zebra plant // haworthia

order: aparagales
family: xanthorrhoeaceae
genus: haworthia
species: fasciata

First Story

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24 april 2012

This zebra plant (Do people really call it this way? I still prefer haworthia.) is a gift from my friend. It's probably the very first plant I have here in Germany, if we don't count the carrot that sprouted on its own in the cabinet and the sunflower seedling that I managed to keep alive for about 2 weeks. With this plant, it marked the beginning of my plants exploration journey.

I had a hard time trying to find out which species of haworthia this is. There were two very similar species, fasciata and attenuata. You can discern between the two fairly easily if you know the trick. The latin word 'fasciata' means banded. Hence if the white dots on the underside of the leaves form bands, then you know it's a haworthia fasciata. If they are just scattered around, then it's an attenuata.

In the beginning (early 2011) this plant was a tiny haworthia. After moving it outdoor in partial shade in summer, it grew bigger and bigger. Out in the garden, it received frequent rainfall and it seemed to like it. The plant looked at its best of health with green leaves and all. By autumn it has got two babies next to it. Around mid-autumn I brought it back inside and placed it on a warm bright south-facing windowsill so that it or they could continue to grow a bit more before winter came.

I decorated a landscape saucer with them, three small-sized sempervivums and some moss i collected from the garden. I later realised that sempervivums are frost-hardy plants and need lower temperature to overwinter, so I transferred them into the garden. As for the haworthias, I cut down on watering in winter in fear of overwatering it, which, I learned, is a common mistake. I sprayed water around it's base every other day. Perhaps I should have sprayed everyday and also around its foliage to increase humidity, because the tips of the leaves have dried up over the winter. Although I actually don't mind the dried up tips. In fact I think they give the plants characters. Like wild plants in their natural habitats in contrast to those super healthy plants you find in nurseries. I also learned that some succulent gardeners sometimes like to stress their plants to make them look different. For example, keeping sunny, either warmer or colder and less water would change their colours. My zebras have put on reddish brown on the underside of the leaves close to the stems.

Since the onset of April I've been giving the plants more water. Now there are two more new babies. So that makes 5 haworthias. I might want to get a more proper pot soon and make room for them to multiply. Just in case I don't sound that way, I'm very excited. Gimme more babies!! :)

I had absolutely no idea that a haworthia has got such attractive bloom to show. Tubular flower buds on the long peduncle open up with their petals curling backwards. Now the more I love this plant.

In order to remove the raceme after flowering wait til it dries out completely. Tug on it gently and it should come off easily. If it doesn't, leave it to dry out a bit more. Don't exert too much force.

Update

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06 june 2016

Last year saw a profusion of inflorescence (without any single picture taken lamentably). This year is a vegetative year. With the number of new-comers, the family has grown to 10 members now. Hooray! I believe I'll have to redo the landscape in a bigger saucer at the latest next year.