SO MANY FACES and so many choices...

Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.

- Anna Celliers

They flower in pots on stoeps, in pockets between the rocks of a rock garden, grow on dry pavements in windy coastal gardens, have pride of place in containers on modern rooftop gardens, and are often part of mixed plantings in sunny borders. They are not the nerds of the succulent world which are planted to fill space.

They earn their presence with their beautiful pendant bell flowers produced in clusters at the tips of their stems. The flower petals are rolled back and vary in shades of salmon pink, orange, red, and sometimes yellow, depending on the species. It is the distinctive and lovely shape of the flower which indicates you have a cotyledon in hand and not some other closely related family member.

Flowering time is predominantly in winter and early spring (June to August) and in summer in winter rainfall regions (January to February). When the blooms appear, the nectar attracts honeybees, butterflies and sugarbirds.

A mind-boggling variety in leaf shapes and colour

This excellent succulent is one of 10 species of Cotelydon, endemic to South Africa and members of the large Crassulaceae family. It is widespread in both rainfall areas of South Africa and some of our neighbouring countries. In nature, Cotelydons are confined to rocky outcrops in grassland, fynbos regions, and across the Karoo. Depending on the type, they are either shrubby succulents or spreading groundcovers.