Indoor Plant

Anacampseros rufescens, related to the more familiar Portulaca, is native to South Africa (Karoo) and forms small spiraling star-shaped rosettes with fleshy dark olive green pointed leaves that turn purple in bright light. Attractive, white filament-like hairs are present along the stems adding a nice contrast to the dark foliage. It thrives in full or part sun. Water thoroughly when dry. Easy to grow succulent house plant.

An extremely variable species. The narrow, pointed, splayed (“propeller-like”) leaves are initially a light green, but become a strong reddish colour in the sun. The leaves are stacked, and near the base of the rosette they are larger. Near the top of a rosette, the leaves gradually get smaller and change into floral bracts, as the stem forms a long, pointed inflorescence. It is a small, succulent herb (15–40 cm in height) – with stems that are either erect or rambling and mat-forming. Each stem forms roots at its internodes, which take root if the stem lies against the ground. Capitella is mostly biennial, blooming in the summer, with small, white, star-shaped flowers forming all around each thick, upright stem. It grows to a height of about 6 inches tall, and will be damaged when exposed to temperatures below 30 °F (−1 °C