Zebra haworthia
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Forgiving Among the more tolerant plants here.
Also called Zebra Plant.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H2 — 1–5°C 1–5 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Leaves turn glassy from the stem outward
The zebra haworthia leans in its pot as the tissue at soil level softens, and the lowest leaves drop whole.
Plants that store water in their tissue take it up readily and release it slowly. In soil that stays wetter than the well-drained its source describes, the stored tissue breaks down.
Telling it apart: Firm and wrinkled is thirst; soft and swollen is the opposite. The two look similar from across a room and feel nothing alike.
RHSDiagnose a soft, mushy stem on this Zebra haworthia- The whole plant sags between waterings
Posture goes before colour. A thirsty zebra haworthia looks deflated rather than diseased, and the compost has shrunk away from the side of the pot.
Stored water is spent before the plant gives up anything else, and the tissue creases as it empties. Its source describes well-drained soil, which assumes the store is refilled.
Telling it apart: Lift the pot. A plant that is light and sagging is thirsty; one that is heavy and sagging is not.
RHSDiagnose drooping on this Zebra haworthia- Whitened areas where the sun falls longest
Scorched leaves on the zebra haworthia turn from pale to brown and brittle, and the damage stops where the shade of another leaf fell across it.
Nothing here disputes the full sun its source names. The damage comes from the change: foliage formed in lower light is thin, and a sudden move into direct sun bleaches it faster than tougher growth can replace it.
Telling it apart: Whether it followed a move or a season. Scorch appears within days of a change in position.
RHSDiagnose leaf drop on this Zebra haworthia
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Zebra haworthia.
Routine care
- Watering
- Do not overwater; let the soil dry between waterings, as too much water can lead to root rot.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026During growth, water moderately and give a low-nitrogen fertiliser at half strength once or twice.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water moderately and give a low-nitrogen fertiliser at half strength once or twice.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Zebra plant forms pups and offsets; separate the pups or detach the offshoots from the parent to make new plants. Leaf cuttings also work, and seeds are rarely used.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring, sow seed kept at 21-24°C; offsets can be separated, and leaf cuttings taken, in spring or summer.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Move something and watch
Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.
About the plant
- Native range
- S. Cape Prov.World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Cape Provinces of South AfricaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026South Africa (Cape)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- subtropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- succulent perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Perennial, Succulent; habit clumping, creeping, erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 4–12 in; width 8–26 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 2–5 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers pink, white; blooms in spring, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
Other Haworthiopsis
More of the Asphodelaceae family
Aloe veraMushy tissue at the base of the aloe vera
- No photograph yetCow TongueSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Cushion AloeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Kumara plicatilisSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetMiniature AloeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Spider aloeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Plants with similar care
Baby rubber plantLeaves turn glassy from the stem outward
Bunny ears cactusLeaves go soft and slightly see-through
Crown of thornsLeaves soften and curl inward
HoyaDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Jade plantPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Mexican snowballPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.