Among all the Haworthia succulent types Haworthia attenuata, or the zebra plant is potentially the easiest to grow. It can thrive in pots, in the ground, and even indoors in a decorative arrangement so long as you care for it well.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Haworthiopsis attenuata, formerly Haworthia attenuata, commonly known as zebra haworthia, is a small species of succulent plant from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. As an ornamental, it is one of the most commonly cultivated of the Haworthiopsis species.
It is an evergreen succulent plant with short leaves arranged in rosettes 6–12 cm in diameter. The succulent leaves are tapered (“attenuata” means “tapering”) and have bands of white tubercles on them. The species subdivides and offsets readily; in the wild it forms large clumps. It is popular as a houseplant, due to its resistance to drought and general hardiness.
It is frequently confused with the rarer Haworthiopsis fasciata, to which it looks very similar. However Haworthiopsis attenuata can easily be distinguished by its white tubercles, which occur on both upper and lower sides of its leaves (H. fasciata has tubercles only on the underside, with a smooth upper surface of its leaves). A fundamental distinction is that H. attenuata’s leaves are not fibrous. In addition, the leaves of H.attenuata are often (though not always) longer, thinner, and more splayed out.
Like most succulents, Haworthiopsis attenuata prefer soil with adequate drainage, such as cactus mix or fast-draining potting soil mixed with sand. They like bright light, but too much direct sunlight can cause leaves to turn white or yellow. The plants should be watered evenly and generously during the summer, allowing the soil to dry out between watering. In the winter, they can be watered as infrequently as once every two weeks.
II. How to Grow and Care
Light & Temperature
When it comes to lighting conditions, Haworthiopsis attenuata zebra plant succulent would prefer bright light, but it can handle part shade as its quite tolerant to varying lighting conditions. This makes them a wonderful terrarium or indoor grower, due to the lower amount of light available indoors.
If you want excellent growth, give your H. attenuata at least 6 hours of bright light daily, meaning you should place them in south-facing windowsills if growing indoors, or outdoors in full sun if working into a landscape design.
If you’re growing indoors and don’t have a lot of light, you can always take your Haworthiopsis attenuata “for a walk” outside and give it access to full sun for a day or two, then move it back inside.
Temperature wise, all species of Haworthia tend to prefer warm summers and cool winters, but while they can tolerate mild frost, they don’t like any temps below about 45°F as they can start to get frost damage.
Water and Humidity
Haworthiopsis attenuata is simple: it doesn’t need much, and overwatering is the surest way to kill it. If you’re growing indoors, simply water when the soil is completely dry. Outdoors, make sure the soil is evenly moist to slightly dry, as this striped succulent holds quite a bit of water in its leaves.
Soil
As you might imagine, the Haworthiopsis attenuata zebra cactus prefers a well-draining, sandy soil. Any standard cactus soil and succulent mix should do quite well. You can use soil that’s slightly acidic as well as it prefers a pH range of 6.6 in a perfect world. If you’re modifying an indoor potting mix, just add more sand and perlite to get the soil where it needs to be.
Fertilizing
You don’t need to fertilize H. attenuata often, but if you want to boost growth of your zebra succulent you can give it a diluted cactus fertilizer during spring and summer, as the plant is growing at its maximum rate then. Do not fertilize Haworthiopsis attenuata in fall and winter, while the plant is dormant.
Propagation
The easiest way to propagate Haworthia attenuata is from offsets or leaf cuttings. Offsets are the easiest, as all you need to do is use a sharp knife and cut the offset off of the mother plant, taking care to not damage the mother plant or the roots of the offset. Then, plant the offset in a new pot.
If you’re propagating H. attenuata from a leaf cutting, you would twist a leaf off right at the base, allow it to dry, and then stick the cut end into a fresh mix of potting soil. I should take root in a couple of weeks.
Repotting
It’s best to put H. attenuata into wider, shallow pots instead of tall, thin pots due to their clumpy growing habit. As the plant grows, it will produce offsets or plantlets that will bulk up the overall container. Once it’s pushed to the edges of the pot, you can size a pot up about 1-2″, or simply take offsets out and create new clusters of haworthia. Plant these in your preferred cactus potting mix.
Grooming And Maintenance
This ornamental species of succulents require little to no pruning.
If you want to keep the growth under control, you might have to remove the baby plants growing at the base of the main succulent.
Otherwise, no further grooming is needed.
Pests and Diseases
- Common Problems
If you notice browning leaves at the tips of your Haworthiopsis attenuata, that’s likely an underwatering or sunburn issue. Oftentimes these two problems coincide, as underwatering makes the plant more prone to drying out at the tips in intense heat. Fix by giving your Haworthiopsis attenuata plant a good soak and potentially relocate to an area with some protection from the hottest parts of the day.
- Common Pests
You’re not likely to find many pest issues with the Haworthiopsis attenuata plant, but mealybugs and other types of scale insects can crop up. You can use pesticides and insecticidal soaps to get rid of them, or wipe your leaves with rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton swabs.
- Common Diseases
You won’t see many diseases with zebra Haworthiopsis attenuata — just the ones caused by overwatering. If you see mushy, drooping leaves and stunted growth, it’s likely you’ve overwatered the plant and it has root rot. Either your watering habits or the soil mix is the issue here.
Stop watering H. attenuata for a time and remove the damaged parts of the plant. If brown and mushy parts are still produced after this, repot your zebra plant in fresh potting soil that has more drainage than the last mix did. Water lightly for a while. New growth indicates your treatment worked.
III. Uses and Benefits
Haworthia attenuata is a truly fascinating and gorgeous plant. Its small size and easy maintenance make it the ideal houseplant.
The dark green leaves of Haworthia make a fine addition to bedroom stands, kitchen counters, living rooms, windowsills, office desk or virtually any other indoor space in need of a touch of liveliness.
Plant it in a visually aesthetic pot and gift it to a friend or family member to brighten up their day.
Find Where to Buy the Best Zebra Haworthia (Haworthiopsis attenuata)
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