Astroloba spirella

A small Astroloba (once sold as 'smutsiana') from the Little Karoo around Ladismith and Calitzdorp. Its sharp, neat leaves are arranged in tight spirals along short columns. It is slow, hardy and best grown dry and bright, like hard-leaved Haworthiopsis.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Stony quartzite and shale slopes in Little Karoo succulent scrub. Plants are often tucked among rocks and small shrubs. Habitat details are inferred from the genus.

Records carry no elevations. The climate sites are at about 420-460 m, on the floor of the Little Karoo.

South Africa (Western Cape)Little Karoo

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Astroloba

Astroloba corrugata Astroloba herrei Astroloba rubriflora Astroloba bullulata Astroloba congesta Astroloba foliolosa Astroloba spiralis Astroloba robusta Astroloba tenax Astroloba pentagona Astroloba cremnophila

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC0 licence, unmodified.