DROSANTHEMUM roseum (D. floribundum)

Generous and rustic succulent, perennial and evergreen, with a very rapid growth and with a carpet-like and thick habit, native to southern Africa: at its maximum development it can grow 15 cm tall, while its width is indefinable because it runs on the ground as long as it has space to fill. It is formed by very numerous thin stems, which assuming a course parallel to the ground, orienting themselves in every direction and branching repeatedly, make the plant assume the appearance of an extended compact carpet. Sometimes however, lacking a horizontal plane, the plant can fall back softly to cover vertical walls: probably the popular name "Jupiter's Beard", with which it is often remembered, derives from these situations. The leaves, very small and opposite on the branches, are cylindrical, fleshy, tomentose because of a very thin hair, and light green. In late spring and for several days, the entire foliage disappears, almost completely covered with small daisies with narrow and long petals and an intense pink color.

It prefers sunny and very bright locations and poor soils, even sandy or stony, dry and well drained. It tolerates the typical salinity of sea winds in coastal locations as well as prolonged periods of drought. It bears minimum winter temperatures of a few degrees below zero, as long as they are not associated with high atmospheric humidity. On another hand, where cold is intense and lasting it is preferable to shelter it in a cool and bright environment in winter, or place it in a highly protected corner. In autumn, especially in the Mediterranean regions, elsewhere in spring, it is possible to remove dry, damaged or cluttered parts and perhaps slightly shorten all the stems: this will determine a thicker and more regular growth and a more generous subsequent flowering. Ideal on balconies and terraces, in containers even of modest size: wall pots, from which the plant can descend softly with a sure decorative effect, can also work very well. In the open ground, it knows how to enrich our rock garden with color, or to dress, perhaps in the company of other succulents with chromatically complementary blooms, the foot of Cactaceae in a desert corner of our garden. Do not forget to use it on sunny dry stonewalls, where the final result will be, with practically no maintenance, truly spectacular.