Guest Author - Connie Krochmal
The baby toes are a group of rather odd looking succulents. These are members of the Aizoon family.
The baby toes are named for the chubby little leaves that resemble stems. These are club-shaped with enlarged, flattened tips. They’re greenish-gray in color. The leaves form an irregularly shaped cluster. All of these species look sort of like little pebbles with a clear surface on the tips of the leaves.
These stemless plants have what is known as a window on the very top of the leaves. This translucent area is important to the plant. They enable baby toes to absorb the rays of the sun and manufacture chlorophyll even if the rest of the plant becomes covered with sand. This is an important adaptive mechanism that allows the plants to thrive in South Africa and Southwest Africa where they are native. In this region, sandstorms are rampant, and threaten to cover the plants with sand up to the windows. The Latin name for the genus (Fenestraria) refers to the windows.
The baby toes are fairly easy to grow provided that their growing conditions can be met. They need full sun. A sandy potting mix is best. These plants need to be kept fairly dry, especially during the winter when they’re dormant. Water occasionally during the spring and summer when the plants are actively growing. These plants can tolerate relatively cold temperatures (down to the mid-40’s F.), but such low temperatures can also affect the plant’s growth and vigor. All of these plants are easy to grow from seeds.
There are several species in cultivation, including the following. All of them are known simply as baby toes.
Fenestraria rhopalophylla is native to Africa. Somewhat lower growing than some species of baby toes, this has white blooms that are rather large—up to 1¼ inches wide. This plant can be nearly four inches wide. The leaves are over an inch in length.
Fenestraria aurantiaca is only 1½ inches tall. This is native to South Africa. The tips of the leave are silvery-white. The golden yellow blooms are almost two inches across. These open on short stems during the late summer.
There is a related species that is also known as purple baby toes. A member of the Aizoon family, this is native to South Africa. Like the other species, this has a window on the tips of the leaves. The greenish-gray leaves are also club-shaped. Generally, this will have less than a dozen leaves. The plants are less than an inch in height. This species is noted for its very long lived blossoms, which can last for weeks. These are reddish-purple, and have contrasting white centers. This plant requires a dry period during the summer months when it is dormant. It can also be grown from seed. This one can be challenging to grow.
