Argyroderma Pearsonii

Argyroderma Pearsonii is a genus consisting of about 50 plants of the ice plant variety. These plants originate in South Africa, particularly the arid regions in Eastern Cape. They are drought hardy, and they are grown domestically for decoration. 

Argyroderma Pearsonii Description 

This is a tiny plant comprising about four highly succulent leaves. Its leaves are thick and egg-shaped in some. The plant is stemless, and it may sometimes grow solitary, although there are instances where it produces clusters, but those are rare.

Each leaf is cleft at the center to appear like a half leaf. A plant produces two leaves every season; clustering occurs after the second year. This plant grows up to four leaves. The most prominent feature of the plant’s appearance is its leaves, but it also produces small daisy-like flowers. These flowers are usually white, yellow, or purple. They grow inside the aperture of the leaves.

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How to Care Argyroderma Pearsonii

This succulent grows best under intense sunlight; thus, keeping it under direct sunlight produces the best results. It would help to give it plenty of light even when direct sunlight is unavailable. Lack of sunlight destroys the plant’s health and leaf color. Ensure you keep it near an eastern or southern window which allows direct sunlight onto the plant for at least six hours a day in the sunny seasons.

This plant doesn’t thrive in frost; you must move it indoors in frigid winters. The succulent is more likely to be destroyed by lower temperatures when the conditions are wet.

Argyroderma Pearsonii is resilient and doesn’t get attacked by many diseases, but root rot is still a menace if it is not managed. Keeping root rot at bay is one of the reasons you need to water the plant sparingly.

Too much water is likely to lead to waterlogging, which deprives the plant’s roots of oxygen, which leads to rotting. You need only to water the succulent when moisture from the last drink has been exhausted.

The substrate you plant this succulent should be well-drained with little organic material. Keep gravel at least 70% but organic matter no more than 10%. You can simplify finding a commercial cactus mix from a reputable manufacturer.

The pot where you grow the succulent should have suitable drainage holes to ensure no water gets lodged at the bottom of the pot. Fertilizer is unnecessary for this succulent’s health, but you might give it some to enhance its health and appearance.

DO YOU KNOW? Caring (propagating, pruning/trimming, beheading, watering, …) is a set of skills that is widely applicable to succulents. Read the in-depth guide here >>

Richard Miller – Succulent City

Propagation, Repotting, and Common Problems

Plant division is the best way to propagate this succulent, but you can use leaf cutting. Always propagate it as early in the growing season as possible to give it some lead time before dormancy in winter. Planting should, therefore, occur in early spring.

There aren’t many diseases other than root rot, but it may be attacked by pests such as mealybugs, scale, or red spiders. You can get the pests out of the equation by using organic pesticides. The pesticides could be systemic such as neem oil, or contact, such as ginger or pepper spray. Repotting is usually unnecessary because the plant is too small, but you can uproot it to see the extent of root rot if there has been an attack.

Final Thought

This is a cute ornamental plant whose best feature is its leaves; their flowers are not showy. Their small size makes them ideal to position on desks and window sills. Also, they are not fussy, so they are easy to parent.