Zebra Haworthia
Haworthiopsis attenuata · Zebra Plant
It grows among rocks and grasses in the thicket of South Africa's Eastern Cape, in dappled shade under scrub. It is the cheap beginner succulent everyone mistakes for a tiny aloe. Unlike that aloe, it is genuinely pet-safe.
Family
Asphodelaceae
Origin
South Africa
In the wild
Rocky thicket shade
Indoors
10–30 cm
Growth
Slow
With pets
Safe
Where it's from
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Eastern Cape thicket
From the Gamtoos River east to the Mbashe River, among rocks and grasses under bushes.
Outdoors: zones 9–11
Not frost-hardy. A dry rockery or container plant in mild climates, indoors everywhere colder.
It clones itself
A happy plant rings the mother with offsets, so the clump spreads on its own.
Vulnerable in the wild
Mass-propagated by the millions for windowsills worldwide, this plant is assessed Vulnerable on South Africa's Red List in its only home, the Eastern Cape. It is poached from the wild for the medicinal and plant trades, so demand for it is part of why it is declining.
Thriving in homes
One of the most cultivated Haworthiopsis species, common and cheap on the shelf.
Declining in the wild
Red-Listed by SANBI, with an anticipated population decline over about ten years.
A protective charm
In South Africa it is traditionally used as intelezi, and that harvest adds pressure.
How to keep it
LightBright, indirect
Best leaf colour in bright indirect light. Tolerates partial shade. Harsh direct sun scorches it.
WaterLet it dry fully
Wet roots are the number one killer. Cut right back to every couple of weeks or less in winter.
HumidityDry air is fineNo misting. It tolerates normal to dry indoor air.
TemperatureWarm, above 10°CNot frost-tolerant. Keep above about 10°C and away from cold drafts.
SoilCactus / succulent mixFast-draining and gritty. Add sand or grit for drainage.
FeedingBarelyA light feed in the growing season only. Succulents need very little.
DifficultyEasySlow, drought-tolerant and forgiving. A default beginner succulent.
With petsSafeNon-toxic to cats and dogs. The pet-safe counterpart to the aloe it resembles.
PropagationDivisionRemove offsets from the mother in the warm months and pot them up.
RepottingRarelyEvery two to three years, or when crowded with pups or rootbound.
What the data says
What it costs
Cheap and mass-propagated, one of the most cultivated of its genus. No collector bubble.
$5–20
Variegated and Concolor forms run higher, roughly $20 to $60. The plain zebra is a commodity.
IUCN · Vulnerable
In the wild
Common on shelves worldwide, yet Vulnerable in the only place it grows wild.
Assessed Vulnerable on South Africa's Red List (SANBI). The threats are unsustainable collection for the traditional, medicinal and horticultural trades, plus habitat loss. The same plant sold by the millions as a cheap beginner succulent is declining in the Eastern Cape thicket, partly because of demand for it.
When it sulks
Mushy, translucent baseRoot rot from overwatering or poor drainage, by far the most common failure.
Fading stripes, stretchingToo little light. Move it somewhere brighter.
Red or bronze tingeSun stress, or too much direct sun.
PestsMealybugs and scale. Wipe the leaves and treat early.
No flowers indoorsNormal. It needs maturity and strong light, and rarely blooms inside.
Varieties & company
The varieties
var. attenuatavar. radulavar. glabrataConcolorVariegated
Pairs with · keep apart from
Snake PlantAloeEcheveriaMonsteraFernsPeace Lily
A new plant, every week.
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