Cotyledon undulata - Silver Crown Plant
Sprouts of BristolThis succulent's unusual appearance makes it look almost more suited to a coral reef than the rocky outcrops of its native South Africa, but it is a succulent and not a coral! Each silver-green leaf grows outwards from a central branch, and broadens towards the leaf-tip, with a wavy edge that really brings the sea to mind. The powdery white substance on the leaves is an important adaptation of this succulent and helps it not get sunburnt in the height of summer - so don't dust these leaves! In a sunny spot with plenty of time between waters for the soil to dry out, this plant will be happy growing and giving you more of its stunning foliage to admire.
Scientific Name
Cotyledon undulata (wavy small cup plant)
Cotyledon undulata, Cotyledon cuneata
The scientific name Cotyledon undulata has been used to refer to two other, different plants and has been considered a synonym of both Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga and Cotyledon cuneata following analysis in a paper in 1999. We think ours is most likely to be C. cuneata.
Common Name(s)
Cotyledon undulata, Silver Crown, Silver Ruffles, Wavy Cotyledon
Origin
Native to rocky, dry areas in the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
Light
Your Silver Crown will do best with some sun, but doesn't need direct sun all the time. On an east- or west-facing windowsill, or near a south-facing window, will work well for this plant. If you move it from lower to higher light, let it acclimatise gradually to avoid getting scorched.
Water
This plant likes its soil to dry between waters. Water thoroughly, then allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again. Be cautious not to keep it damp, as this plant is susceptible to root rot. Reduce watering in winter when the plant will be growing much more slowly.
Humidity
Thrives in low humidity and prefers dry conditions. Avoid overly humid environments to prevent rot and fungal issues.
Soil
Plant in a well-draining cactus or succulent potting mix. Added grit, sand or perlite in this mix improves drainage. Repot every 2-3 years to refresh the soil or sooner if the plant outgrows its container.
Food
Feed sparingly; once every four waters during the growing season (spring and summer) will be enough. Use a diluted cactus and succulent fertiliser if possible; otherwise dilute a fertiliser designed for houseplants. Feeding is unnecessary during winter when it won't be growing.
Temperature
Prefers temperatures between 18-26°C. Protect from temperatures below 5°C in winter.
Pet-safe
No, this plant is toxic to pets and small humans, so best to keep out of reach of potential nibblers!
Sprouts Top Tips
To keep its silvery coating intact, avoid touching the leaves unnecessarily, as the powdery 'sun-block' can rub off. Rotate the plant occasionally for even growth and to maintain its compact, symmetrical form.
Extras
In ideal conditions, the Silver Crown Plant may produce clusters of orange, tubular flowers on tall stems during the growing season, adding even more charm to its sculptural appearance.
Did You Know?
The wavy edges of its silvery leaves help this plant conserve water in its arid natural habitat.
Important Information
If you have any questions, please check out the below or get in touch via our contact formWe're devoted to sending our customers quality plants with the best service around. Every plant is backed by our 7-day guarantee, so they arrive in good health.
Our team takes extra steps when prepping plants for transportation, but they're still sensitive to changes, so there may be minor cosmetic issues. We always aim to photograph and disclose any flaws before shipping, but a living creature travelling across the country in a box can take a hot minute to adjust to its new life.
If you have any issues within 7 days of receiving your order, holler at our customer support team on our contact form with your order details and some pics of the issue. After the guarantee has expired, though, we can't refund as we can't guarantee care and environmental factors. If you repot the plant during the 7 days, the guarantee is void.
We have been sending plants up and down the country for many year now and we like to think we have our way down to an art.
We protect the plant from falling out of the soil with tissue paper and tape if needed, then we wrap the plant in corrugated cardboard, and sometimes we protect the leaves with extra tissue paper if required. This is then placed into a box and if there is any empty space, we fill this with void fill to stop the plants moving around inside the box. Sometimes we will write a note on your packing slip to water the plant on arrival, so please look out for this. This is due a freshly watered plant going in a box will not only be soggy, but as the plant is in darkness this can sometimes make the plant unhappy when just freshly watered.
If your plant arrives to you unhappy, please send us a photo of the plant and packaging if relevant straight away, so we can advise you.
Online orders are packed and dispatched within a few days. Usually depending on volumes, we aim to get your order dispatched within 1 working day. We have collections from Royal Mail 6 days a week so deliveries tend to be speedy.
Our standard parcel delivery service is £4.99 for Royal Mail Tracked48, you can upgrade to Tracked24 for £2.50.
We do offer a Tracked48 Large Letter option for £2.99, and Tracked24 for £1 extra, but this only applies to products less than 2.5cm thick.
*Deliveries 7 days a week only included Tracked24 parcels.
Link to your shipping policy
We get a lot of boxes, packaging and whatnot at Sprouts from all our various supplier's deliveries. We re-use this packaging material where possible, plus we take in donations from local businesses and customers to our shop to avoid excess packaging going to landfill. Sometimes your delivery might look a little different, or come in a branded box from another company, but rest assured the items inside are carefully packed with love and attention inside. We use paper tape and all our branded materials included are fully recyclable. Sometimes we use polystyrene, bubble wrap or plastic wrap in the packaging, all these items are not new and where possible, please use them again.
We have partnered with Zedify to offer low-carbon deliveries in Central Bristol for £6.99.
Zedify collect and deliver orders from us Monday - Friday and will usually deliver your order the same day its collected. If you place your order before 11am, we will aim to get it collected the same day but this isnt always possible. When you have received your dispatch email, Zedify should be delivering your order the same day, anytime before 6pm.
We cannot give an idea of time, but if you would prefer delivery on a certain date (Monday - Friday) please get in touch or leave a note at check out with your preferred delivery date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Zedify deliver to the following postcodes BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8 (1, 2, 3A - 3N, 4), BS9 (1,3,4).
Select click and collect at checkout to collect your order from our Bristol shop.
You will get an email when your order is ready to collect, where possible please come and collect your order the same day as we have limited space. If you are going to collect your order at a later date, please let us know in the message box at check out so we know when to expect you. Some items such as gift sets, kits and pre-order items may not be ready to collect the same day, again please let us know what day you would like to collect and we will let you know if there's any issues.
We do not offer free returns, but if you are unhappy with your delivery, please get in touch. If your parcel or order has been damaged, please take photos and send these over to our team so we can look into this for you.
If you have ordered an item and you would like to exchange it, we should be able to do this for you. There may be an extra charge for delivery, but get in touch to discuss. For plants there is a 7 day return policy and 30 days for everything else, apart from sale items which are none returnable.
You can return or exchange in our Bristol shop for free.
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