Frithia pulchra, fairy elephant's feet, is a species of flowering plant in the fig‑marigold family Aizoaceae, endemic to Gauteng Province, South Africa (where it is classified as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List). Its natural habitat is temperate grassland with high summer rainfall. A tiny stemless succulent growing to just 10 cm (3.9 in) tall and 20 cm (7.9 in) broad, it has bulbous oblong leaves with leaf windows at the tip; and magenta and white daisy-like flowers in winter. During periods of drought it has the ability to shrink beneath the soil surface, thus avoiding excessive desiccation, but making it extremely difficult to find.It is named for Frank Frith, a Johannesburg gardener who showed specimens to N.E. Brown, a botanist at Kew Gardens, while on a visit to London, UK, in 1925. The Latin specific epithet pulchra means “beautiful”.It does not survive frosts, so in temperate areas it needs to be cultivated under glass. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Botanical profile.
- Plant Type
- Succulent
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Genus
- Frithia
- Family
- Aizoaceae
- Hardiness Zone
- 9-11
- Mature Height
- 10 cm
- Mature Spread
- 20 cm
- Leaf Color
- Green, Silver, Gray
- Leaf Type
- Evergreen
- Flower Color
- Pink
- Flower Size
- 2.54 cm to 3.56 cm
- Bloom Time
- Mid spring, Late spring, Early summer, Mid summer
- Planting Time
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Harvest Time
- Summer, Early fall
- Native Area
- South Africa
Other names.
