New Haworthias Thrive, Others Await Planting in Spring

This year brought several new haworthias to my garden, with a few still awaiting planting since they were acquired in October. Others were planted on or about April 2014.

Haworthias are relatives of aloes, many of the most popular having similar shapes. They are, however, smaller in general. Growing haworthias is rewarding, and seeking interesting forms may be worth the trouble. Personally, many have been acquired on road trips to succulent nurseries in Tucson, just a four hour drive from El Paso.

Haworthia emelyae (pictured below), most likely an unknown hybrid, has a rough texture on the top of each leaf. The crystalline surface feels like a sugar coating.

This Haworthia emelyae hybrid was purchased and planted in April 2014. The picture showing the haworthia in its planter is from the following November.

It grows very slowly, but looks healthy so far and is even flowering in the winter greenhouse. It has gained some color, no doubt from the general cold of winter. The translucent leaf tips also have an interesting striping pattern.

One of the most popular species, Haworthia limifolia can attribute how well-liked it is to its interesting leaves. Each leaf has a narrow wedge shape with washboard-like stripes.

The beautiful Haworthia limifolia has wedged, channeled leaves with bumpy horizontal stripes. These pictures represent seven months of growth.

This haworthia is easy to care for and offsets freely. Mine was planted in April 2014 and has three offsets that have broken through the topdressing in its planter. Growth is generally slow, like for most haworthias.

Also planted in April, my Haworthia cuspidata really began to flourish in the fall, after the summer heat subsided. H. cuspidata is a hybrid between H. retusa and H. cymbiformis. 

This hybrid, Haworthia cuspidata, is offsetting profusely in its comfy planter, also showing seven months of growth from being transplanted.

This little haworthia is slightly faster growing that other haworthias. I will try and achieve color this coming summer by providing brighter light. Still, it is healthy and currently flowering as well.

As any succulent novice will know, haworthias are often mislabeled or incorrectly identified. Many times, there is no label at all, and so the variety can only be guessed at without testing. For those of us happy to just grow the plants, these are purchased for looks, such as the haworthia below, with the knowledge that there are an innumerable amount of hybrids in the world.

A striking haworthia showing lime green highlights and healthy growth.

This haworthia may have Haworthia retusa somewhere in its lineage. Its beautiful lime green coloring and interesting leaf patterns make it a pleasure to own. It is also growing quite robustly.

Another unidentified haworthia, below, may be more closely related to Haworthia cooperi. 

This unlabeled haworthia has slender, translucent leaves. It shares its planter with Echeveria purpusorum. 

The leaves of this haworthia are slimmer and seem gel-filled and more delicate. It is steadily growing and offsets pretty healthily. The echeveria that shares its planter may have to be moved out in 2015.

One of the most widespread species is Haworthia venosa ssp. tessellata, and with good reason. It's beautiful translucent leaves have a unique checkerboard pattern.

Haworthia venosa ssp. tessellata may be one of the most widespread of the genus, but that does not take away from their beauty. 

My plants were combined in a container with an agave and a kalanchoe. The low growing rosettes should form offsets as time passes and look great next to the agave's rosettes. 

Of the haworthias that have not yet been transplanted from their nursery planters, the most beautiful is certainly Haworthia cooperi var. truncata. Its striking leaves are nearly rounded, translucent, and beautifully colored.

The leaves of Haworthia cooperi var. truncata are interesting and beautiful, varying in color. 

The majority of this haworthia's plant body is actually underground, with the tips poking through the surface to bring sunlight into the leaves.

Here's a closer look at the haworthia's beautiful leaves. Colors range from bright green to burnt orange. 

Striping on the leaves points towards the translucent center where sunlight enters into the plant. 

Here are the other haworthias that were also acquired in October and will be transplanted in early spring.

These two haworthias hybrids await spring transplanting, a columnar haworthia on the left, and a hybrid of Haworthia truncata on the right.