Sedum morganianum
With its trailing stems and plump , bluish leaf , donkey ’s tail sedum nominate a dramatic houseplant that ’s easy to deal for .
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If succulents bring to heed sight of tiny rosettes , the telling , tag stems of donkey ’s hind end will dilate your options , providing the complete choice for a raised plantation owner or hang basket .
S. morganianumin a hanging basket.
Plus , this succulent is nontoxic and fun to spread !
In this article we ’ll dig late into the mysterious line of descent of this sedum as well as discussing its sun , pee , and soil penchant .
We ’ll also take up the daunting issue of repotting this delicate works , cover other criminal maintenance points you ’ll want to love about – and even contemplate some captivate potpourri .
Here ’s a peek at everything that ’s up onwards in this template :
What You’ll Learn
What Is Donkey’s Tail?
Donkey ’s tooshie ( Sedum morganianum ) is an evergreensucculentknown for its long , trailing stems covered with fleshy leave .
ripe specimens with long stems look like long braids or ropes hang from baskets or planter .
This succulent has bluish - green leaf that can have a powdery , milky bloom .
Donkey ’s buttocks ’s plump leave are smooth , curving , signal at the ends , and overlap in their whorled arrangement around the flora ’s stems .
Plants have a weeping growth habit with a breadth of about one and a half feet .
Stems grow upright first , then trail and become nodding , rise up to four feet farseeing as houseplant .
But they can potentially grow much longer . In ideal precondition , S. morganianumcan maturate up to one understructure a year .
Though inflorescence is infrequent in houseplants , blooms are star - shaped and pink or red , produce in clusters at the remainder of stems and appearing in late spring to early summertime .
Cultivation and History
While we now have it off thatS. morganianumis aboriginal to tropic deciduous woodland in eastern Mexico , the precise origins of this species were quite a closed book for X .
During a plant - track down trip to Mexico in 1935 , an American plant scientist by the name of Eric Walther encountered the succulent , blue - tinted vines of this species cascading out of can pot at a small nursery in Veracruz .
Walther brought domestic ass ’s tail specimens back to the US , where the plant eventually became popular ornamentals and houseplant .
Since then , phytologist repeatedly set about to findS. morganianumgrowing in its aboriginal mountain chain , but were abortive .
Until 2008 , that is .
By then , word had sustain around that a rancher had some specimen originate wild on his property . botanist choke to inspect the title and verified that wild population were growing from cliffs in two different ravines .
Because of its very circumscribed aboriginal cooking stove , this plant is considered a “ micro - endemic ” species , mean aboriginal wild populations are extremely circumscribed in their compass .
S. morganianumis a member of thestonecropfamily , Crassulaceae , and is relate to other succulents vulgar in cultivation such as slut , panda plant , calico kitten , string of buttons , and watch chain .
In addition to its common name “ donkey ’s tail,”S. morganianumis also known as both “ sheep ’s shadower ” and “ burro ’s tail . ”
This latter moniker can also refer to another plant , which is ( bet on who you ask ) either a variety ofS. morganianumor aseparate species . We ’ll dive into their deviation later in this clause , so keep reading !
Classified botanically asSedum morganianum , the genus nameSedummeans “ houseleek ” in Latin , one of the common name calling for the democratic succulents also known ashens and chicks(Sempervivumspp . ) .
Since Eric Walther – the botanist who brought this metal money to the US – bestowed it with its botanical name , you might require that he took the road of so many other botanist and named the plant after himself .
But Walther must have been a humble fellow .
Instead , the mintage namemorganianumhonors Dr. Meredith Morgan , an optometrist and succulent enthusiast who was also the first to get the plant life to bloom in the US .
And speak of award , S. morganianumwas concede the Royal Horticultural Society ’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993 .
While donkey ’s behind is a popular houseplant , it can also be grown outdoors twelvemonth - circular inUSDA Hardiness Zones10b to 11a .
Propagation
Donkey ’s tail end is easily propagate from both root word and foliage cuttings . Whilepropagation from seedsis also possible , these are quite unmanageable to hold .
And since these succulents are opportunistic growers , able to acquire Modern plant from fall leaf or broken lengths of stem , propagating new flora from cutting simply takes reward of one of the industrial plant ’s inherent generative strategy !
From Stem Cuttings
If you want to try out the comfortable method , propagating donkey ’s tail from stem cuttings is the mode to go .
Here ’s what you ’ll need for this project : cutting of at least three inches in length , a suitable potting medium for cacti and succulents , small baby’s room green goddess , a misting bottle , and optionally , a chopstick .
Using sterilized scissors orgarden pruners , take cuttings from freshly water plant to ensure that they are well hydrated .
Cuttings can be any distance you choose , but three - column inch newspaper clipping are easy to work with . Longer cuttings are heavier and may need to be pinned down to anchor them in place .
As for nursery pots , you may place one cutting in a two - in nursery pot , or several in a four - inch baby’s room weed , to give the show of a fuller specimen . Ensure that container provide dependable drainage .
Set cuttings to the side in a dry location out of direct sun to allow them to callus over for two to three 24-hour interval .
When you ’re ready to engraft the cuttings , remove the bottom leave of absence to unwrap an in or so of bare prow .
Fill the baby’s room pots with mature medium , leaving half an inch to an inch of space between the surface of the grime and the rim of the pot . Wet the potting medium so that it ’s damp .
tuck the press clipping into the potting soil , spacing them out evenly if propagating several in one pot , or centering single cut . you may apply your finger or a chopstick to make holes in the potting grease to insert the carving .
Situate the potted cutting in vivid , indirect lighting , and mist the dirt around the cuttings whenever the airfoil feels dry .
It will take up to two hebdomad for the cuttings to root . Any cuttings that wither up and fail to root can be fling .
From Leaf Cuttings
As you may have already discovered if you own a donkey ’s tush specimen , the leaves of this succulent come offveryeasily – it can seem that they devolve off if you so much aslookat the plant the wrong way !
Luckily , these leafage are easy to propagate so they do n’t go to waste product .
For this extension method acting , in plus to leaf , you ’ll need a suitable , poriferous potting spiritualist , a greenhouse mickle or tray , and a spray bottle .
As with stem extension , this will be the most successful if you choose leaves from a industrial plant that has been water recently , so that they are nice and plump , full of pee .
Also , check that the leaves are entire throughout , particularly at the base .
Broken leave are n’t desirable for multiplication , and they will fail to root .
fulfill your greenhouse pile with dampish raise medium , then target the leaves on top of the metier about an inch or so apart , or introduce the theme of each into the metier – either method will act .
Whenever the Earth’s surface of the soil dries out , spray it with H2O with your atomizer bottle to keep it moist .
Within a week or so , you will start to see roots egress from the folio , and after that , the buds of Modern plantlet as well .
Each foliage may bring about a fresh plantlet , and each new plantlet can be transplanted into a small pot , or you’re able to combine several into one heap for a fuller looking houseplant .
It may take four week or more for plantlet to size up enough to be transfer .
A spoonful work well to help transpose these small plantlet . Be certain to space them out with a couple of inch between them to give them enough room to grow .
Need more tips ? you’re able to see succulents in our article !
How to Grow
Despite its very minute aboriginal range , donkey ’s tail is not a fussy houseplant , and is clean flexible about its develop condition . Here ’s everything you require to know :
Sun
turn domestic ass ’s tail in lustrous , collateral light .
It can also stand some direct sun if temperature are n’t too high – up to four 60 minutes of direct Lord’s Day per day .
However , if endanger to too much verbatim sun , S. morganianumwill recede its blueish colour and take on a more xanthous - green chromaticity .
Water
Although this species is a succulent and has great piddle memory board capacity , it does not wish to be allow to go bone teetotal .
alternatively , allow the top one to three inches of its filth to dry between waterings .
This may have in mind watering once a week during the growing time of year , but absolute frequency will count on various term such as the clime inside your home , the eccentric of uprise mass medium you choose , and the case of pot you select .
Terra cotta pots will allow specimen to dry out more quickly than charge card or glazed ceramic .
expend room temperature water supply as part of your tearing routine , and consider using a houseplant - adapted watering can with a minute spout , to get in between the obtuse foliage of the plant to irrigate the filth .
Do not irrigate these flora from overhead – obviate disperse the leaves .
Check outa selection of some of our favourite houseplant tearing commode in our article .
During the winter , repress the frequency with which you irrigate to report for shorter days , perhaps exchange your lachrymation routine to every 10 Clarence Day to two week . You might want to check soil wet levels with amoisture meter .
Soil
S. morganianumrequires well - run out soil , and is flexile about its pH penury , thriving in growing mediums that areacid to alkaline .
Cactus and succulent potting medium will be a enceinte option for this sedum , such as Sun Gro Black Gold Cactus Mix .
This well - drain growing spiritualist contains humus , perlite , pumice , and Baroness Dudevant , and can be purchased in an eight - quart bag from Sun Gro Horticulturevia Amazon .
you could also make your own potting soil for succulent , which we detail here .
Climatic Conditions
In its native range , Equus asinus ’s butt grows in a temperature range that tends to stay between about 45 and 85 ° F , so this succulent will be well-heeled in mean mood - controlled home conditions .
If placing these houseplants alfresco during summertime , avoid windy areas since the leafage and stems can break off very easy .
As for humidness , its aboriginal uprise conditions provide it with high humidity , but it tolerates the average humidness level found in indoor condition .
If you have very low relative humidness in your dwelling , particularlyduring the wintertime , consider grouping donkey ’s tail with other houseplant to prove the ambient humidness , or use a humidifier nearby .
Growing Tips
Maintenance
Donkey ’s tail end does n’t demand much maintenance , but here are a few care tasks to keep in intellect :
Fertilizing
S. morganianumdoesn’t necessitate frequent fertilizing to thrive .
It ’s best to feed it with a gentle fertilizer designed for succulent once a calendar month during the growing season .
Dr. Earth ’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Food
One such option is Dr. Earth ’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Food , which has a 1 - 1 - 2 NPK ratio , and is useable for purchase in a 16 - apothecaries' ounce bottlefrom Arbico Organics .
Be sure to follow the manufacturer ’s instructions for applying this product .
find out more about feed succulents here .
Handling with Care
As previously refer , the folio ofS. morganianumare prone to being bump off of their stems , and when this happens over and over , specimen will have foliage that is less full , with patches of bare stem .
So , in lodge to keep the leafage of this plantonits stem , you ’ll call for to handle donkey ’s rear end with care .
Start by situating specimens in low traffic areas to avoid lose leaves to unintended bumps .
Next , when plant take to be strike , such as for lachrymation , be sure to handle them cautiously .
in conclusion , you ’ll need to be extra thrifty when repotting . Keep understand for more tips on how to repot with minimum folio release .
Repotting
Repotting is probably the trickiest part of care for a Equus asinus ’s tail succulent .
Luckily , these plants like to be rootbound , so this is not a project you ’ll need to undertake ofttimes .
First , allow the flora to get a turn dehydrated before repotting since leaves are less potential to pop off when plant are teetotal .
Next , gather your repotting supply .
You ’ll need a growing medium designed for cacti and succulents , a few chopsticks or skewer , a couple of extra nursery tidy sum to help lift the specimen while it is transplanted ( if yours has long stem ) , and a unexampled plant pot that is just one size larger than the current pot .
These cliff - dwelling house succulents do n’t have extensive beginning system , so a mass that ’s on the shallow side will work delicately , such as this cute ceramic hanging planter in the frame of a tree sloth , available at Amazon .
hang Ceramic Sloth Planter
Whatever stool you prefer , make certain it has drain hole , and that it is sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of your specimen ’s stems .
If the specimen has long stems , station it on top of an overturned plenty , so the stems can hang down during this operation .
ready your unexampled tidy sum by adding a shallow bed of mature medium in the bottom , and advance it as well , if needed , by put it on another rescind pot .
Since this species has a dense ancestor organisation , you could introduce skewer or chopsticks into the root testicle and use them as leverage to hook it out without touching the foliage .
Once the root ball is out of the pot , handle it only by the root lump rather of touching the foliage .
Place the origin ball into the new pot . Make certain to fix it so that there is an inch of space between the surface of the soil and the rim of the pot – align the amount of grow medium in the bottom of the mickle if needed .
Once the industrial plant is in the fresh pot , gently lift up each stem one by one and fill in with grow average .
Water it in and return your specimen to its usual positioning .
Pruning
Donkey ’s tail succulents do n’t expect pruning , but this is a maintenance labor plant owners can expend to reshape the specimen or bound its growth .
Pruning will encourage branching , so if you want a very copious - looking plant , this is one way to achieve that .
Also , plant with very long stems can be difficult to treat , so pruning is a way to keep them at a more realizable size .
Any trimmed stem can be pass around into Modern plant life , which can be add up to your collecting or offered as gifts .
Encouraging Blooms
The flowers ofS. morganianumaren’t precisely the principal attraction , but it ’s always fun to see blooms on a houseplant .
So , if you ’re concerned in trying to get this succulent to flower , there are a few steps you’re able to take for better succeeder .
First , empathise that only longer stem produce flower – they need to be at least 10 inches long .
Next , gardener run to have better success getting bloom from specimens that have some outdoor time , so tender your sheep ’s hindquarters a small holiday in the open air when and if your climate permits .
If you ’re not sure , dual - check the subdivision on climatical conditions above – these succulent should n’t be subjugate to strong winds or torrential downpours .
Finally , exposing plants to cooler temperature during the winter will also help oneself stimulate bloom product . Aim for temperature in the 50s or 60s .
Species and Varieties to Select
When it get along to donkey ’s stern smorgasbord and hybrids , there are a few dissimilar option to explore . Here ’s what you ’ll find :
Morganianum
S. morganianumis the straight species . It has pointed , sarcoid leaves , and its foliage is bluish dark-green .
Donkey ’s Tail Succulent in 4 ” Hanging Basket
you may buy a Equus asinus ’s tail specimen in a four - inch mini hanging basketfrom Hirt ’s Gardens via Walmart .
Burrito
Often call “ burro ’s rear ” or “ baby burro ’s tail , ” the panel is still out on whether this flora is a cultivate variety ofS. morganianum , or a separate mintage .
botanist consider it either a cultivated variety of the species , classified asS. morganianum‘Burrito , ’ or as a disjoined mintage , classified asS. burrito .
One of the arguments in favour of this works being a cultivar rather than a freestanding mintage is that it has never been base in the wild .
However , until 2008 , the same could have been said forS. morganianum .
Compared toS.morganianum , baby burro ’s tail has shorter , debauchee leaf , shorter flush , and more compact growth .
As for growth substance abuse , donkey ’s stern has a somewhat spiky coming into court thanks to its pointed leaf , while the foliage of burro ’s tush give that plant a knobbier feeling .
Also , the leaves of baby burro ’s tail do n’t fall off quite as easily as those ofS. morganianum .
Nonetheless , care needs for burro ’s stern are like to those of domestic ass ’s tail .
Baby Burro ’s Tail Succulent in 2 ” , 4 ” , or 6 ” Pot
you’re able to buy a baby burro ’s behind houseplant in a two- , four- , or six - inch pot from theSucculents Box Store via Amazon .
Giant Burro’s Tail
Giant burro ’s tail is an interspecies cross that was create by Dr. Meredith Morgan , the oculist and succulent enthusiast who is honored by the species ’ name .
This industrial plant is a cross betweenS. morganianumand eitherS. treleaseiorS. stahlii .
Classified botanically asS.x ‘ E.O. Orpet , ’ the bluish “ tails ” of this hybrid are brusque and thicker than those of the square species .
Harry Butterfield
Classified as xSedeveria‘Harry Butterfield , ” this intergeneric hybrid is a crossbreeding betweenS. morganianumandEcheveria derenbergii .
It ’s sometimes referred to as “ super burro ’s hind end . ”
This plant has a sprawling growth habit , with stems reaching at least 12 inches long , and foliage that is bluish - immature .
When in flower , salad days are yellow and pinkish or icteric and crimson .
‘ Harry Butterfield ’ Succulent in 2 ” throne
buy a ‘ Harry Butterfield ’ specimen for your assemblage – you ’ll find one in a two - in tidy sum from Yunakesavia Amazon .
Managing Pests and Disease
This stonecrop tend to delay free of pest and disease problem .
For those who locate their sheep ’s shadow outdoors for the warm months of the year , be wary ofsnails and slugs , as well as other animate being who may love snack on the water - make full leaves of this succulent .
Mealybugsare the most vernacular worm plague to attack this houseplant , and they can be eradicated with reiterate applications of nonpoisonous neem oil . Be certain to follow the producer ’s pedagogy for applying the product .
Aphids can also sometimes be a problem , but can often be removed with just a jet of body of water . Be careful to make certain that jet of water supply isn’ttoostrong , or you might blast all the leaf off of the radical .
you may learn more about controlling aphid in our article .
As for disease , root bunkum is the most likely flora unwellness you may meet , but it can be avoided with good drain and proper lachrymation . Be trusted to review the watering and soil section of this article if you ’ve meet this works disease before .
Best Uses
Donkey ’s buttocks is a various houseplant that can create an impact as a focal degree or merge into a group of other houseplant .
If fore are permit to grow long , this succulent will do well kept in an noble-minded plantation owner or hanging basket – in fact , it’sone of the best hanging and get behind succulents out there !
It can also be used for interiorscaping , or to create a green wall .
For those front for a whimsical idea , the stems of Equus asinus ’s tail can provide the “ hair ” for a binge or question - shaped planter , such as this paries mounted , distressed planter in the shape of a char ’s head , available via Amazon .
Wall Mounted Cement Head Planter
And , since this species is nontoxic to pets and humans , it can be displayed safely in home with curious tot or pelt baby .
Just check that to keep it out of reach to protect its delicate leave-taking – and to prevent backbreaking pots from being pulled down from shelves .
For outdoor utilization in USDA Hardiness Zones 10b to 11a , sheep ’s tail reckon great spilling out of planter on the edge of a railing or balcony , and can also be admit to dog and cascade in a rock garden .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Suspend This Comely Cliff Hanger
Now that the origins of this coinage have been resolved and you are equipped with all the knowledge you need to properly situate and handle for this strike houseplant , I desire you finger that growingS. morganianumis no mystery at all !
Do you have any gratuity of your own for caring for donkey ’s tail that you ’d like to apportion with our reader ? Are you having any job with your own specimen ?
And if you ’re count toincrease your knowledge of cacti and succulent , we have more helpful article for you flop here :
exposure by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © enquire the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . mathematical product photos via Amazon , Dr. Earth , Hirt ’s Gardens , the Succulent Box Store , Sun Gro Horticulture , Walmart , and Yunakesa . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
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Kristina Hicks - Hamblin
