Conophytom Species Seeds

Above: Conophytum calculus

One of the keys to successful Conophytum cultivation is an understanding of their cycle of growth and dormancy. Conophytums are winter-growing plants -- they start growth in late summer and early autumn, at which time most species also flower, and grow most actively in late autumn and winter.

Above:  Conophytum angelicae From Pofadder (Bushmanland, N. Cape, S. Africa). Eight year old plants with flower buds, coming out of dormancy in autumn.

Plants start to go dormant in early spring, as days get longer and temperatures get warmer. During the summer, the plants are more or less inactive, with new vegetative bodies waiting inside of the dried remains of the previous season's growth.