Oscularia deltoides (L.) L.Bolus
dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)
Easy, waterwise succulent groundcover with toothed grey leaves, red stems and scented pink flowers.
What’s in the name: Oscularia: from the Latin for "little mouth", for the toothed leaf pairs; deltoides: "triangular", like the Greek letter delta.
“Insist on yourself; never imitate.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841), Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Aizoaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Almost only on sandstone rocks, in the mountains from Ceres to George (not on the Cape Peninsula).
Size & form
Trailing succulent shrublet with reddish stems.
Flowering
October to December; scented pink flowers that open in the afternoon.
Uses in landscaping
- Sunny rockeries and steep banks
- Accent plant in pots
- Low-maintenance waterwise gardens
Care notes
Root cuttings in sand or put them straight into beds. In winter-rainfall areas sow seed in autumn.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Oscularia deltoides'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Oscularia deltoides (L.) Schwantes (assessment 2006/02/23).