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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Aizoaceae (Ice Plants) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Synonyms: [Lampranthus deltoides] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Oscularia caulescens (Dassievygie) - A succulent groundcover subshrub with blue gray foliage that reaches to almost to 1 foot high and spreads to 2 to 3 feet wide. It has wiry dark pink stems and blue-green 3-angled fleshy leaves. In spring into mid-summer appear the 1 1/4 inch wide bright pink pinwheel-shaped flowers that open fully as afternoon approaches. They are pleasantly scented with the stamens white at the base and pink near the tips, arranged upright in a cone-like formation in the flower center. Plant in full sun to light shade in a fairly well-drained soil and irrigate little to regularly; plants well watered in full sun are more plump and make a denser planting while those less watered can take on reddish hues in the summer and in too much shade are a bit sparse and bloom less. Not sure on the hardiness of this species but it has grown well at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek which experiences pretty hard frost and hopefully it is as hardy as Oscularia deltoides which can go down to around 18 °F and maybe a bit less for short durations. This plant displays a stunning show when in full bloom and is attractive year-round. Ideal for slopes, borders or containers. Cut the plant back hard in mid-spring if necessary to control size. Oscularia caulescens is native to the winter rainfall west cape area of South Africa where it reportedly grows exclusively on sandstone rocks, ranging along the mountains from Jonkershoek to Rooiels. The name Oscularia is Latin from the word 'osculum' meaning "little mouth" with 'oscularia' meaning "a collection of little mouths" in reference to the way the leaves appear as open mouths, particularly on Oscularia deltoides. The specific epithet comes from the Latin words 'caulos' meaning "stem" and the adjective suffix 'escent' meaning "like" in reference to this plant having a well-developed above ground stem. The common name comes from the word Vygie, which is any member of the Aizoaceae or Mesembryanthemaceae (Mesemb for short!) and Dassie, which is a large South African rodent. However, we really prefer the name "Candy Bush" that Annie Hayes of Annie's Annuals coined for this plant. According to the Plant List the correct name for this plant is now considered to be Lampranthus deltoides but we continue to list it as Oscularia until such time that this name gains broader acceptance or the name gets changed back. It was listed as Oscularia caulescens in Heidrun Hartmann's treatment of the genus in Handbook of Succulent Plants: Aizoaceae written in 2001, who noted it differed from Oscularia deltoides in having solitary flowers and lacking teeth on the leaf keel.
This information about Oscularia caulescens displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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