Monanthes Growing, Care & Cultivation

Monanthes is a small genus of ten species, of smaller growing sometimes fragile succulents. Endemic to the Canary Islands with the main center of their diversity on Tenerife. All are perennial except for one which is an annual. Monanthes mostly are a soft succulent requiring a bit more water than other succulents to thrive they are a little fragile to handle and need a bit more shade at least about 50% to look good. The main growing period is from Autumn through to Spring, ease of the water a bit in Winter. Resting during the hot summer. Beware that in extreme heat some species can burn. such as Monanthes polyphylla and  Monanthes lowei.

Monanthes are varied in their form some having ground hugging rosettes others small shrubs such as Monanthes muralis. The most well known is Monanthes polyphylla has cone like upright  rosettes which readily offset to 3 to 5 cm tall and 6 to 15 mm in diameter Flowers are unusual almost looking petal less orange to yellow born terminally, they persist for quiet a long time.The nearest relatives are Sempervivum, Aichryson, and Aoenium

   Monanthes lowei

Monanthes being tender are well suited to a sheltered potted environment they have small cute shapes and some quiet symmetrical M lowei. Needing a well drained soil mix and a frost free environment, make these a very attractive pot plant .

Our nursery generally has three species M lowei, M muralis M polyphylla. I would like to find some others such as M truncata M pallens

 Monanthes muralis

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