Avonia alstonii: Care and Propagation Guide

Avonia alstonii or Avonia quinaria subs. alstonii belongs to the Portulacaceae family and originates in South Africa, mainly in Namaqualand and Cape Province. This plant features a large rootstock along with multiple greenish-silver stems that produce white flowers. Learn more about the Avonia alstonii through this care and propagation guide.

avonia alstonii

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How to Care for Avonia alstonii

The Avonia alstonii requires the following care conditions if you plan on cultivating it at home.

Light

Avonia alstonii enjoys bright and full sunlight. It can also tolerate the heat from the sun fairly well, so it should be okay to place this plant in direct sunlight, ideally on your balcony, yard or suitable windowsill.

If you live in hot climates, it can be a good idea to provide a bit of shade to the plant in the afternoons.

You can also place the plant under grow lights.

Watering

Avonia alstonii mainly grows from March to October, which is when you should focus the majority of watering for this plant. You can water it once or twice a week, depending on the climate you live in, but you should always wait for the soil to dry up completely before you water the plant again.

Underwatering is better than overwatering since pooling or stagnant water can result in root rot. Avoid watering in the winter months.

Soil

Avonia alstonii plants require well-draining soil so that the water can seep out effectively. You can use any common cactus mix or potting mix that you can get from a market while also adding certain elements to it, such as pumice, sand, perlite, dried leaves, rocks and pebbles, alongside other organic elements.

Make sure you also maintain a relatively neutral pH level here.

avonia alstonii

Fertilizing

You should fertilize the soil of Avonia alstonii at the beginning of the growing season. You might be able to find a fertilizer made specifically for these plants that have plenty of potassium along with other essential minerals. If the fertilizer is too strong, you should dilute it considerably to make it suitable for the plant to handle.

In case you think your plant needs an additional boost, you can fertilize the plant once more, but never after the growing season.

Climate

Avonia alstonii loves warm and hot climates, so if you live in such an area, it can be quite advantageous to place and grow this plant outdoors. Moreover, this plant is quite hardy up to USDA zones 10-12.

This plant can also tolerate cold temperatures well enough, along with a bit of frost. However, if you do live in freezing cold climates, it might be better to grow this plant indoors.

Pests and Diseases

The main disease you should be concerned about when it comes to Avonia alstonii is root rot, which can result in poor condition and even death of the plant. Pests are typically not that common when it comes to this plant, although there are some instances in which scales and insects can make their way to this plant.

Use fungicides and repot the plant if you find them, but make sure you water and ventilate them properly to avoid this situation in the first place.

avonia alstonii

Pruning

Avonia alstonii does not require much pruning since its leaves are barely visible. This plant also tends to grow at an extremely slow rate, so you do not need to worry about it becoming unruly.

If you notice browning and withering leaves on the stems, you can simply snip them off.

Potting and Repotting

To grow Avonia alstonii, you should make use of a clay or ceramic pot to ensure good drainage capacity. Make sure the plant also has a hole at the bottom to enhance this ability. You can make use of a small to medium pot for this plant since the roots do not grow too deep.

Repotting is not a pressing requirement, but if you notice the roots growing out of the drainage hole, you can carry this process out by taking a slightly larger pot and fresh soil.

Propagating Avonia alstonii

You can propagate Avonia alstonii either from seeds or offsets. However, it might not be ideal to use seeds here since they need plenty of extra care and can also end up dying if you overwater them.

Thus, if you can find a mature plant that has stem offsets, you should cut those off, clean them up and dip them in rooting hormone. Wait until the stem forms a callous and plant it into suitable soil placed in a pot.

You can then gradually increase the amount of sunlight that you provide to this plant to prevent immediate shock and overexposure. You should also water the plant well. It might take a week or two for the stem to grow roots and grow its caudex, following which its earnest growth will begin.