Everyone has to have a first “success story” when it comes to doing anything they enjoy. The first video game you struggled your way to 100% completion, the first scarf you ever knit, the first batch of perfect chocolate chip cookies. But what about houseplants? I think everyone, at some point, considers each plant a success or a failure in some ways. But sometimes, a plant is simply...fine. So, what does success look like for houseplant ownership? Rehabbing that baby you got from the big box store? The challenging fiddle leaf you have been able to keep alive but doesn’t have a single new leaf? Your plant literally does nothing for months? For me, it’s about bringing a succulent back from the brink of death, giving its pup shelter when it had been horribly sunburned, and giving it such ideal conditions from there, that I helped it bloom this year. Who do I mean? The beautiful zebra cactus, Haworthia attenuata.
Besides that pesky snake plant cutting, my little zebra cactus was my first true plant. The one I learned from, the one that’s grown with me the most, my Mighty Cthulhu. I rescued it from a big box store from an unmentioned brand that cares more about style than plant care. I thought it was a weird Aloe at first. The deep red attached pup that initially caught my attention was actually under sun stress and was at risk of being burned. The tiny pot was drenched (plus there was no drainage hole AND it was in regular potting soil) and my new baby was desperate to get out. I immediately set out to understand exactly what this little succulent wanted...but things were still a struggle.
Plant Pro Tip: DO NOT PUT SUCCULENTS IN SELF WATERING PLANTERS. No matter what else you do right, they’re probably going to hate it. I began to feel that I had solved some problems. It was in a slightly larger pot, in fresh cactus mix. The baby started to resemble a shade of green. But the soil would not stop being wet on top. In a panic one day after work, I ran outside with my plant and released it from its moist hell. The root ball was soaked, rusty in color, and basically a total mush. I touched it gently and the ball released from its leaves and crumpled to the ground, leaving one fat root and not much else behind.
I can’t remember if I cried, but I definitely know I thought I had failed. This was the end. I was close to tossing the little zebra in the yard waste bin and never, ever looking at a houseplant again. Thankfully though, my husband P encouraged me to repot the plant, again, with fresh dry soil. I did, and I didn’t water it more than once a month until I started to see new growth. That was a year ago, and now my sweet baby Chthulu is actually BLOOMING. I am *the* proudest plant mother. How did I get here, you ask? Read on to learn more about zebra cactus care.
PLANT NOOBS
tips for new friends
LATIN NAME: Haworthia attenuata (but this care guide should work for most other epithets)
COMMON NAME: Zebra cactus, zebra plant (though, don't confuse it with the tropical plant also called the zebra plant)
HUMIDITY: Zero. None. Do not mist, do not let the leaves rot in standing water.
WATER: Quality over quantity here. Let these babies dry dry DRY before giving them a full and hearty drink. Bottom watering is key for me!
LIGHT: Okay, so basically, full sun is usually great for me in the PNW...BUT, I noticed on a few extra bright days this spring that the pup had started to darken to a reddish brown at the base. I salvaged this by keeping it in my south facing window, but putting it in the farthest east corner of the window and rotating the pot every few days.
FERTILIZE: I use a slow release at the beginning of spring (when you first start to notice consistently warm days, or that your other houseplants have started new growth)
PROPAGATE: You can divide the pups at the roots (GENTLY) and let the baby heal/dry for a few days before placing it right in soil. I love my plant and his baby, so for now I’m keeping them together.
SOIL: Well draining cactus and succulent mixes work great. I like to make my own blend of a heavy cactus mix, like Black Gold, with any all-purpose potting soil.
EXTRA TIPS/FRESH CUTS
This succulent is a slow grower, but if you pay attention, you can see its new leaves growing bigger and bigger from the center of the plant.
If it flowers, a stem comes from the center with little bulbs on the end. This will get taller...and taller...and taller before little white flowers come from the bulby nubs. I think mine started the stalk almost two months ago and I’m just now seeing the third flower bloom. NOTE: this is a much more rare occurrence indoors.
Leave it alone. Stare at it all you want, but it is really going to be okay if it’s bone dry for a few days. If you don’t see anything noteworthy, you’re probably okay. If you see new growth, you’re doing great. Keep it up, plant muse!
ID attenuata vs fasciata: The attenuata has white tubercles (warty growths) that grow on the upper and under sides of each leaf, whereas fasciata only has tubercles on the undersides. Fasciata is also considered more rare.
BOTANICAL JARGON
Propagate/propagation - to take a cutting from an already established plant and use methods to encourage root growth from the cutting
Epithet - part of the plant's latin name, usually describes something about the plant (Haworthia attenuata, for example: Haworthia is the genus, attenuata is the epithet that describes what kind)
Succulent vs cactus - The easiest way to remember the difference: all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. Succulents store water in their juicy leaves and stems instead of in their roots, the way most houseplants do.
Bottom watering, AKA "Butt chugging" - Rather than pouring water into the top of your pot, the planter in placed in a shallow tray with water. This allows the roots to drink from the bottom, causing the roots to grow down. It helps the plant take in as much water as it wants, AND deters from pests like fungus gnats (because the top layer of soil doesn't typically become soggy with this method).
Tubercles - As described above, tubercles are warty growths along the leaves of a zebra cactus. These are the little white nodules seen on most varieties of Haworthia.
I hope this is helpful for y'all new zebra cactus parents! Did I miss anything? Do you have a succulent success story that I should know about? Let me know in the comments!