Species library › Cheiridopsis › Cheiridopsis purpurea
Succulents Partly documented

Cheiridopsis purpurea

A small clump-forming mesemb with paired grey-green leaves and bright magenta flowers in winter, known only from a tiny area of the Richtersveld in South Africa's Northern Cape. It is a winter grower of an extremely dry, very sunny climate: water it in the cool months and keep it dry and bright through summer.

Cheiridopsis purpurea
Photo: Abu Shawka, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows in crevices of quartzite bands within sandstone in Succulent Karoo vegetation; old leaf sheaths protect new growth.

Few records carry an elevation; the Richtersveld localities are low to mid elevation.

Northern Cape

🔒 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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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 CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.