Haworthia retusa Succulent Plant

Haworthia retusa Scientific Name

Haworthia retusa (L.) Duval

Common Names

Star Cactus, Window Succulent

Synonyms

Aloe retusa, Apicra retusa, Catevala retusa, Haworthia fouchei, Haworthia geraldii, Haworthia multilineata, Haworthia retusa var. retusa, Haworthia solitaria, Kumaria spicata

Scientific Classification

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Haworthia

Description

Haworthia retusa is a small, rosette forming succulent perennial, up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall. The leaves are very thick, triangular, translucent, green in color, up to 3.1 inch (8 cm) long and up to 0.8 inch (2 cm) wide. Flowers are small, tubular and white in color, in racemes up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall, in late spring to summer.

How to Grow and Care

Haworthia are not considered difficult houseplants to grow—if you can keep a pot of Aloe alive on a windowsill, chances are you can do the same with a dish of Haworthia. As with all succulents, the most dangerous situation is too much water—they should never be allowed to sit in water under any circumstances. At the same time, these decorative little plants can be grown in interesting containers such as tea cups and even miniature baby shoes. If you’re given a Haworthia in such a container, make sure the container had adequate drainage. If it doesn’t, it might be a good idea to pop the plant out of its container and add a layer of gravel to the bottom to reduce the wicking action of the soil above. Finally, look out for sunburned spots on your plants.

Haworthia are small (usually remaining between 3 inches (7.5 cm) and 5 (12.5 cm) inches in height) and relatively slow-growing. They are often grown in small clusters in wide, shallow dishes