Dwarf Carpet of Stars

Ruschia lineolata ‘Nana’

Ruschia 'Nana' in Davis in April 2020 before treatments began. Photo: K Reid

Summary

Ruschia is a genus native to the drier regions of southern Africa. This species and cultivar, commonly called Dwarf Carpet of Stars, is a very low-growing succulent groundcover with a tight growth habit. Although Nana blooms with tiny, pale pink star-shaped flowers, these were very sparse in Davis, with a few more blooms in Irvine from August through October. Many plants in Davis developed reddish-brown tips as the season progressed. Because of our protocol of planting in mulched rows, Nana developed a lumpy appearance in our fields as it grew out over the chunks of bark. We would recommend not using chipped material for mulch when planting, but perhaps just covering soil with compost until plants have filled in.

In Irvine, the relative growth rate of the plants on the medium treatment was significantly better than the plants on the low treatment (Table 19d). The foliage in Irvine consistently displayed orange tips which may have been a response to the use of reclaimed water, although to a lesser extent a similar pattern was seen in Davis. While the highest mean foliage and overall appearance scores were achieved by plants irrigated on medium at both sites, the plants on the low treatment were also acceptable, and were not significantly different in aesthetic ratings from the medium. As such we recommend low irrigation in WUCOLS regions 2 and 3 for Ruschia ‘Nana’, though in Irvine it could be irrigated at the medium level if faster growth for fill-in was desired. Due to its potential use as a lawn analog, this irrigation recommendation may not translate to sprinkler-based irrigation systems since some water may be intercepted by the dense foliage.

Ruschia lineolata 'Nana' on low water at SCREC in late August. Photo: D Martinez

Growth and Quality Data

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Ruschia 'Nana' foliage closeup on moderate water in late August 2020 in Davis showing the reddish tips characteristic of all treatments. Photo: K Reid