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My Super Bum For Brad

jeffrey_harris
18 years ago

A few weeks ago Paracelus had posted a pic of a lovely plant that he thought might be Graptopetalum pentandrum v. superbum (now upgraded to to its own species, Graptopetalum superbum). At that time, I thought his plant was a hybrid, and promised a pic of my own.

Well, here's my plant - it's the original one, more than a little war-dogged, underfed, underwatered, underpotted, likely underappreciated, and under a stand shelf.

Graptopetalum superbum, in its initial flowering stage:

{{gwi:466413}}

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Comments (14)

  • becca_grow
    18 years ago

    Just wanted to tell you that that plant is BEAUTIFUL.
    b

  • jeffrey_harris
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Dear Becca,

    Why thank you, Ma'am - it really deserves better care.

  • paracelsus
    18 years ago

    Jeffrey,

    Here are three different views of my somewhat shabby plant from this morning. As you can see, it is also flowering. Sadly, you can also see some of the damage from a recent gastropd attack. I found two lurking in the pot after shooting these pictures. My plant is definitely not underwatered. In fact, it has been drenched pretty thoroughly recently thanks to a gushing Mother Nature.

    The more I look at your plant, the more similarity I see. Maybe mine is more blue/purple because, up here 400 miles north of San Diego, it is a little bit colder. Hybrid, or true Graptopetalum superbum, I love it either way. I was hoping to fill in the whole pot until it mounded over, but it is starting to look like I should behead some rosettes and start some new plants. One thing is certain, snails love this plant ;)

    {{gwi:466422}} {{gwi:466423}} {{gwi:466424}}

  • Joyce
    18 years ago

    The both look great to me!!!

  • ooojen
    18 years ago

    Yep, some darned fine-looking plants there!
    Jeff-- The progeny of your plant lives on in MN. It isn't showing any sign of flowering, but it has some eye-catching foliage.

  • biwako_of_abi
    18 years ago

    Same here, Jeff. My plant from a cutting you generously gave me a couple of years ago was doing well in the ground, even making a couple of pups, and it has a good pinkish-lavender color, but I recently put it back into a pot because I realized that it was likely to get stepped on. Can't have that!
    I had my eye on the "superbum" you donated to the swap table today at SDCSS' meeting, but someone else's number got called first. Oh, well, I have my original one.

  • fishies
    18 years ago

    I had such high hopes for this thread. Alas, they were all wasted.

    But lovely plants nevertheless!

    Shelly

  • jeffrey_harris
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Dear Brad,

    Is that the same plant that you showed previously? The one pictured above looks more like what I know as G. superbum (btw, yours are quite pretty! - you treat them with the care they deserve, whereas I......).

    The one I have pictured is, as noted, not given enough care. However, the two I have in the ground look much more like yours - lusher, better grown, etc. I'll get some pictures of them soon.

    Dear Joyce,

    You're much too kind - Brad's is, however, much better looking. Of course, if you're looking for that dehydrated look, look no further.

    Dear OoJen and Biwasan,

    That's nice to know that they're doing well under your care. Flowering is just a matter of time, and on this species, the flowers are tiny jewels. Biwasan - I know that feeling well - if one plant is good, two plants are more better...

    Dear Shelly,

    Did you think that this posting would turn into a thread other than what's being discussed? That the title might be one of them there double entendres?

  • paracelsus
    18 years ago

    Jeffrey, thanks for the kind comments but I can't take too much credit. I practice benign neglect very seriously, and only take action if I think my neglect crosses the line into abuse. Fortunately, my climate here in the Bay area seems ideal for Jades, Echeverias, Graptopetalums, and the like.

    I have only one of G. pentandrum suberbum in a 12-inch pot. The plant lives outside, takes all the rain and cold, and is attacked by snails from time to time. Yet it thrives. Fortunately we have had only a few nights approaching freezing this year. Strangely, the last three weeks have been the coldest of the winter by far.

    During the summer I bottom-water my potted succulents in 25 gallon plastic bin every few weeks. They get Shultz liquid cactus fertilizer (2-7-7) every other watering during April - Sept. I move pots around a lot trying to find the ideal spot giving the right amount of sunlight for the time of year.

    I think this plant is looking kind of beat up right now. In a few weeks it should look its best. The photos above are current. The one I posted a few weeks ago was taken early last summer. Here it is:
    Summer 2005
    {{gwi:464827}}

  • greenlarry
    18 years ago

    looks remarkablky like xGraptoveria 'Debbi' but the leaves are longer.

  • Joyce
    18 years ago

    Yes, Oojen, us women, where would be without our imaginations? ;)

  • becca_grow
    18 years ago

    For some reason this thread got me totally hooked! I know very little about succulents, so i didn't know they got to be such amazing colours! I have been looking around at on-line places to buy them and just getting more and more thrilled with what i am seeing!! THANK YOU! It's like having a plant that IS a flower all the time. So excited.
    b

  • fishies
    18 years ago

    It was just my imagination....
    Running away with me.

    How, I have to ask, does an imagination run away with an entire human person?

    S.