Read a commented Haworthia profile here with information about growth, flowers, leaves and beautiful species. The best planting and care tips for exotic succulents to read.
What are the basics of Haworthia care?
Haworthia are easy-care, exotic succulents from South Africa that grow in various shapes and colors in indoor gardens. They prefer a bright location without direct sunlight and require little water. During the growth phase they should be fertilized every six to eight weeks.
Profile
- Scientific name: Haworthia
- Systematics: Genus with approx. 60 species
- Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
- Family: Grass Tree Family (Xanthorrhoeaceae)
- Growth type: Succulent
- Origin: South Africa
- Growth height: 3 cm to 20 cm
- Leaf: lanceolate-oblong, pointed
- Flower: panicle
- Roots: fibrous
- Winter hardiness: sensitive to frost
- Use: Houseplants
Growth
Haworthia is a multifaceted genus of succulents from the subfamily Affodillaceae. The native range extends across South Africa and southern Namibia. There, the small, succulent survival artists thrive in rocky locations in the shade of bushes and tall grasses. With exotic to bizarrely shaped plant bodies in a variety of variations, haworthias awaken a passion for collecting among indoor gardeners. These are the most important key data of growth:
- Growth type: Leaf succulent
- Growth habit: stemless with flat, circularly arranged upright leaf rosettes from which a tightly upright inflorescence stem rises.
- Growth height: 3 cm to 15 cm (significantly higher during flowering).
- Rosette diameter: 2 cm to 20 cm
- Roots: fibrous to fusiform with a flat spread.
- Growth phase: April to November.
Video: Magnificent Haworthia from Kakteen-Haage (oldest cactus breeding in the world
Bloom
During the flowering period, a Haworthia grows beyond itself. The decorative inflorescence proudly rises from the center of a rosette of leaves to a height of 30 centimeters. These characteristics characterize a Haworthia flower:
- Inflorescence: 1 to 5 panicles with 5 to 50 individual flowers.
- Single flower: tubular, up to 15 mm long, slightly curved.
- Flower color: white to pale pink, often with greenish or brownish central stripes.
- Inflorescence stem: wiry, tightly upright, green-brown, powdery tinge.
The most beautiful Haworthia species surprisingly push the inflorescence stem out of the leaf rosette. The main flowering time is in summer, usually between June and October. Basically, succulents can bloom at any time of the year.
Leaf
With their pretty leaf rosettes, Haworthia have taken the hearts of creative indoor gardeners by storm. The rosettes are formed from decorative individual leaves with these features:
- Leaf shape: oblong-triangular, broad-ovoid, pointed, curved inwards, curved back or bizarrely twisted.
- Leaf colors: pale green, blue-green, dark green, patterned, veined or white-striped.
- Special feature: depending on the species with white pearl warts on the underside.
- Leaf edges: entire, ciliate, toothed, with warts or bristle-like thorns.
- Texture: fleshy-soft or coarse-hard, often rough and warty, rarely felty or bald.
Species
A wide range of picturesque Haworthia species enriches every succulent collection. The following table highlights the breathtaking diversity and introduces you to five of the most beautiful Haworthia houseplants:
| Haworthia species | Haworthia fasciata | Haworthia attenuata | Haworthia limifolia | Haworthia cymbiformis | Haworthia reinwardtii |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growth height | up to 18 cm | up to 13 cm | up to 20 cm | up to 10 cm | up to 20 cm |
| Growth habit | rosette, upright | gyroscopic, sprouting | spread, rosette-like | rose petal-like, sprouting | stem-like leaf rosettes |
| Leaf | 6 cm long, 1.5 cm wide | 13 cm long, 1.5 cm wide | 6 cm long, 2 cm wide | 3 cm long, 5 cm wide | 7 cm long, 2 cm wide |
| Flower color | white-pink | reddish | white | white | white, gray-brown stripes |
| Speciality | white warts underneath in a zebra pattern | raised pearly warts | distinctive cross bands | pink-tinged leaves | snake-like growth |
Other beautiful Haworthia species for the windowsill are Haworthia margaritifera, whose dark green, tapered, leathery leaves are covered with raised warts. An extravagant beauty is Haworthia venosa subsp. tessellata. The triangular leaves, up to 5 cm thick, boast a distinctive serrated edge. The leaves are beautifully patterned on the upper side with a very fine network of white lines, while underneath there is a carpet of whitish warts.
Planting Haworthia
The start of a Haworthia collection is the purchase of the first magnificent specimen and subsequent planting. Indoor gardeners with green thumbs can get hold of a vital offshoot for propagation from succulent lovers. The best planting tips to read:
Propagation
Children, daughter rosettes and side shoots are the forge of most Haworthia species. These offspring have all the decorative properties of the mother plant and form their own root system. The best time to separate mother and offspring is in early spring, well before the growth phase begins. This is how succulent propagation works:
- Requirement: Offshoot is at least a third as large as its mother plant.
- Separation: Hold the childel with your fingers and break it off to the side or cut it off with a scalpel.
- Wound treatment: powder open tissue areas with charcoal, cinnamon or rock dust.
Substrate
The delicate, flat roots of Haworthia prefer to stretch out in permeable, loose succulent soil with humus and inorganic components. You can buy this substrate or mix it yourself. These two recipes have proven themselves very well in practice:
- 3 parts succulent soil, 3 parts cactus soil, 1 part inorganic aggregate (pumice gravel, quartz sand, expanded clay).
- 30% leaf compost, 30% coconut soil, 20% Seramis, 20% lava granules, 20% pumice gravel.
Succulent experts disinfect the organic components in advance in the oven at 80° to 100° top/bottom heat or in the microwave at 700 watts in a fireproof bowl.
Planting
Haworthia from your own propagation or purchased ready-made from the garden center should ideally be planted in a shallow bowl. The succulents primarily conquer the width of the plant container with their roots. Unfavorable waterlogging is avoided with drainage. This is how you plant succulents in an exemplary manner:
- Create a 2 cm to 4 cm high drainage using pumice gravel or sand.
- If at hand, cover the drainage with an air and water permeable fleece.
- Pour in succulent soil and form a hollow.
- Planting potted Haworthia.
- Press the substrate with a spoon and pour it over with a fine spray.
Extra plant tip: Combine Haworthia with other dwarf succulents in extravagant planters, such as a wine balloon, candy dish, coconut shell, old shoes or washtub. Beautiful plant neighbors are dwarf cactus (Chamaecereus silvestrii), old man's head (Cephalocereus senilis) and other mini cacti as houseplants.
Location
Where light is in short supply, Haworthia stand out decoratively with evergreen grace. Depending on the species, the color nuances of the fleshy leaves determine the correct location conditions. All Haworthia species agree on the temperature conditions:
- All Haworthia: light partial shade, rain-protected location.
- Species with dark green leaves: Partial shade to shade (minimum light 1,000 to 1,500 lux).
- Species with light green, translucent leaves: bright to partial sun with sun in the morning or evening.
- Temperatures: year-round minimum temperature 5° Celsius.
Haworthias prefer to spend the summer on balconies and terraces, where privacy bushes block the way to the blazing sunlight.
Excursus
Homage to the father of succulent science
The genus Haworthia is dedicated to the British botanist Adrian Hardy Haworth. The natural scientist worked intensively throughout his life (born April 19, 1768 in Hull; August 24, 1833 in Chelsea) with cacti and thick-leaf plants. Among other things, his systematics of the complex genus Opuntia is still valid today. Butterflies were his second passion, with a collection of over 40.000 insects announces. A beautiful owl butterfly was named Haworth's moor owl (Celaena haworthii) in his honor.
Care for Haworthia
Haworthia are the ideal houseplants not only for purists. Even beginners and hobby gardeners with limited time love the easy-care succulents. The motto is: less is more. These care tips focus on the essentials:
Pouring
The fleshy Haworthia leaves are the plant's own cisterns. Here the succulents store their water supply and regulate their consumption on their own. Replenishment from the watering can is rarely necessary. How to water a Haworthia correctly:
- Rule of thumb: Only water when the substrate has noticeably dried (finger test 1 cm deep).
- How often water?: on average once a week in summer, rarely or not at all in winter.
- Water quality: low in lime, either stale tap water or collected rainwater.
If in doubt, postpone the next watering for a few days. Instead, spray the substrate and succulents with soft water.
Fertilize
Haworthia occasionally need additional nutrients to make ends meet. A sparing dosage is important so that the succulents do not get out of shape and become fattening. During the growth phase, add a liquid cactus fertilizer (€7.00 on Amazon) to the irrigation water every six to eight weeks. From November to March, please stop supplying nutrients.
Repotting
If a Haworthia is not fertilized, you should repot the succulent once a year. The best time is in spring. You can usually reuse the previous container after cleaning it. A larger planting tray is required if the rosettes completely cover the substrate. How to repot the succulents without making mistakes:
- Unpot the Haworthia, shake off the old substrate or remove it with a soft brush.
- Pick off dead, shriveled leaves, cut off dried roots.
- Cover the bottom of the pot with quartz sand, lava granules or pumice gravel as drainage.
- Place the plant in fresh succulent soil, maintaining the previous planting depth.
- Press the substrate with your fingers and water sparingly with room temperature water.
Cutting
Pruning is not part of Haworthia care. Occasionally one of the fleshy leaves dies. Wait for the process until the leaf is completely dry and simply pluck it off.
Wintering
Haworthia are not part of Germany's native green inventory. Overwintering outside is out of the question for the frost-sensitive succulents. Summer visitors on the balcony have to move in good time. Year-round houseplants benefit from a change of location. This is how you properly overwinter the South African asphodilla family:
- Putting away: Putting away the Haworthia when the outside temperature is between 5° and 10° Celsius at night.
- Winter location: overwinter bright and cool at 10° to 12° Celsius.
- Winter care: water very sparingly, spray occasionally, do not fertilize.
The succulents are happy to keep you company in heated living and working spaces during the cold season. In contrast to most houseplants, Haworthia tolerate dry heating air without complaint. A bright, cool winter is of course beneficial for the formation of flowers.
Diseases and pests
With Haworthia you rarely have to complain about an infestation by diseases or pests. If the succulents weaken, it is usually due to care errors. The following table lists common malfunctions with typical causes and gives tips for solving problems:
| malicious image | Cause | Countermeasure |
|---|---|---|
| White webs | mealybugs and mealybugs | Spray epidermis with alcohol solution |
| Yellow leaves | Excess lime, iron deficiency | water with soft water |
| Leaf and root rot | Waterlogging | repotting, watering more sparingly |
| Yellow-brown leaf spots | Sunburn | place in partial shade |
| White coating | Mildew | treat with milk-water |
| White puffy spots | Scale insects | fight with soap-spirit solution |
Popular varieties
Numerous garden hybrids, crosses and bred varieties fuel the Haworthia collecting fever, as this selection shows:
- Haworthia cuspidata: Mini Haworthia with a height of 3 cm and a diameter of 8 cm, forms dense leaf cushions.
- Spider White (Haworthia limifolia v. striata): fine white horizontal stripes adorn the dark green leaves,
- Alba (Haworthia attenuata): boasts bright white areas on the undersides of the leaves.
- Rose (Haworthia cymbiformis): Premium variety whose may-green, fleshy leaves form a dense rosette.
- Haworthia venosa: Rarity with bizarre, triangular, densely rosette leaves, covered in white warts.
FAQ
Are Haworthia poisonous to cats?
Haworthias are generally not poisonous. In fact, succulents are among the most popular houseplants for families with pets. Due to the lack of reliable studies, no guarantee can be given for compatibility with cats, dogs, birds or rodents.
How to make a Haworthia bloom?
Bright, cool overwintering activates Haworthia's willingness to bloom. If the succulents spend the winter in a temperature-controlled bedroom, bright stairwell or frost-free garage, bud formation will pick up speed. Water the plants sparingly, as wet feet will ruin any hopes of flowering. In March, shower the plant body with lukewarm water to awaken the floral spirit. A half-strength dose of liquid cactus fertilizer provides the first nutrients.
What methods can you use to propagate Haworthia?
Various methods of vegetative and generative propagation are available. Breeding offspring is quick and easy with daughter rosettes and offshoots that are already rooted. Another method is to take leaf cuttings that root in coconut soil. Sowing seeds is possible without any problems. However, the growth of the seedlings often differs significantly from the mother plant.
My Haworthia stops growing in the middle of summer. Why is that?
Succulent experts have found that haworthias pause their growth phase for six to eight weeks. The summer break usually extends from mid-July to the end of August. The above-ground parts of the plant then no longer grow. In return, something happens in the substrate. Like many asphodel plants, Haworthia renew its roots annually in the middle of the growing season. The old root substance serves as the starting point. Once this process is complete, above-ground growth continues.
How fast do haworthias grow?
Haworthias are taking things slowly. It usually takes three to four years for the mini succulents to reach their final growth height. A location in light partial shade and moderate fertilization with cactus fertilizer can accelerate the growth process somewhat.
