Ox tongue
Also called Lawyer's tongue, Gasteria.
| Light | medium light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 16 days in the growing season, every 45 in winter |
| Humidity | low |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 20 cm (8 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Gasteria bicolor.
A South African succulent that grows in the shade of shrubs rather than out in the open, which makes it genuinely unusual: it is one of very few succulents that does better a metre back from the window than on the sill. The leaves are thick, blunt, tongue shaped and speckled, arranged in two ranks in young plants before they spiral with age, and the surface is slightly rough to the touch. It offsets steadily around the base and is easily pulled apart in spring. Water it at the edge of the pot rather than into the middle, let it dry right out between soakings, and keep it out of direct sun. It flowers on a long arching stem in curious swollen pink tubes.
Ailments observed
| Brown soft patches on the leaves | Direct sun on a plant that grows in shade under shrubs in the wild. Move it out of the sun. The scorched patches are permanent, so judge the move by the new leaves. |
|---|---|
| A soft or mushy base to the stem | Water sitting in the crown between the leaves. Water at the edge of the pot. Take off any soft leaves and let the plant dry out for a fortnight. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner, Succulents and cacti, Plants for infrequent watering, Plants for a balcony or a small space
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