Adromischus maculatus

Adromischus maculatus, sometimes commonly called calico hearts and in Afrikaans bontplakkie (multicoloured small slab), is a perennial leaf succulent that forms clumps by branching at the base and reaches heights around 35 cm.

The thick disc leaves are grey green and spotted. The shiny, hard ridge that runs along the leaf margins right to the base contributes to the identification of the species. Leaf dimensions are about 7 cm long and 3,5 cm wide. 

The species distribution is in the Western Cape found from Worcester eastwards through the Little Karoo to Uniondale and slightly into the west of the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is montane scrub on dry rocky outcrops. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

Succulent gardeners love Adromischus plants, also this one, even if their flowers are tiny and short-lived. They need little watering, do better in semi-shade . They are grown from leaf or stem cuttings, as well as from seed (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; www.crassulaceae.net; https://worldofsucculents.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).