This funny little plant life has some hilarious name – cat ’s spit , dew plant , frosting industrial plant ! Even if you ’ve never get wind of it before , those names probably make you need to instruct more . The cat ’s tongue plant is a succulent that ’s A-one simpleton to grow , yet await really nerveless with its thick , tongue - shaped foliage cover in what seems like little pee droplet .
Despite its noisome coming into court , this plant is often omit at nurseries . But that just means it ’s easy for you to get your hands on one from friend or neighbour who develop it . So lease ’s plunge into what work this plant so unique and how you’re able to make it thrive in your garden .
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About the Cat’s Tongue Plant
The cat ’s spit plant life ( Aptenia cordifolia ) is a succulent from the same family as living Stone and other ice plant . It has a creep , spread growth habit , though it can climb up to around 3 - 4 fundament improbable if in shade . Give it pot of water and it will get like crazy !
The stems originate out green and slender but get thicker and woodsy over meter . The ellipse or heart - shaped leaf are attached by little stalks . Those droplet - like social organization on the farewell , cry papillae , give the plant its “ dew ” appearance and dew works moniker .
In springtime , you ’ll see tons of bright pink , delicate flowers with orangish centers . It flower a flake year - round in warm clime . little green fruit may appear after flowering , but they ’re not very showy . Some citizenry in Brazil even deplete the leaves and stems – it ’s an comestible plant !
Where the Cat’s Tongue Plant Grows
Originally from southerly and eastern South Africa , the cat ’s knife works now grows course across many part of the world . In its homeland , it prefers fly-by-night , humid areas under tree diagram .
But when domesticate and give lots of Dominicus and water , this industrial plant becomes an absolute beast ! It can rapidly take over total sphere , move as a vigorous land cover . So be careful where you plant it .
Varieties and Hybrids
There is a variegate physical body with white leaf edges , though it ’s operose to see . You may also come up across plant with bloom in unlike shades like white or yellow – these could be instinctive variation or hybrid with other Aptenia species .
One super cool hybrid is ‘ Red Apple ’ , a hybridisation between the cat ’s tongue plant and Aptenia haeckeliana . It has even bright , more intense pink blooms . Aptenia haeckeliana itself has more elongated farewell and bloodless or yellow flowers .
How to Grow Cat’s Tongue Plants
These plants are about as low - maintenance as it gets ! Here are some tips :
Now for the Fun Part – Propagation!
One of the coolest things about cat ’s clapper plants is how easy they are to propagate . The stems will readily take root wherever they touch soil , so you’re able to simply split up off pieces and pose them in the undercoat .
you may also take root cuttings from pruned pieces and settle down those . Or try growing from seed , though it ’s much slower and they do n’t always sprout true to parent.a
Tips to Keep Aptenia Cordifolia in a Garden
Pests and Diseases
One of the best thing about cat ’s tongue plants is they are extremely tough and pestilence / disease immune when grown properly . Here are a few likely topic to watch for :
With its kinky facial expression , hardiness , and gentle care , the cat ’s tongue plant makes an awing increase to sunny garden areas ! Give this alone succulent a try .
