Try Haworthias for a new take on houseplants. Succulent Haworthia plants are native to South and Southwest Africa. Along with Aloes, the Haworthia genus is a member of the Asphodeloideae family.
They adapt well to window sills, artificial lighting, and greenhouse culture. These are the least demanding and give the most of all the indoor plants I’ve seen, plus they’re also quite collectible.
The form, color, and markings of the leaves are the Haworthias main draw. The majority of the Haworthia types have a neat architectural quality to them.
Haworthia fasciata, the most well-known, has a rosette that climbs steadily from the base. Its robust stiff leaves thrust upward and outward. The undersides of the almost black-green leaves are banded with white tubercles.
Cross ventilation is indicated by midvein dots and dark stipules on the upper sides. New leaves are bright kelly green in hue. The height and width of a mature 12-year-old plant will hardly exceed six inches.
At the other extreme of the Haworthia spectrum, there is Haworthia tenera (Haworthia gracilis var. tenera). A little gray-green ball with all of its leaves curled toward the center.
The whole plant is less than two inches around and not that tall, even with a half dozen “pups” (new plantlets). Both sides of the leaf and the belly are edged with minute hairs or spines.
Each leaf has a little spine at the end, giving the impression of a ball of fuzz.
Some Haworthias, especially those with brighter colors, have a distinctive coating of liquid near the leaf surface to protect sensitive internal systems from the intense sun of their native environment.
Others move downward in the soil to avoid glare and heat, leaving only “windows” at ground level. They obtain all of the light they require through them.
Mature Blooming Haworthia
Mature Haworthias bloom once or twice a year, producing racemes of half-inch-long, half-inch-wide blooms. The raceme’s length varies according to the plant’s age, ranging from a few inches to a foot and a half.
Flowers open slowly to a six-pointed vase form with curled points and alternating green and white stripes on the petals. Stamens and pistil are found deep within the throat.
Flowers are spaced approximately half an inch apart on opposite ends of the stem and only last two or three days. Then comes the following one, which is closer to the tip.
Because dead flowers are little and inconspicuous, there is no need to remove them.
You’ll enjoy Haworthias for not dropping their leaves if you’re a busy housewife. The plants gradually grow higher and wider, with a few offsets growing alongside the mother.
These tiny plantlets are a great way to add to your collection. New plantlets may also appear along the floral raceme, far back from the flower, although these are difficult to root.
The plants are simple to grow. To preserve symmetry and optimum growth, they require a lot of light from above. They grow slowly and can be left in their pots for up to a year before needing to be transplanted.
Throughout the growing season, a saucer of water once a week will suffice. Your plants will not suffer if you go on vacation for two or three weeks without watering them.
Give them a well-drained, balanced growing medium of 1/3 to 1/2 coarse builder’s sand, with the rest being rich loam, humus, a little peat, and 1 teaspoon of bonemeal and lime per gallon of mix.
If coarse sand isn’t available, try perlite, pumice, or any other gritty substance that drains well.
Haworthias are generally dormant for several months of the year and do not require fertilizing during this time.
However, feeding them lightly once or twice a month during their growing season is beneficial. Use one-quarter strength of a soluble liquid houseplant fertilizer when watering.
Haworthia Pests Problems
Pests are rarely found on these plants. Mealybugs and spider mites are occasionally found. Pests are prevented by good cleanliness, fresh air, and enough spacing between plants, as well as regular examination.
Insecticides such as Neem oil or malathion are recommended for most objects in this plant category, but use them with caution because succulent plant tissues are more susceptible to chemicals than other plants.
If you’re growing them under fluorescent lights, experiment to locate the optimal location. Some thrive in the center of tubes, where the light is most intense, while others thrive at the ends.
From foliage to tubes, a space of seven to ten inches is about right. The type of tubing utilized could also play a role.
Haworthias of Different Types
The stemless rosette Haworthia tesselata (now Haworthiopsis tessellata) is a bottle green rosette. The plant rises slowly, with sturdy pointed leaves thrusting outward.
Each side of the leaf is lined with soft incurved bristles, with the upper side showing two-way veining that leans toward translucency.
Young leaves are kelly green with a lot of stippling underneath, but mature leaves are dark and almost opaque, with only a few faint traces of veins running lengthwise.
Haworthia emelyae (also known as Haworthia picta) is a compact rosette with spatulate leaves that curve up and down and end at a sharp point. The horizontal section of the leaf is pale green with strange dark striations.
Long narrow fenestrations (windows) on the underside of the leaf allow light in, while the remainder of the leaf is opaque. A plant will be only five inches broad and two inches tall, even if it is surrounded by offsets.
Haworthia cooperii (also known as Haworthia vittata) is a delicate pale green rosette with silky hairs on the edges. Both sides of the leaves have translucent upper regions, creating an ethereal look. The leaves of this plant will turn a touch of pink in the appropriate light.
Haworthia hurlingii (Haworthia reticulata var. hurlingii) is a diminutive Haworthia reticulata var. hurlingii that is less than an inch wide and an inch and a half high. Light enters via the tips of triangular dark green leaves that are strongly marked.
Haworthia truncata is a genuine window plant with short, plump leaves that abruptly plateau at translucent windows that allow light to pass through.
Haworthia viscosa (now Haworthiopsis viscosa) produces a rosette with rigidly overlapping leaves that grows in a longish rosette.
Haworthia reinwardtii forms a dense, black column with thick, flattened leaves that are tightly squeezed. The spots or warts that cover the sun-facing sides of leaves appear to follow a mathematical basis.
All of these plants easily hybridize with each other and with a few other closely related genera in the family originating in the South African or Cape Province area. Hundreds of variations have resulted.
Haworthia attenuata has short, stiff leaves that give it a bristly appearance.
Haworthia limifolia is characterized by sickle-shaped leaves in a spiral pattern.
Haworthia turgida var. pallidiforma (now Haworthia retusa var. suberecta) has short translucent fleshy leaves densely placed in small upright rosettes.
Haworthia attenuata displays hard, short, up facing pointy leaves dotted with conspicuous white tubercles.