One of my favorite houseplants right now is donkey’s tail. Unlike succulents that grow along the ground, Donkey Tail likes to cascade over the sides of its pot, adding drama to my plant rack.
What is Burro’s Tail?
Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum) is a succulent plant native to southern Mexico and Honduras. In its natural habitat, it grows on vertical cliffs and valleys, cascading down cliff edges. Because of the unique way its leaves grow, the plant is also called donkey tail, horse tail, or lamb’s tail.
Burro’s Tail is hardy in Zones 10 – 12. Stems reach 24 inches tall. It is covered with thick, gray-green leaves that resemble tears. Leaves store water for the plant to use during dry periods. It is covered with a layer of wax to prevent evaporation of the stored water. Leaves fall easily from the stems, so handle them with care. Interestingly, a branch can form wherever a leaf falls on the trunk.
There is a smaller cultivar called “Burrito” or Baby Burro’s Tail that has smaller, more rounded leaves on shorter stems.
Burro’s Tail blooms in late summer. Flowers appear at the tips of the stems. It is usually pink or red. Pollinators love them, so consider giving your plants a summer vacation outside to feed our pollinator friends.
How to Grow Burro’s Tail
Most gardeners grow donkey tail as a houseplant. It can be grown in a hanging basket or on a shelf as I do. You want to grow it in a place where it can drape over the edge of your pot or shelf and look its best.
The plant grows best in full sun, so place it in your sunny window. If you choose to move your plant outside during the summer, place it in a location that receives partial shade. The interior of our homes is not as bright as the sunlight outside.
Burro’s Tail needs well-drained soil. Use a potting mix designed specifically for cacti or make your own using regular potting mix and adding perlite, pumice, or even very small pea gravel to create drainage. Avoid using sand. The sand will fill in the tiny spaces in the potting mixture and virtually prevent drainage.
Water your plant sparingly. Weekly watering should be fine. Allow the soil to dry between watering. In winter when the plant is at rest, you can reduce watering to once a month. When your plants are outside during the summer, you may need to water them more frequently because the soil will dry out faster.
Use a slow-release fertilizer in the spring. This will continue throughout the growing season. Do not fertilize your plant during the fall and winter. Let him rest. Fertilizing it encourages the plant to grow, which you don’t want to do during the winter.
Burro’s tail can tolerate temperatures as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is best to wait to place your plants outside until nighttime temperatures reach above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In the fall, when night temperatures begin to drop to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time to bring your plant back indoors.
How to Grow Burro’s Tail From a Stem Cutting
It’s easy to grow new donkey tails from stem cuttings. Cut off one of the stems of your plant. Smaller is actually better. You will need to support tall cuttings because this plant droops rather than stands upright. The leaves should be 1 or 2 inches from the end of the cut.
Allow the cutting to callus for 24 hours. This means leaving it out of the soil for 24 hours. This allows the plant to form calluses on the stem where the leaves you removed were. You want the area to be tough so pests and diseases can’t reach the plants.
Once the cuttings are done, place them in well-drained potting mix and keep the soil moist. Within a month or two, roots will begin to form.
How to Grow Burro’s Tail From a Leaf
Don’t throw away the leaves you picked from your stem pruning! Leaves will also fall off whenever you move or clean the stems of your plant. You can also grow new plants from them.
Regardless of how you cut the leaves, you will need to leave them for 24 hours just like the stem cuttings. Then simply place the leaves on top of the moist soil. Use a mister to maintain soil moisture. Don’t make the mistake I did and use a watering can! Irrigation water can hit the soil with such force that it causes its leaves to fall off. They need to stay in place so they can grow roots. be patient. Like stem cuttings, leaf cuttings take a month or two to root.
