with a yellow center.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635105403160,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Echidnopsisnubica_7091921c-32d9-4070-8768-2ad617979c82.png?v=1759987034"},{"product_id":"echidnopsis-similis","title":"Echidnopsis similis","description":"\u003cp\u003eEchidnopsis is a weird and distinctive group of stapeliads in the same tribe as Ceropegia, Rhytidocaulon, and Pseudolithos, with textures and shapes that often recall the more familiar members of those genera. Usually forming smaller, creeping stems, the genus is especially notable for its star-shaped, mostly tiny flowers, with only a single species breaking that pattern. These plants are confined to Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with some of the most striking diversity concentrated in the botanical wonderland of Socotra. This particular species, E. similis, appears to have largely evaded cultivation, having only been described in 1993 from Somalia, where geopolitical instability has limited deeper botanical exploration and much still remains to be uncovered.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635105435928,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Echidnopsissimilis_690551c9-1340-4632-89d1-67e24ed6854d.png?v=1759977461"},{"product_id":"euphorbia-francoisii","title":"Euphorbia francoisii","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEuphorbia francoisii is a highly variable species endemic to southern Madagascar. The species has been popularized by Thai breeders who have, through hybridization and selective breeding, created many unique and beautiful variations of this plant. The plants listed here, however, are the true species which naturally has a wide range in leaf morphology and color, with the same plant being capable of expressing many different colors and shapes simultaneously. For example, the two images shown are pictures of the exact same clone of plant under the same growing conditions!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635105992984,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/euphorbiafrancosii_787bf2bd-9d43-40bd-a2b6-03a0ebfd832e.png?v=1759977783"},{"product_id":"haworthia-cymbiformis","title":"Haworthia cymbiformis","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe believe this to be the typical form of the widespread and highly variable Haworthia cymbiformis, recognized to have seven officially accepted varieties in the latest revision of the genus. The true cymbiformis var. cymbiformis ranges widely through South Africa’s summer rainfall Eastern Cape, yet grows happily alongside the more western winter rainfall species in cultivation, all of which take well to a bit of water year-round, especially in bright light. The species is generally defined by broad, flat, smooth leaves of a particularly bright green, often mostly opaque. While many species turn dark red under stress, cymbiformis holds its green until nearly scorched, at which point it shifts to yellow. Like other members of the genus, it tolerates more shade than most succulents we offer and sunburns easily in full, unprotected exposure. For this and most other Haworthia, even light throughout the day keeps rosettes compact and brings out their best seasonal colors.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635107139864,"sku":null,"price":7.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/haworthiacymbiformis_4387b797-2d00-46b3-be9b-d89f541f5578.png?v=1759978045"},{"product_id":"pedilanthus-macrocarpus-crest","title":"Pedilanthus macrocarpus crest","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis crested form of the common “Lady’s Slipper” is one of the more novel fasciations sought after by collectors. Unlike the regular Pedilanthus macrocarpus (and anything else in the plant kingdom), this mutation produces unpredictably contorted, flattened stems that eventually form a sprawling shrub of appreciable size, mixing funky shapes with the occasional stretch of classic linear growth. We propagate it by selecting cuttings with the most interesting shapes and rooting them individually, each with its own personality. Please note that you may receive a plant with a radically different form than what is pictured, but that is part of the fun. What you can always expect is a flattened green stem that twists and folds over itself. We like to imagine what shapes they resemble, much like watching clouds. An easy plant to grow, the standard form is often sold in big-box stores across the country, usually slotted between succulents and landscape shrubs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635112415512,"sku":null,"price":68.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/pedilanthusmacrocarpuscrest_7c0b42a1-8165-41c9-9927-8d7b8d8d9e32.png?v=1759978523"},{"product_id":"portulaca-elatior","title":"Portulaca elatior","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe identification of this species is tentative. A trusted expert suggested this name as the closest match we’ve found for an unusual and charming Portulaca we grew from seed of unknown origin. It is almost certainly related to that species, eruca, or another succulent Portulaca of South American origin. Regardless, it has proven fast growing and full of horticultural merit, with thin little succulent leaves and super fuzzy branches. If it is indeed P. eliator, seemingly unrepresented in cultivation, we suspect it will form a small tuberous caudex with time. The species is native to Brazil’s Caatinga biome, one of the most fascinating and understudied ecosystems in the world. We’ll update this listing if more information becomes available.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50635113398552,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Portulaca_elatior_e78fd6c7-177c-4988-b6b9-bcc65145b100.png?v=1759978715"},{"product_id":"seyrigia-humbertii","title":"Seyrigia humbertii","description":"\u003cp\u003eSeyrigia humbertii is a truly unusual species, producing angled succulent stems densely flecked with wool and a tuberous underground caudex. More than that, it’s in Cucurbitaceae, making this bizarre looking plant a close relative of the pumpkin, cucumber, and melon. From river gorges around the town of Toliara, Madagascar. The Madagascan Cucurbits are an interesting group of plants with a substantial amount of succulent representatives. A recent phylogeny revealed that Cucurbitaceae originated in Asia and migrated around the world, reaching Madagascar 13 different times,  presumably from the African mainland. The sale plant is a well established cutting grown plant with multiple new stems forming around the base.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"male","offer_id":52330707353880,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"female","offer_id":52330707386648,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/seyrigiahumbertii_9e82f166-205f-4846-9869-d187c8742e77.png?v=1760469865"},{"product_id":"haworthia-kotohime","title":"Haworthia \"Kotohime\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eHaworthia “Kotohime” is a good example of a nursery-produced hybrid that has become fairly widespread in the hobby yet still holds its own against current work from top breeders. This splendens-heavy hybrid, produced by the Japanese breeder Cactus Nishi, has broad, dark leaves marked with a constellation of tiny white-tinted windows, arranged tightly enough to apear almost intentionally designed. Part of its reputation also comes from its role in later generations of hybrids, where it appears repeatedly as a parent in plants now in the Haworthia hall of fame, including “Shinjukou” (also sold as “Forbidden City”) and “Hime Aoi.” Despite being in tissue culture for years and one of the more prolific offsetters in our collection, it hasn’t reached the ubiquity of the common green garden-center hybrids, and a well-grown example can still take a bit of searching to track down. Our offerings come from vegetative propagation and are grown in bright light to bring out the dusky, obsidian coloring that made this plant so surprising and compelling when it first appeared.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50903088169240,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/kotohime.png?v=1763688814"},{"product_id":"haworthia-maughanii-shirotae","title":"Haworthia maughanii \"Shirotae\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eHaworthia maughanii is native only to a small area in the Western Cape of South Africa where their spiral rosette of thick leaves grow buried underground with only the flatted tops poking through the sand, level to the ground and usually buried. These survival experts are almost undetectable from most angles, until an aerial perspective of the plant reveals the blue-tinted, often completely transparent foliage which, like other Haworthia and local endemics, have evolved to transmit the sun’s energy to deeply buried, well protected parts of the plant so that it can still photosynthesize without announcing its present to nearby grazers. These transparent leaves are often capped with opaque or intricate “veins” of white pigmentation, the evolutionary purpose of which is unknown but has provided the basis for decades of Haworthia maughanii is native to a small area in the Western Cape of South Africa, where its spiral rosette of thick leaves grows almost entirely underground, with only the flattened tips visible at the surface and often buried altogether. These plants are difficult to spot from most angles and only an overhead view reveals the blue-tinted, often completely transparent leaf windows. Like other Haworthia and local endemics, they evolved to channel sunlight down into the protected parts of the plant, allowing photosynthesis to continue without advertising their presence to grazers. These transparent leaf tops are frequently overlaid with opaque or intricately veined white patterns. Their evolutionary role remains uncertain, but they have become the foundation for decades of selective breeding, producing designs never seen in the wild and often reflecting the sensibilities of the breeder as much as the plant itself. There was a time when certain H. maughanii hybrids from Japan or produced by figures like Steven Hammer or Gerhard Marx commanded astonishing sums, but the market has stabilized thanks to tissue culture, and many once-exclusive forms are now within reach for ordinary collectors.\u003cbr\u003e\nThis hybrid is one of the better-known examples, yet it still stands out as one of the most impressive. Named “Shirotae,” or “white cloth,” it develops increasingly complex white striations with age and remains distinctive enough that established breeders continue to keep it in their parent stock alongside far rarer, one-off plants.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50903091314968,"sku":null,"price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/maughanii_b971f8ca-4a16-4329-b64e-5a2c5a25826b.png?v=1763686952"},{"product_id":"angraecum-urschianum-1","title":"Angraecum urschianum","description":"\u003cp\u003eNative to the forests of Madagascar, this diminutive little jewel of the forest is truly a remarkable plant. The foliage is satisfyingly textured and rewards the grower in late spring by producing elegant white flowers that dwarf the foliage with impossibly long nectar spurs. Due to habitat loss this plant is exceptionally rare in the wild so we’re very happy to be able to offer horticulturally produced, seed grown plants of this extraordinary orchid. We grow them mounted on bark to simulate their epiphytic habitat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50997155692824,"sku":null,"price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Angraecum_urschianum_d9076cd4-7e4a-450c-93cd-22478d2b2347.png?v=1759986695"},{"product_id":"pterostylis-curta","title":"Pterostylis curta","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePterostylis curta\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is native to southeastern Australia, New Caledonia, and Lord Howe Island. This species is technically a winter grower, retreating to small subterranean tubers through the summer months. We find this is easily the toughest terrestrial orchid we’ve grown, tolerating everything from hot, continuously wet tropical conditions to life outdoors in northern California with no supplemental irrigation. It’s an outlier among orchids and doesn’t offer a showy flower in the usual sense. In spring it produces a single, upright bloom, green and hooded, with a form that resembles a cloaked figure. Despite its humble floral display, the overall composition of the plant, paired with its diminutive size, gives it an endearing presence sure to please fans of “cute plants,” ourselves included.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51597531906328,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/pterostylus.png?v=1769985050"},{"product_id":"stanhopea-tigrina","title":"Stanhopea tigrina","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eStanhopea tigrina is an extremely hardy epiphytic orchid native to the eastern coast of Mexico. It does very well outdoors in northern California, tolerating a wide range of conditions and rebounding from stress remarkably well. In late summer, large plants produce several fist-sized flowers in deep maroon, yellow, and white that are superlative for the genus, lasting only a few days but radiating a potent jasmine fragrance. The name, which means tiger-like, refers to the dramatically patterned flowers, though the distinct spotting arguably looks more leopard than tiger.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51597531939096,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/stanhopia.png?v=1769985337"},{"product_id":"crassula-orbicularis","title":"Crassula orbicularis","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCrassula orbicularis is a seldom-seen, cliff-dwelling species from a region of South Africa particularly rich in this genus. While it resembles several more familiar, widely grown species, it maintains a curious aerial habit, dividing through above-ground stolons. Despite this, the flat rosettes tend to press themselves against whatever surface they’re growing on, whether that’s a potting mix or a lithophytic mount for growers interested in pushing it toward a rock-mounted presentation reminiscent of Pinguicula. The species is native to the southern coast of South Africa and extends northward along the eastern coastline.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51597532070168,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/crassulaorbicularis.png?v=1769985772"},{"product_id":"conophytum-ectypum-sulcatum","title":"Conophytum ectypum ssp. sulcatum","description":"\u003cp\u003eMost Conophytum are capable of shriveling to conserve moisture during periods of extreme drought, but few seem to have evolved to look permanently shriveled, regardless of how healthy they are. C. ectypum subsp. brownii leans fully embraces this, and may be the Conophytum most spiritually aligned with a raisin. Its brain-like, bumpy surface may function as a form of misdirection, discouraging would-be grazers that might otherwise mistake the plump, mature bodies for something worth eating. This subspecies is known from a single hill near Jakkalswater in the Namaqualand region of South Africa’s winter-rainfall Northern Cape. We allow it a dry summer rest like most Conophytum, during which the tactile rippling remains faintly visible beneath the papery sheath.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51626621010200,"sku":null,"price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/conophytumecytpum.png?v=1769985193"},{"product_id":"aloe-inexpectata-1","title":"Aloe inexpectata hybrid","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAloe inexpectata is a miniature, cliff-dwelling species native to central Madagascar. It was only described in 2003, its name referencing the unexpected nature of its discovery by John Lavranos and Tom McCoy. Growth is slow, which likely explains why it remains exceedingly scarce in cultivation. Our plants are hybrids involving Aloe inexpectata and an unknown related Aloe species. They retain much of the character that makes inexpectata so desirable, including the compact habit, narrow bluish-green leaves, and dark red serrated margins, while showing some variation from plant to plant. Growth is slow, and mature heads typically remain small, making these excellent candidates for collectors who appreciate miniature Aloes and unusual Madagascan species. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51627077763352,"sku":null,"price":64.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/aloeinexpectata_02c06018-593b-4acf-b5d6-468f9b1e1c23.png?v=1769993595"},{"product_id":"dioscorea-discolor","title":"Dioscorea discolor","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom seasonally dry regions of Ecuador and Brazil, Dioscorea discolor has probably some of the most ornate foliage of the genus. In spring, this plant produces a long vine of generously proportioned cordate (heart-shaped) leaves, intricately patterned with deep tones of maroon and green and covered with a velvety surface that catches a silver sheen in light. It is probably the only member of the genus grown for its leaves, and not its tuber\/caudex. This plant does extremely well as a houseplant, but can also be grown outdoors, as long as it is kept dry while dormant when the leaves die back to an underground tuber that can’t be raised like other Dioscorea.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954370838808,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/dioscoreadiscolor.png?v=1776321364"},{"product_id":"adenia-monadelpha","title":"Adenia monadelpha","description":"\u003cp\u003eAdenia monadelpha is relatively widespread in the seasonally dry forests of southwestern Madagascar, a region rich with unusual endemic caudiciforms and succulents. This species develops a greyish-green, distinctly knobby trunk which can develop quite quickly into a very large, potentially even tree-sized plant, given adequate root room. Plants produce deciduous, palmately lobed leaves, that when young have some faint, white variegation-like patterning on them. This species is extremely closely related to Adenia eccirhosa, the only difference being that it lacks tendrils, and has a more arborescent habit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954371100952,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/adeniaecchirosa.png?v=1776321366"},{"product_id":"huernia-penzigii","title":"Huernia penzigii","description":"\u003cp\u003eHuernia have a wide range in nature, occurring across much of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Certain species, like Huernia zebrina, are extremely common in cultivation, mass-produced and even found in dollar stores. We have a fondness for these ubiquitous ones as well, which still rank among the wildest flowers in the entire plant kingdom. Across the genus the blooms vary in texture, from toothy to glossy, and show ornate patterns and colors that verge on psychedelic. Even out of bloom the plants have plenty of appeal, forming pots of upright stems covered in flexible tubercles or “spikes,” which can stress into gradients of purple, red, green, blue, and everything in between. Huernia penzigii is an Ethiopian species with bell-shaped flowers colored a deep maroon gradient on the inside that progressively darkens towards the center.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954371133720,"sku":null,"price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/huerniapenzigii.png?v=1776321365"},{"product_id":"orbea-semota","title":"Orbea semota","description":"\u003cp\u003eOrbea is a stapeliad genus of about 56 species, occurring from southern and eastern Africa into Arabia. Members of Ceropegieae, they are distinguished by their star-shaped flowers with a distinct central ring, the feature referenced in the name Orbea. The flowers can be showy and usually stand out strongly against the pale stems, which are often marked with distinctive splotchy pigmentation, mottled with purples and red dots. This allows certain species to be recognizable even when not in bloom. The succulent stems resemble those of allied genera but are somewhat more fragile. Some breakage in transit may be inevitable, though the plants regenerate quickly. Orbea semota is a Tanzanian species with very distinct flowers, noteworthy for their bright yellow flowers speckled with reddish-brown spots.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51954371166488,"sku":null,"price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/orbeasemota.png?v=1776321337"},{"product_id":"aristolochia-fimbriata","title":"Aristolochia fimbriata","description":"\u003cp\u003eAristolochia fimbriata is a relative of the iconic “Dutchman’s pipe” vine and makes a similar alien pipe-shaped flower, but trades its fast, large-growing nature for a more dwarf habit. This South American species produces small round leaves pigmented with an intricate web of thin white lines. The dramatic natural variegation makes this species worth growing as a foliage plant, but few caudiciform enthusiasts know that these also make a large succulent tuber that can be displayed if protected from extreme elements. It takes many seasons of growth for there to be a sizable caudex, but it has plenty to appreciate in its flowers and foliage as a houseplant in the meantime and seems relatively adaptable to a variety of conditions ranging from a greenhouse to a sunny windowsill. This species is said to have an unusual pollination mechanism of trapping the insect pollinator until the flower collapses, depending on the insect being immediately trapped in another flower to complete the pollination cycle.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52136545648920,"sku":null,"price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/aristolochiafimbriata.png?v=1780531376"},{"product_id":"euphorbia-bosseri","title":"Euphorbia bosseri","description":"\u003cp\u003eEuphorbia bosseri is one of the “dead stick” types of Madagascan Euphorbia like E. platyclada, with which this species was considered synonymous by some. In our cultivation, what we grow as platyclada is quite distinct from bosseri, which is darker to the point of being almost black, lacks tiny leaves on new growth, and, perhaps most interestingly, forms a caudex. Learned disciples of Madagascar plants may be quick to recognize the origin of this species from its name alone, which was given in honor of Mauritian botanist Jean Marie Bosser, famous for describing over 300 new species from Madagascar, Mauritius, and surrounding islands. The fast-growing trailing stems make this a fine candidate for a hanging basket. An opportunistic grower that we water whenever temperatures are warm and give a bit of shade to during the hottest months.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52136545878296,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/euphorbiabosseri.png?v=1780531348"},{"product_id":"begonia-homonyma","title":"Begonia homonyma","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis succulent Begonia is often mistakenly offered as its close relative Begonia dregei, but has some distinct qualities despite being relatively similar looking compared against the rest of the genus. Begonia homonyma produces only solid green leaves, lacking the white spots and darker blue-tinted coloration of B. dregei. This species makes up for its less ornate foliage by being capable of growing a much larger caudex. We’ve seen the rotund central tuber grow to become almost a foot across on B. homonyma, while dregei only makes thickened stems that slowly gain mass around the base of the plant. Field reports place these different species in both winter- and summer-rainfall areas of South Africa, but we find it never goes dormant and keeps leaves all year when watered. Sensitive to extreme heat, but capable of handling more cold than would be expected. Thankfully, this species gives clear indication when it wants water, and if the stems begin to droop, it only takes a few hours for them to stand completely upright.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52136550990104,"sku":null,"price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/Begonia_homonyma.png?v=1780531351"},{"product_id":"duvaliandra-dioscoridis","title":"Duvaliandra dioscoridis","description":"\u003cp\u003eDuvaliandra dioscoridis may be one of the rarest species on Socotra. On an island that consists almost entirely of limestone, this species is restricted to a single population on a small patch of peralkaline granite at the highest mountain peak. Due to its high-altitude origins, this plant does not like much heat in cultivation and prefers temperatures to stay below 90. For us, it thrives on the bottom shelf of one of our cooler succulent greenhouses when it is sufficiently shaded and cooled by the plants and pots above. Although the species grows on the one patch of granite on Socotra, in our experience, it still thrives with a little bit of limestone mixed into the potting media since it enjoys alkaline soil conditions (peralkaline granite is alkaline in solution, hence the name). This is a relatively slow-growing species, but if kept under good conditions, it will reward the grower with beautiful burgundy and rubbery stapeliad flowers!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52458574053656,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/duvaliadioscoridis_efe58942-a802-4126-830a-ba4daea68207.png?v=1785377029"},{"product_id":"huernia-schneideriana-clone-1","title":"Huernia schneideriana (Clone 1)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the seasonally dry tropical biome of Tanzania, Huernia schneideriana is one of the easier-to-grow stapeliad species, thriving in most household conditions. This species has been said to escape gardens and naturalize itself in similar environments, namely the deserts of Mexico and Central America. This is likely a rare occurrence, and it has no real invasive potential, but it proves that this plant can spread rapidly when grown well. It forms dense clusters of pickle-shaped stems with red, star-shaped flowers covered in a bumpy texture and emerging from around the base of the plant. In our experience, most people tend to grow this species in insufficient light. When grown in optimal conditions, the stems should color to a reddish hue and never exceed 3 inches in length. When the light is too low, the stems will be a vibrant green, and they will continue to elongate instead of producing new branches from the base.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52458574119192,"sku":null,"price":8.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/huerniaschneiderianaclone1_d43a114d-d3f8-426b-9664-153e981c55be.png?v=1785377016"},{"product_id":"cephalopentandra-ecirrhosa","title":"Cephalopentandra ecirrhosa","description":"\u003cp\u003eCephalopentandra ecirrhosa is among the many caudex-forming members of the extended cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae, but is one of the few that actually forms its enlarged, trunk-like storage organ above ground. While most members are true vining geophytes with tubers happily buried in deep soil, this species makes a conical mound of woody plant tissue shaped a bit like a 2-foot-tall volcano. On the surface of the caudex is a very distinctive “melted wax” texture, with bumps that ripple across the amorphous blob of a tuber. Seasonal vines of bright green foliage with a subtle hairy covering grow vigorously from this strange stump as it visibly expands, with strands of new green flesh cracking through the knobby surface. This species is from a wide range across tropical northeastern Africa, where it grows alongside scattered caudiciforms and deciduous trees in semi-arid woodlands. In cultivation, it’s one of the easier and more rewarding caudex plants to cultivate, with a rate of growth capable of yielding ancient-looking, specimen-size plants in only a few years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rare Plant Catalog","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52458574151960,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0912\/1175\/9896\/files\/cephalopentandra_7ae50f21-cd31-4f23-aab6-57331e8f5466.png?v=1785377002"}],"url":"https:\/\/rareplantcatalog.com\/collections\/light-50-shade.oembed?page=2","provider":"Rare Plant Catalog","version":"1.0","type":"link"}