Lampranthus glaucus

Image: Guus Hoekman

Description

Lampranthus glaucus is a plant species in the genus Lampranthus native to South Africa and naturalized in gardens all around the world.

The compact and rounded shrub typically grows to a height of 0.1 to 0.3 metres. It has succulent leaves and produces masses of orange to yellow flowers from August to October. The flowers open completely in the sun and are so called noon flowers. It grows well in well drained sandy soils and poorly in clay soils.

"Threats are invasive alien species, habitat degradation, changes in native species dynamics, harvesting, habitat loss. 11 locations are known through herbarium records, but four are now locally extinct due to urban expansion on the Cape Flats and habitat loss to wheat cultivation elsewhere in the range. Habitat at seven remaining locations continue to decline due to urban expansion, especially in the Durbanville area, as well as alien grass invasion."

Propagation instructions - cuttings

Cuttings can be taken from healthy stems. Take cuttings that are about 8cm long and place in sandy soil. Water until the water runs through the pot once per week and wait for roots to fill the plug before you plant up into a bigger pot. Plat out once it has established a few healthy stems more than 5cm high.

Propagation instructions - seeds

''Sow the seeds in a seed pan during the cool autumn months of the year. In the southern hemisphere these are March to May. Ensure that the seed pans are adequately drained. Sow the seeds in a mixture of sand and loam. On top of this mixture, sprinkle a thin layer of sand, 5 mm deep. It is into this sand that the seeds are sown no deeper than about 2 mm below the soil surface. If sown too deep the seeds will be smothered and will probably not germinate. Keep the area free of weeds, and water with a fine mist spray every second day. Ensure that the pans are in a sunny position. Plant the seedlings out in November of the same year when they are approximately 5 cm high.''

Sources and references

• Wikipedia
• Redlist

Scientific name

Lampranthus glaucus

Common name(s)

Yellow noon flower

Features

• Drought-resistant
• Easy to grow
• Good potplant
• This will attract honey bees
• Will attract monkey beetles

Vegetation types

• Atlantis Sand Fynbos
• Boland Granite Fynbos
• Cape Flats Dune Strandveld
• Cape Flats Sand Fynbos
• Hangklip Sand Fynbos
• Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
• Swartland Alluvium Fynbos
• Swartland Granite Renosterveld
• Swartland Shale Renosterveld

Genus

Lampranthus

Family

Aizoaceae