Anacampseros filamentosa

Anacampseros filamentosa is a dwarf succulent appreciated for its bouquet of stems entirely covered with dark green-grey foliage, sometimes washed with red or purple, dense, fleshy, round and equipped with whitish hairs and longer, curly bristles! It is a frost-tender perennial that should be grown in Mediterranean gardens or in pots to be protected over winter. It produces pink flowers in late summer that emerge on a thin, long, and erect stem. It is the perfect plant for dry rock gardens as it thrives in full sun in well-drained, sandy, and gravelly soil. Original and small, it can also be grown in a pot and requires no maintenance other than occasional watering.

Anacampseros filamentosa belongs to the family of portulacaceae. It is widespread in a vast area including the north of Namibia and the semi-desert region of the Karoo in South Africa. It is found at altitudes between 350 and 1600 metres (1148 and 5249 feet), nestled in crevices between rocks, anchored on steep slopes or cliffs, and in dried-up river beds. Its foliage persists in winter.

Anacampseros filamentosa has rather slow growth. It is a plant that develops from a swollen rhizome to form a cluster of about 10 cm (4in) wide with fleshy stems of 10 cm (4in) in height, covered with small overlapping, tightly packed fleshy leaves. Each leaf measures about 1.2 cm (1in) long, 8 mm (1in) wide, and 5 mm (1in) thick. They are oval to round with a curved bump on both sides and a truncated tip. Their base colour is dark green tinged with brown, but they are partially covered with short, silky, whitish hairs. Longer bristles emerge from the axil of the leaves. Flowering occurs in summer, in August-September in inflorescences measuring up to 8 cm (3in) long, carrying 3 to 5 flowers. Each star-shaped cup flower measures 1.5 to 3 cm (1in) in diameter. The corolla consists of 5 oblong and lanceolate pink petals. After pollination, capsules form containing very small warty seeds.

Plant Anacampseros filamentosa in the rock garden or on a well-drained slope if your garden is located by the sea, where frosts do not go below -2°C (28.4°F), alongside the Cape Aster Felicia amelloides, Delosperma, and purslanes that appreciate the same environments. Elsewhere, you can plant it in a beautiful pot, alone or in association with other succulent plants such as sempervivums, for example.