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Burro's Tail

4.6 out of 5 (171 experiences)

Survivor

Easy to propagate

About Burro's Tail

The burro’s tail is a charismatic plant that is very easy to propagate. Each petal can be carefully removed to create a new plant. In the wild, they are native to an extremely localized area of one hillside in Mexico. Plants that are only found in a small region are known as endemic. Now a popular houseplant, they can be found in homes around the world! 🐴

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Sedum morganianum

Genus

Sedum

Family

Crassulaceae

Order

Saxifragales

Also known as

Donkey's Tail and Sedum morganianum 'Burrito'

How to care for Burro's Tail

💦 Water

How often to water your Burro's Tail

Burro's Tail needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Burro's Tail in your home

Burro's Tail love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Burro's Tail does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Burro's Tail in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Burro's Tail

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Burro's Tail: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Burro's Tail after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

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💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Burro's Tail is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!

How to Grow Burro's Tail →

Benefits of Growing Burro's Tail →

Common Burro's Tail Problems →

Indoor Care Guide for Burro's Tail →

Outdoor Care Guide for Burro's Tail →

💦 Water Needs

Burro's Tail thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Burro's Tail Water Frequency →

Burro's Tail Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Burro's Tail requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Burro's Tail Light Requirements →

Burro's Tail Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Burro's Tail is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

💨 Humidity

Burro's Tail enjoys lots of humidity. Provide humidity for your plant by watering regularly and thoroughly, since plants absorb most water through their root system rather than their leaves. They may also benefit from being placed next to a humidifier.

Burro's Tail Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Burro's Tail is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Burro's Tail →

Best Pots for Burro's Tail →

When and How to Successfully Repot Burro's Tail →

What Are Healthy Burro's Tail Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

Burro's Tail grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Burro's Tail →

❄️ Dormancy

It’s common for Burro's Tail to go dormant in the summertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.

🌎 Native Region

Burro's Tail is native to Northern Hemisphere, South America, and Africa.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Burro's Tail bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Burro's Tail Flowers →

Is Burro's Tail an Annual Plant? →

Is Burro's Tail a Perennial Plant? →

Burro's Tail Pollination Guide →

Common Burro's Tail Flower Problems →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Burro's Tail has long, trailing foliage which makes them a great addition to a hanging planter. The newest growth will emerge from the tip of the stems.

Burro's Tail Lifecycle →

Burro's Tail Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Burro's Tail →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Burro's Tail can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Burro's Tail Temperature Tolerance →

Burro's Tail Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with Burro's Tail →

When to Plant Burro's Tail →

How to Plant Burro's Tail →

Where to Plant Burro's Tail →

Winter Care for Burro's Tail →

Best Companion Plants for Burro's Tail →

Is Burro's Tail a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

The seeds of Burro's Tail can be used to grow new plants! After your plant flowers, any seeds that formed can be collected and germinated in potting soil.

How to Propagate Burro's Tail →

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.

Common Bugs Affecting Burro's Tail →

What Eats Burro's Tail? →

😖 Common Issues

Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Burro's Tail. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.

Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

Care Summary for Burro's Tail

Burro's Tail

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Survivor 105

Easy to propagate 92

Fast grower 80

Large, lush leaves 20

Blooms easily 9

Browns easily 3

Pest magnet 2

@@mirandaaplanet

119 Plants

8,391 XP

04/03/2022

super easy just give lots of sun and a little water once in a while it is delicate tho

Fast grower

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @mirandaaplanet named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@grimmauxillatrix

23 Plants

4,528 XP

Alameda, CA

12/23/2021

Jesus Christ do not get one of these unless you're ready to be overwhelmed by it. I keep finding props of it in my other plants' pots where some of its leaves fell. It won't stop growing. It was taking over the pot I put it in with some other plants. It's survived mealy bugs, me forgetting to water it, me knocking half it's leaves off and falling off a shelf. This is the Terminator of plants.

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @grimmauxillatrix named How are you still alive?? on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Gor4red

49 Plants

12,742 XP

12/22/2021

Love this plant! Have propagated it several times.

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @Gor4red named Baby prop on Greg, the plant care app.

@@FindingEden

24 Plants

4,826 XP

12/08/2021

Nice contrasting green to the Jade plant in the same pot.

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @FindingEden named Sancho Ponza on Greg, the plant care app.

@@calilaurel

15 Plants

849 XP

Davie, FL

11/24/2021

So pretty and smells so good. Unfortunately there were lots of gnats flying around, which i was able to fix, but then caught some baaaad scale and i had to propagate and save what I could, but she propagated super easily!! and now is right back to growing super fast.

Pest magnet

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @calilaurel named Kesha on Greg, the plant care app.

@Eva

4 Plants

87 XP

11/02/2021

Very quick grower and needs a large area

Large, lush leaves

Fast grower

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by Eva named Gary on Greg, the plant care app.

@@R_L15748

40 Plants

19,442 XP

10/03/2021

Easily over watered

Survivor

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @R_L15748 named Eyore 30mL/1oz. on Greg, the plant care app.

@@bigshe64

45 Plants

10,498 XP

Ephrata, PA

09/29/2021

Will be beautiful when mature.

Burro's Tail plant photo by @bigshe64 named Donkey on Greg, the plant care app.

@Sophia

7 Plants

158 XP

09/16/2021

Super cute plant but can be fragile just like me

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by Sophia named Bubbles on Greg, the plant care app.

@@avalofgreen

4 Plants

67 XP

Wichita, KS

09/02/2021

leaves fall easily

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @avalofgreen named Sherlock on Greg, the plant care app.

@@sarah10orio

193 Plants

275,271 XP

Memphis, TN

08/28/2021

* This plant sits in a west-facing window in a plastic pot. I water it about every 12 days or so. *

I really like this plant! I love the shape of the leaves and I love the way the sun filters through it in the evening. It's the most beautiful color green.

This plant has doubled in size since I've gotten it just four months ago. I have to be very careful when I water it, because the leaves just pop off if I bump into them. I realize that I need to be thinking about a more permanent pot for this plant and I need to find a place to hang it so it does not get jostled around.

I used to think String of Pearls was THE plant to have, but I like this burros tail much better.

Fast grower

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @sarah10orio named GH - Burro's Tail on Greg, the plant care app.

@@blossoms

4 Plants

151 XP

London, England

08/22/2021

it’s very cute, i decided to taste a leaf that fell down it was very sour i’m not sure who needs to know this

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @blossoms named cottonee on Greg, the plant care app.

@@annaxsmith

1 Plants

304 XP

Middleville, MI

08/19/2021

it is very easy to care for and it can live for a very long tume

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @annaxsmith named beyonce on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Eleni

10 Plants

380 XP

Midlothian, TX

08/16/2021

Very fun to look at the “leaves” do fall off easily if you bump them

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @Eleni named Mr. Wiggles on Greg, the plant care app.

@@ValzPlantitas

5 Plants

112 XP

08/15/2021

Dont put in direct sunlight because it will get burnt and its a very delicate succulent but it makes up for it by being so beautiful

Fast grower

Large, lush leaves

Easy to propagate

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by @ValzPlantitas named Tacó Bell on Greg, the plant care app.

@@pleasedontletmyplantsdie

5 Plants

244 XP

08/01/2021

Fragile

Survivor

Fast grower

Burro's Tail plant photo by @pleasedontletmyplantsdie named felix on Greg, the plant care app.

@@caitlynbuboltz

5 Plants

158 XP

Tampa, FL

07/24/2021

only water about 1 time every 2-3 weeks and dont let it have too much sun, great as an indoor plant!

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @caitlynbuboltz named walter on Greg, the plant care app.

@Nora

20 Plants

855 XP

Bangor, ME

07/23/2021

This is a fast growing, adorable little plant! The only downside is it’s very delicate and the leaves fall off even with the gentlest handling and leave sad little bald spots.

Fast grower

Survivor

Burro's Tail plant photo by Nora named Pedro on Greg, the plant care app.

@@honeyyvoiced

25 Plants

9,959 XP

Des Plaines, IL

07/14/2021

I got this plant at a flea market where it only retained its leaves near the top. But once I repotted it it grew like crazy. So easy to care for and the leaves propagate easily in water.

Fast grower

Survivor

Easy to propagate

Burro's Tail plant photo by @honeyyvoiced named Da Vinci on Greg, the plant care app.

@@McCall

34 Plants

1,981 XP

Salt Lake City, UT

07/13/2021

I really like this little guy but I don’t think he’s growing much. Even with a ton of sunlight. He’s got a little bro too that seems to be just as stunted.

Large, lush leaves