Origin
Brazil
Light
Bright indirect
Watering
Weekly
Care
Expert
Flowering
Foliage
Welwitschia Mirabilis
With just two leaves that keep growing for over a thousand years, Welwitschia is the strangest living fossil on the planet.
Care Profile
A guide to ensuring your botanical companion thrives.
Origin
Namib Desert
Light
Full sun
Watering
Rarely
Maintenance
Expert
The living fossil of the Namib
Endemic to the scorching deserts of Namibia and Angola, Welwitschia produces only two leaves in its entire life: they grow from the base, shred in the wind, and never fall.
Some specimens are over two thousand years old and survive on little more than moisture from the ocean fog — a feat of endurance botanists regard as unmatched.
"Welwitschia has only two leaves, and a thousand years to grow them."
01
Styling Tip 01
Intense sun
It demands the hottest, brightest position you can offer — it is a pure desert species.
02
Styling Tip 02
Almost no water
Water very rarely and let it dry out completely; excess water kills it faster than drought ever will.
03
Styling Tip 03
Very deep pot
Its taproot runs deep — choose a tall container from the start, as it resents being moved.
Similar plants
More botanical treasures to discover.
Origin
Australia
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Watering
Weekly
Care
Moderate
Flowering
Foliage