Haworthia Species

Central Phoenix -- Haworthia attenuata is one of the mainstay Haworthias in my garden. I grow it in both pots and in the ground. It spr...Read Moreeads steadily, but not rapidly, with 20 year old clumps being a foot in diameter. The clumps in light shade grow faster than those in deep shade. New plants are easily obtained by breaking off pups. My plants generally get light water, about once a month, although one pot in deep shade is probably watered only half dozen times a year. H. attenuata is frost hardy and mine has weathered night temperatures down into the low 20s without cover. Curve-billed thrashers have dug into the roots of H. attenuata, but have never torn it out completely or ripped up the leaves as they do with some Haworthias.

This plant grows very well outdoors in the San Francisco Bay Area, handling our brief dips into the upper 20s during winter with no damag...Read Moree damage at all. Care is minimal - I simply water these plants a few times during the summer when the weather is particularly dessicating, and repot them every two to three years. During the fall, winter, and spring, they get all the water they need from rain - be sure to use quick-draining soil so they don't become waterlogged! I grow my mine on an east-facing deck with overhead protection - the plants get direct sunlight from sunrise to about 2:00 pm, then bright shade after that. They get sunburned in full sun, but might be able to adapt over time in some areas.

Still having difficulty differentiating between "fasciata" and "attenuata," but they are one tough little plant. Any observations on wh...Read Morey some have dried out tips?

The amount of sunlight it can withstand without scorching depends upon the how hot it becomes in the summer in the locale in which it is ...Read Moreplanted. It will have more color if it receives more light. During the spring in the warmer Hardiness Zones, it may be able to take full sun until the heat arrives at the end of spring. In an area that has hot afternoon sun, it may be able to take full morning sun, but requires afternoon shade or afternoon light shade. There really isn't a detail in the list above to select that really spells this out. Also, if it is a species that is dormant in the winter, it requires very little water (maybe even none) duriing the cold months.

Anyone not familiar with its cultivation (which I wasn't until a week ago) needs to research information on growing and/or propagating techniques because a haworthia requires special care that is too detailed to list here. There are many sites that give great detailed information. Just search for "haworthia cultivation". Once one knows about its growing habits and requirements, most haworthia are easy to grow.