Zebra Plant
4.6 out of 5 (115 experiences)
Survivor
Fast grower
About Zebra Plant
These tiny succulents are native to Southern Africa, but now grow in homes around the world! Since they're adapted to harsh, dry cliamtes, their succulent leaves store water during the dry season. They also use a special form of photosynthesis that helps them retain water by only exchanging gases at night! 🌌
Taxonomy
Haworthiopsis fasciata
Haworthiopsis
Asphodelaceae
Asparagales
Also known as
Haworthia fasciata
How to care for Zebra Plant
Water
How often to water your Zebra Plant
every 12
Zebra Plant 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
Light
Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.
Select a city to check sunlight intensity
Finding light for Zebra Plant in your home
a window
Zebra Plant may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Zebra Plant in your home 🏡.
Nutrients
How to fertilize Zebra Plant
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 Zebra Plant after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
FAQs
Zebra Plant is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
Water Needs
Zebra Plant 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.
Sunlight Needs
Zebra Plant may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Toxicity
Zebra Plant 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
Zebra Plant prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
Soil
Zebra Plant 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!
Fertilizer
Zebra Plant 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!
Native Region
Zebra Plant is native to Southern Africa.
Flowers
Zebra Plant produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
Growth Pattern
Zebra Plant grows in a rosette pattern, with leaves neatly arranged in a circle. New growth will emerge from the center.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Zebra Plant can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Zebra Plant can be propagated by the leaf method. To propagate:
- Remove a leaf by gently twisting until it pops off.
- To get the leaf to root, you can either:
- Place the leaf in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the leaf directly into well-draining soil
Common Issues
Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Zebra Plant. 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 Zebra Plant
Zebra Plant
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 12 days
Placement
< 3ft 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 86
Fast grower 35
Easy to propagate 24
Browns easily 12
Blooms easily 5
Large, lush leaves 2
04/04/2022
This plant is so easy to take care of.
Its doesn’t need direct sunlight and it doesn’t need too much water.
Its simple but pretty. Lovely patterns.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
04/04/2022
Its simple but pretty. I love how easy this plant is to look after
Doesn’t need direct sunlght
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Survivor
03/18/2022
Such a simple plant to keep!!
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
Fast grower
01/23/2022
Easy to take care of, survives without water.
Survivor
01/21/2022
Don’t know much about this tbh but it’s vibrant and seems happy , doesn’t need much water
Survivor
11/09/2021
Slow grower, but it’s easy to care for.
11/09/2021
Super, super easy to care!
Survivor
10/02/2021
Very sturdy!
Survivor
09/29/2021
My plant hasn’t opened yet and is very slow growing.
09/26/2021
With the right amount of light and drainage it's hard to hurt this thing.
Survivor
09/23/2021
She was almost dead when I got to her but after a few days of watering and some good sunlight she bounced right back! It was amazing to see how fast she came back to life after a little TLC!
Fast grower
Survivor
Easy to propagate
08/28/2021
It’s cool… looks like plant
08/08/2021
Easy to take care of and I mean easyy. It’s perfect for simple greenery just make sure to not water the leaves and only it’s soil.
08/06/2021
Pretty easy to care for
Survivor
Fast grower
07/30/2021
Very forgiving
Easy to propagate
Survivor
07/19/2021
Browns at times but honestly grows fast and is pretty easy to take care of
Fast grower
Survivor
Easy to propagate
07/06/2021
Having a beginner plant that’s pet friendly is surprisingly difficult to find, and you end up with a lot of succulents. They’re often marketed as a “set it and forget it” plant, which isn’t true. They need water once every week or two, depending on size when you pick them up. Once they’re established, they propagate even under the most lacklustre conditions. Don’t let anyone tell you to treat them like a cactus, though. Avoid direct sunlight, you will know right away when they’re sunburnt! The leaves/nodes will darken and take on a purple-ish hue, and prolonged sun exposure will cause the tips to brown and break off (which you can see on mine, as I learned all this the hard way). A fun little spike monster that wouldn’t hurt a fly!
Survivor
Browns easily
Easy to propagate
07/02/2021
I’ve had this plant for a long, long time and for a while it was a dark purple brown colour. This was simply under watering. It needed more water than I previously thought it did. When I say fast grower I really mean it. Mine is huge now and i’ve had to repot it into a significantly larger pot to home it’s new growth. Lovely thing that is eye catching on a windowsill.
Fast grower
Survivor
Browns easily
06/25/2021
Pokey
Browns easily
06/20/2021
This plant almost looks fake, but it’s so cute I have it as a desk plant and I just love it so much! They grow very slowly though so just forget about it other then watering for the most part if you like to observe your plants growing lol
Survivor
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