Bring home a piece of ancient South African heritage with a live Sceletium tortuosum plantalso known as Kanna. This fascinating, low-growing succulent is celebrated for both its ethnobotanical significance and its adaptability to modern gardens, greenhouses, and indoor collections. Each plant is carefully hand-selected and shipped bareroot, ensuring it arrives healthy, pest-free, and ready to thrive in your preferred growing medium.
What Is Sceletium tortuosum?
Sceletium tortuosum is a drought-tolerant succulent native to the semi-arid regions of South Africa. For centuries, it has been traditionally used by indigenous peoples such as the San and Khoikhoi, who prized its mood-enhancing and calming properties. While it holds an important place in ethnobotanical history, Kanna is also a hardy, ornamental plant known for its compact form, subtle foliage, and ability to thrive in challenging environments.
Its fleshy, crinkled leaves form low mats or mounds, making it ideal for rock gardens, arid landscapes, or decorative pots. In the right conditions, Kanna produces delicate star-shaped flowers, typically in shades of white to pale yellow, adding an understated charm to its overall look.
Bareroot Shipping What to Expect
Your Sceletium tortuosum plant will be shipped bareroot, meaning without soil and pot. This method is cleaner, more sustainable, and reduces transplant shock during shipping. Upon arrival, simply replant the succulent in a well-draining cactus or succulent mix, water lightly, and place it in a sunny location to help it establish.
Bareroot plants are easier to acclimate to new environments, making them ideal for growers looking to reduce the risks of disease, pests, or soil-borne contaminants.
Why Grow Kanna?
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Drought-Tolerant: Perfect for xeriscaping, desert gardens, or areas with water restrictions.
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Low Maintenance: Requires minimal watering and thrives in full sun with well-draining soil.
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Compact Size: Grows neatly without overtaking spaceexcellent for small pots, windowsills, or balconies.
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Ethnobotanical Interest: A plant with rich cultural roots, appreciated by collectors and researchers alike.
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Aesthetic Appeal: Forms a tidy, low-growing mat with subtle beauty and occasional blooming.
Care Instructions (Quick Overview)
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Light: Full sun preferred (minimum 6 hours/day).
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Water: Water deeply but only when the soil is completely dry. Reduce watering in winter.
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Soil: Use cactus/succulent mix or a blend of coarse sand, potting soil, and perlite.
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Temperature: Best suited to USDA zones 911. Protect from frost.
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Feeding: Fertilize lightly during the growing season with diluted cactus feed.
Perfect For:
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Succulent and ethnobotanical plant collectors
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Indoor gardeners with bright light conditions
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Xeriscapes and arid garden beds
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Greenhouse cultivation
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Anyone interested in the intersection of history, science, and horticulture
With its historical significance, easy care requirements, and subtle charm, a live Sceletium tortuosum plant is more than just a succulentits a living connection to the rich cultural traditions of Southern Africa. Add this resilient, low-maintenance beauty to your garden or collection today and experience the unique spirit of Kanna.
