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Little Zebra Plant Haworthiopsis fasciata

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Haworthia fasciata
  • Haworthia subfasciata
Phonetic Spelling
ha-worth-ee-OP-sis fash-ee-AY-tuh
Description

The Little Zebra Plant is a small, rare, succulent houseplant native to South Africa. It is small in size with a rosette of stiff, opaque, linear leaves with bottoms that are covered in attractive white spots. The plant is a species of the Haworthiopsis genus that formerly included species that have been moved to the Haworthia genus, a distinction that generally depends on the characteristics of their leaves. In general, succulants in the Haworthiopsis genus have opaque, linear leaves, either basal or rosette, with white spots on the back of the leaves. On some species, these spots are joined to form bands, as found on the Little Zebra Plant. Haworthia, on the other hand, tend to have translucent epidermal windows on the tops of the leaves. Note that the divisions among these genus are still being debated. For example, Haworthiopsis attenuata is often mistaken for or mislabeled as this plant– they can be distinguished by the fact that H. fasciata has smooth surfaces on the upper leaves.

The Little Zebra Plant is a slow growing succulent, but has a long life span of up to 50 years. In the wild, these plants grow in very harsh conditions and are commonly found buried in sand. For gardeners, they are easy to grow, preferring a well-draining soil mix. While the plant is somewhat tolerant of low-light conditions, it prefers full sun or bright direct light, which also produces the best colors in the leaves. Little Zebra Plant produces pups and offsets and, to propagate these plants, separate the pups or remove the offshoots from the parent plant.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

Excessive watering can cause root rot. If it receives too much sunlight, it will turn a deep red showing it is stressed or turn white and dry up.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • var. fasciata
    Formerly Haworthia subfasciata
var. fasciata
Tags:
#houseplant#drought tolerant#succulent#easy to grow#pet friendly#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#container plant#easy to grow houseplant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • var. fasciata
    Formerly Haworthia subfasciata
var. fasciata
Tags:
#houseplant#drought tolerant#succulent#easy to grow#pet friendly#non-toxic for horses#non-toxic for dogs#non-toxic for cats#container plant#easy to grow houseplant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Haworthiopsis
    Species:
    fasciata
    Family:
    Asphodelaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Leaf Cutting
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    South Africa
    Distribution:
    Several provinces of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
    Play Value:
    Colorful
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Houseplant
    Perennial
    Succulent
    Habit/Form:
    Creeping
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Capsule
    Fruit Description:
    Capsule ovoid to oblong, 3-locular. Seeds with angles winged.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Produces small lavender blossoms on 1 foot long, thin, strawlike, stalks in late summer and early fall.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Green
    Orange
    Pink
    White
    Leaf Feel:
    Fleshy
    Smooth
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Other/more complex
    Rosulate
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Opaque, stiff, linear leaves with white spots on only the bottoms. The leaves are entire. Bright light can cause many different colors to develop in the leaves.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Houseplants
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought