All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

Outstanding little plant for its long-lasting, shocking pink spring flowers borne on short stems held nicely above the plant. With age, it offsets to form clumps and makes a good house plant.
 

Photo and © copyright by
Mladen Turcinovic (Croatia)
This is possibly the largest flowered member in the Crassula family and certainly has the most spectacular flowers of any others in the family, it has been justifiably popular in the plant trade.

Advertising

Scientific name:  Graptopetalum bellum  (Moran & J. Meyrán) D. R. Hunt
In: Bot. Mag. 182:130. 1979

Origin:  West Mexico It was discovered by Alfred Lau in 1972. It was found in a mountainous area, altitude 4,800', on the border of Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico.

Habitat: Grows in steep terrain and cliffs that face such that very little sun hits directly.

Synonyms:  Tacitus bellus Moran & J. Meyrán
In: PHAN.-CRASSULACEAE (104) 9 Feb 1996

Graptopetalum bellus has been oscillating between the genera Tacitus and Graptopetalum. Its affinity to Graptopetalum was noticed early on, and it was at last placed in that genus about 15 years ago, it differs from the other Graptopetalum by its large flowers that have lips around the carpels. Of course, dealers still sell it under its old name, as that's the one most of us know-and, anyway, the nurserymen are as reluctant as we are to change their labels. In 1981, the Huntington offered Tacitus bellus “Superstar'' as one of that year's ISI plants (no. 1289). This was a selfed seedling that appeared in the Huntington's collection. It has larger rosettes, greener leaves, deeper red flowers which may appear more than once a year, and has prominent bracts on the flowering stems. It may be that this is the form now most found in commerce.

Description: Perennial, succulent, herb forming flat rosettes, slowly clustering.
Individual rosettes: Up to 10 cm in diameter almost flat to the ground
Leaves: Each leaf is glabrous, approximately triangular little more than 25mm long, slate-grey and can vary in shape.
Flowers: This is possibly the largest flowered member in the Crassula family and certainly has some of the brightest flowers. Flowers are over 2,5 cm across, deep pink to red upright at the top of 10cm branched inflorescence. The single individual flowers are 5 petalled, star-shaped and have dark pink/red stamens tipped with white anthers emerging from a pink/red center.
Blooming time: Late Spring - Early Summer. The flowers last several weeks.
 

Photo and © copyright by Andrea B. (Bologna, Italy)
http://www.cactusfriends.com/Andrea/index.html 

Cultivation: Culture of Tacitus bellus is fairly straightforward, it needs more shade than others in the family however it can tolerate full sun (where it stay compact) but a much better exposure is shade to light shade.
Although it needs a soil that is gritty and porous with good drainage, the soil must be able to hold the moisture that the plant requires. The ideal soil should contain equal parts of loam with small gravel added (eg pumice or lava grit). Good drainage is essential.
Water when plant is dry and do not water again until the soil is completely dry again. Fertilizer should be applied only once during the growing season, diluted to ¼ the recommended rate on the label.
During October to March, water very sparingly, using only enough water to keep the foliage from shriveling. It can overwinters well also under grow lights in a cool room of the house. Tacitus bellus requires low temperature for flower formation and it will not flower unless it is overwintered for at least a month at 15° C or less. It is usually recommended to avoid freezing temperatures, but it can withstand temperatures down to below -5° C (or less) for short period if dry.
Pay particular attention to make sure that they do not rot at the root from soggy soil. In a very humid situation in winter, it can rot even if totally dry. It  likes dry air as much as dry soil.
The tightly-packed rosettes are attractive to mealy bugs.

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.