Gasteria Succulent Description
Gasteria is a genus of relatively rare, aloe-like succulents. They are known for their beautiful very striking tongue-like leaves that can vary in size from small and compact leaves to long and tongue like. This adorable plant is great for beginners and does well indoors.
Unlike Aloe and Agave, Gasteria has thick and fleshy, long but round-edged leaves. Moreover, they are heavily speckled with white stripes and the edges are spikeless. Mature Gasteria plants typically produce tubular, curved flowers in the winter to spring.
Compared to Agave, Gasteria is pretty much a wimp in size. It can reach a maximum of 20 inches depending on the variety and environment.
Gasteria Care Guide
Gasteria loves light but not harsh direct sunlight so it prefers full sun to partial shade. Too much sun would cause its leaves to turn white or yellow. If you grow a Gasteria plant indoor, placing your succulent near the window where it is away from direct sunlight is ideal.
For container plantings, use a cactus potting mix or another fast-draining potting soil mixed with a few handfuls of sand. For garden plantings, somewhat sandy soils are best to provide sufficient drainage.
Like other succulents, these plants don't need much water. Allow the soil to almost completely dry out between waterings.
Gasteria plants generally like warm summers and slightly cool winters (down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Frost can be deadly to the plants. During warm weather, Gasteria leaves might turn a lighter, brighter color, which is perfectly natural. Moreover, like most succulents, Gasteria plants don't enjoy very humid environments.
