Trichodiadema densum, Desert Rose is a small low-growing xerophytic succulent native to the eastern extremities of the Little Karoo straddling the provincial borders of Western and Eastern Cape from Uniondale northeast to Willowmore and a little beyond into the Great Karoo. The name Trichodiadema densum translates roughly as diadem of dense bristles and it is a good description of this gem of a succulent. Each leaf resembles an elongated swollen nipple not unlike a Mammillaria and is crowned with a circle of white trichomes - hair-like bristles. It has a large fleshy root that eventually forms a caudex and it can be grown with some of its root exposed to accentuate this characteristic. It is a prolific flowering plant and in spring is entirely covered in reddish-pink flowers with yellow anthers.

Although cold-tolerant and capable of sustaining a mild frost, Trichodiadema densum will not appreciate the fatal combination of wet roots and below-zero temperatures and for that reason is best grown as a houseplant or in an unheated glasshouse.

A gorgeous plant: a must-have addition to your collection.