Donkey’s tail

Donkey’s tail: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Trailing succulent with stems up to about 60 cm long, about 30 cm wide indoors.

Foliage

Thick, fleshy, teardrop-shaped leaves, blue-green with a waxy bloom, overlapping like roof tiles along the stem.

Stems

Thin and trailing; they break off easily when touched.

Flower

On older plants in summer, clusters of small pink to red flowers at the stem tips; rare indoors.

Origin

Southern Mexico: warm, bright and dry. The fleshy leaves store water.

Plants: March–April

Why grow it?

• A striking trailing succulent with blue-green, fleshy leaves that form a thick, braided tail.
• Very drought tolerant: little water and little upkeep.
• Lovely in a hanging pot or on a high shelf or cupboard.
• Easy to propagate: fallen leaves and pieces of stem take root.
• Evergreen and attractive all year.

Donkey’s tail: where does it grow best?

• Sun to half shade: a very bright spot by the window, with morning or spring sun. Behind glass in fierce summer sun the leaves scorch quickly.
• Sandy, well-drained compost: cactus or succulent compost with extra sand or perlite, neutral.
• Dry: better too dry than too wet. Terracotta pots dry out faster and are ideal.
• Room temperature of 15–25 °C in summer; cool in winter (10–15 °C) and never below 5 °C.
• Hang it where you will not brush against it, as the leaves fall off when touched.

Light

Sunny or bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Cactus compost

Acidity

Neutral

Watering

Sparingly

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 5 °C

Goes well with

• Echeveria: A rosette-forming succulent with the same care and a nice contrast in shape.
• Jade plant: A sturdy succulent with thick leaves that likes the same dry, bright spot.
• Aloe: An upright succulent as a counterpoint to the trailing stems.

Donkey’s tail: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, when it starts growing again.
2. Choose a shallow, wide pot or hanging pot with a drainage hole, preferably of terracotta.
3. Use cactus compost with a third sand or perlite.
4. Lift the plant carefully out of the pot: stems and leaves break off easily. Fallen leaves can be used as cuttings.
5. Set it at the same depth as before and firm the compost lightly.
6. Wait a week before watering so small wounds can heal, and hang it in a bright spot.

Care

Water

In the growing season (April–September), water moderately about every 2 weeks, only when the compost is completely dry. In winter at most once a month, or not at all. Too much water causes rot and translucent leaves.

Feeding

At most 1–2 times in summer with a cactus fertiliser at half strength.

Repotting

Every 2–3 years in spring, with care, as the leaves drop easily.

Handling

Touch it as little as possible: the waxy bloom shows fingerprints and the leaves fall off.

Humidity

It needs nothing: dry room air is no problem.

Tip: Move it as little as possible and water too little rather than too much: a leaf that falls can simply be used as a cutting.

Donkey’s tail: when to prune it?

When: It does not need pruning: only cut off dead or damaged stems, in spring.

How:

• Cut withered or rotten stems off at the base with clean scissors.
• Use healthy pieces of stem as cuttings: let the cut dry for 1–2 days.
• Remove dead or shrivelled leaves carefully with your fingers or tweezers.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Leaf cuttings

In April–August: lay fallen or gently removed leaves on dry cactus compost. After a few weeks to months they form roots and a new little plant. Keep the compost lightly moist.

Stem cuttings

Cut a piece of stem of 10–15 cm, let the cut dry for 1–2 days, remove the leaves at the bottom and plant it in succulent compost. It roots within a few weeks.

Donkey’s tail: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: keep it indoors at 5 °C or more; a cool, bright spot of 10–15 °C is ideal.
• Give almost no water, at most a little each month, and do not feed.
• Give it the brightest spot, away from draughts and not above the radiator.

Diseases and pests

• Falling leaves: At the slightest touch or move. Hang it in a quiet spot. Many leaves dropping without being touched point to too much or too little water.
• Soft, translucent leaves: Too much water or rot. Let the compost dry out completely; with rotten stems, cut healthy pieces off for cuttings.
• Shrivelled, limp leaves: Too dry. Water thoroughly, then let it dry out again.
• Stretched stems: Too little light. Move it somewhere brighter.
• Mealybug: White fluff between the leaves. Dab it off with a cotton bud and soapy water.

Through the year

• January: Rest. Cool and bright; almost no water.
• February: Rest. Almost no water.
• March: Repot if needed. Start watering a little again.
• April: Repot. Take leaf and stem cuttings. Water moderately every 2 weeks.
• May: Take cuttings. Water moderately when the compost is dry.
• June: Bright spot, not in fierce sun behind glass. Feed once.
• July: Water when the compost is dry. Flowers possible on old plants.
• August: Water when the compost is dry. Possibly feed once more.
• September: Water less.
• October: Move somewhere cooler. Little water.
• November: Rest. Almost no water.
• December: Rest. Cool and bright.

Did you know?

• The bluish waxy bloom on the leaves is a natural protection; if you touch it, fingerprints stay visible.
• It belongs to the Crassulaceae, the succulent family that also includes the jade plant and echeveria.
• That family gave its name to CAM photosynthesis, a water-saving way of growing found in many succulents.