Gasteria 'D. Due'

The Gasteria 'D Due' is a small succulent plant related to Aloes, prized for its rosette silhouette and graphic foliage. This compact Gasteria adapts well to indoor cultivation, where the light is bright but filtered. It primarily requires a very free-draining mix and infrequent watering. It should be overwintered in a cooler room, between 10 and 15°C.

The genus Gasteria belongs to the Asphodelaceae family, like aloes and haworthias. The genus Gasteria is South African. The cultivar 'D Due' is a mutation observed in Amposta, in the province of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain), originating from Gasteria 'WT10'. This cultivar is attributed to Christian Jachertz. It is a winter-evergreen succulent perennial, with no apparent stem, and it grows slowly. In a pot, the young plant reaches, at around 10 years old, 8 to 12 cm in height and 12 to 15 cm in width, or even more if it produces offsets and forms a small clump. Its thick leaves, arranged in a star-shaped rosette, are slightly flattened, glossy, and constellated with light pits. They measure on average 7.6 cm long, 2.1 cm wide, and 1 cm thick. No flowering has been observed so far in cultivation for this 'D.Due' cultivar. Gasteria comes from the Greek word "gaster, alluding to the swollen shape of the flowers.

Indoors, place it in bright light near a window, with filtered sun: a little gentle morning sun is acceptable, but not full sun behind a pane of glass, especially in summer. The fairly dry air of our homes suits it. This plant thrives between 18 and 26°C during the growth period, but it appreciates a cooler winter.
Cultivating Gasteria is accessible to beginners if you remember the rule "better too dry than too wet"; excess water is the main cause of failure.
During the warmer season, you can move the Gasteria ‘D Due’ outdoors, placing it in partial shade or bright light without scorching sun, and sheltered from repeated rain. Wait until night temperatures exceed 12-15°C, then bring it back inside as soon as night temperatures approach 10°C.

This plant is at home in bright and "quiet" rooms like a study, a living room near a window, or a bright conservatory; avoid overly humid bathrooms and dark corners. Place the Gasteria ‘D Due’ in a terracotta or matte ceramic pot, with a top dressing of pumice or light gravel to keep the collar dry.
To contrast forms without complicating care, pair it with a very vertical Sansevieria.
Add a "small shrub" note with the Crassula ovata ‘Minor’. If you like a trailing plant on a shelf, the Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’ makes a beautiful variegated cascade; for a finer version, Ceropegia woodii 'Variegata' provides a very decorative trailing thread.