Over-watered Zebra Plant (Haworthia attenuata) – Symptoms and Top 3 Remedies
Zebra plant is one of the most beautiful succulents out there. What’s more, it isn’t vulnerable to pests, powdery mildew, or other issues many succulents suffer from. Even a beginner can grow it with success. In fact, the only common issue people have with Zebra Plant is over-watering. Zebra succulent is native to South Africa, a semi-desert area. It won’t surprise you that it doesn’t rain much in most of Africa (drought and famine is a sad consequence of lack of rain, but that’s not something we want to discuss here).
Zebra succulent doesn’t like too much water, and many people actually kill their plant with over-watering. In this article we will look at symptoms of over-watered Zebra succulent, what you can do to save an over-watered plant, and also remedies you can take to make sure the issue won’t repeat again. At the end of the day, growing succulents is a learning process. Maybe you won’t save your Haworthia, but you will at least make sure not to repeat the same mistake with another one…
Common symptoms of over-watering in Zebra succulent
The earlier you spot the problem the better, hence it is a good idea inspecting your plant once in a while, looking for signs of over-watering. You can check for various things, but different symptoms become apparent in different stages of over-watering. Let’s have a look at each stage and symptoms:
- Stage one: Soil is always wet. It is good sticking your finger into the soil, or using a moisture meter, making sure the soil can dry. You actually shouldn’t water your succulent when the soil is still wet. It can also happen that you have a bad soil mix for Zebra succulent, or a pot without drainage hole, and the soil stay moist regardless of what you do. If the soil is completely wet, you are almost certainly giving your plant too much water too often.
- Stage two: Leaves are full of water, almost ready to burst. Hawortia has thick leaves, just like the majority of succulents. This makes a lot of sense in semi-desert areas of South Africa, where it accumulates as much water as possible in the leaves during the rainy season, and then easily survives the dry season. However, when you have the plant at home, this should not happen. If the leaves are really thick or even burst open, you are certainly over-watering your Zebra succulent.
- Stage three: The plant starts wilting and eventually dies. When the over-watering goes on for too long, and drainage system isn’t good, the roots of the Zebra succulent will start to rot. When they rot to a considerable extent, they won’t be able to transfer water and required nutrients to the plant anymore. It will start wilting, leaves may change color, and it will eventually die. When you spot the problem only in stage three, it can be too late to save your over-watered Zebra plant…
Saving an over-watered Zebra plant
As I suggested earlier, your ability to save an over-watered Zebra plants depends on how early you notice the problem. Addressing the issue in stage one is very simple. Just stop watering the plant until the soil dries and adjust the watering frequency accordingly. In my experience, most Zebra plants will do fine if you water them just once in two or three weeks. Of course this depends on the place where you live, temperature, humidity, etc. That’s why the moisture of the soil is the best criteria here.
In stage two of over-watering, when leaves get thick and perhaps some root rot has started, I suggest you to repot the plant to new soil. While repotting it, you should cut away the rotten parts of roots, and leave just healthy ones on the plant. Again, make sure that you lessen the watering schedule. Actually considering the amount of water presently in the leaves, you can even stop watering completely for a month or even longer, and just then resume it, with lessened frequency.
In stage three, with serious root rot (as a result of excessive moisture of the soil for prolonged period of time), you do not have many chances of saving the plant. You can try repotting it and cutting away all rotten parts. The problem is though that in this stage (when the plant starts wilting and changing color) the entire rooting system is often rotten, and you just cannot do anything. In such a scenario, you can just throw the plant away, remember the lesson you learned, and move on.
Precautions you can take with your Zebra succulent to minimize the chances of over-watering
Prevention is always the best cure. You can minimize the chances of killing your Zebra plant with excessive water taking some precautions, and doing things right from the beginning. Namely:
- Make sure to use a pot with drainage hole(s), and ideally also from a material that promotes aeration, such as clay or terracotta.
- Use the right soil mix, ideally one made for succulents, you can get it in any good gardening store, or you can make your own soil mix for succulents.
- Less is more when it comes to watering. It is extremely rare seeing a household succulent die as a result of under-watering. But over-watering is the no.1 reason why succulents in households die. Hence if you aren’t sure what to do, opt for less frequent watering. What I try to say here is that watering your Haworthia once a month only is safer than watering it every week.
- Check the moisture of the soil regularly. Make sure that you water the plant only when the soil dries completely. In combination with right pot and soil mix, this is the surest way of prevent over-watering in your Haworthia.
Is Zebra plant safe for cats?
Zebra plant is a slang name for two different plants actually:
- Haworthia fasciata, which is a succulent similar to Aloe in appearance.
- Aphelandra squarrosa, which is a common house plant native to tropical areas of Brazil.
Both of these plants are popular all around the world, and I have grown both in the past, having cats around the house. In this post I will clarify whether both plants are safe for cats, and also describe my personal experience with having cats and these two plants in the same living space.
Let me start with a quick answer: Both Zebra Plants (the succulent and the tropical plant) do not contain any chemical compounds toxic to cats. Hence when it comes to ingesting part of the plant by accident, your cat isn’t going to experience any health issues… As it is almost always the case though, a simple answer isn’t enough to clarify all possible risks and things you should consider when having a cat and a zebra plant (whichever one) in your home. Let’s have a look at them now.
Cats aren’t attracted to Zebra plants
The cats I had around the house back in the day were curious animals. They liked to explore the house and the garden, but zebra plants never captivated their imagination. Sure, I saw them walk around the plants, but they never really stopped to taste them, or lick them, or whatever. It seems that scents and colors of these plants aren’t particularly attractive to cats.
What I try to say here is that unless you let your cat starve, or unless it has no other toys or points of interest in the house, it just won’t mess around with your Zebra plant. I think this is good to know, because especially the Zebra plant from tropical areas is hard to grow, and the last thing you want to see is your cat damaging the leaves or over-throwing the pot with the plant. I guess this is +1 for having these plants at home, for every cat or dog lover.
If ingested in huge quantities, zebra plant (like any other plant) can cause your cat some gastrointestinal issues
Cats are obligate carnivores, and they won’t normally feast on plants. They may instinctively eat moderate quantities when experiencing some discomfort in their stomach (just like dogs do), but in normal conditions they aren’t going to eat the entire plant or anything similar.
Having said that, if you got some crazy idea, for example that instead of throwing a wilting zebra plant away you will cut it to small pieces and give your cat to eat (mixing it with milk for example), and it eats a lot of it, it can experience some stomach cramps and similar issues. But Zebra plant isn’t here to blame–your stupidity is. Cats should not eat any plants in big quantity. If they do so, or are forced to do so (for example when starved by their owner), bad things may happen. Keep it on your mind. Give your cat what it needs, and you won’t face any issue.
Fertilizer on leaves of the Zebra plant can be a game changer
Zebra succulent doesn’t need any fertilization, but the fragile beautiful plant from the tropical areas of Brazil does, and some people fertilize it with liquid fertilizers as often as every two weeks. All fertilizers contain some chemicals, and chemicals are bad for both people and animals. If you fertilized your Zebra plant just recently (within last 24hours for example) and your cat ate a few leaves, or played with the soil from the pot, there is a chance for a mild allergic reaction or even some more serious response. But it isn’t because of the plant itself–it is because of the fertilizer.
Luckily enough cats are smart animals with amazing smell. They will sniff everything before tasting it. And I can guarantee you that unless your cat lost the smell (a rare condition but it does happen) it won’t come even close to any plant that you recently fertilized. Still I wanted to cover this subject, just to make sure you see all angles, and can take measures if a rare incident happens.
Final verdict
Zebra plants (both Haworthia fasciata and Aphelandra squarrosa) are safe for cats. You do not have to worry if your cat roams around them. Maybe you can worry a bit about the plants–especially the fragile tropical aphelandra, since cats can sometimes overthrow it, and this plant bears badly with any for of stress. Other than that though, cats and zebra plants go well together, and you can enjoy the beauty and company of both at your home. Thank you for reading, and good luck with your pets and plants!
* Disclaimer: The content on this page is for general information purposes only. We are pet and plant lovers (and have real life experience with cats and succulents), but we aren’t medical professionals. Hence we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information contained on this website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. If you aren’t sure, contact a vet or other professional.
Zebra plant leaves drooping – Causes and remedies
Zebra plant isn’t exactly a succulent (though we have one succulent that’s nicknamed Zebra as well, the haworthia fasciata). But since I grow few Zebra plants in my house, and had problems with drooping leaves, I decided to cover this topic. Before anything else, let me tell you that growers need to pay a price to enjoy a beauty of Zebra plant at home. Zebra plant is relatively fragile, and unless you grow it in fitting conditions, it will have some issues. One of the most common issues is drooping of leaves, and in this post we will look at three main causes and how you can address them.
Before we dive into details, let me give you a quick answer: The three main causes of your Zebra Plant leaves dropping are low humidity, under-watering of the plant, and lack of nutrients in the soil. I will analyze each of these causes in a second, but I want to make sure you understand one thing: Zebra plant needs care, and regular attention. It is native to tropical habitat in Brazil, and such conditions are really hard to replicate in any house or flat (outside of tropical areas). If you are are looking for plants that do not need much attention and can survive or even thrive in relative neglect, Zebra plant isn’t your candidate… You should opt for succulents instead.
Zebra plant leaves will droop in any humidity level below 60%
In my experience, the no. 1 reason of drooping leaves with Zebra plant is low humidity of the growing environment. Zebra plant thrives in humid areas, and unless you grow it in humidity of 60%-70%, or even more, the leaves will lose their spark and start to droop. Imagine a typical tropical environment of Brazil, in a rain forest of close to it. It rains pretty often, and though the trees catch 95% of all rain, some drops always fall on the plants on the ground, such as Zebra plant, keeping their leaves moist or vet almost all the time. That’s what the plant is used to and likes, and unless you somehow replicate it, you’re not going to see the desired results.
Luckily I have one remedy for you, should you leave in an area with lower humidity: Place your Zebra plant in the bathroom, the area of the house which has the highest humidity. If you have kids of live in a house with many people, simply in an environment where someone takes shower almost all the time (not good for bills but perhaps good for plants), the humidity in the bathroom area will easily stay on the desired level, for most of the day. Some drops will also occasionally fall on the plant, and the environment will feel almost natural to it.
Of course, if you’re retired and spend most of your time at home, you can just mist the plant regularly, like every few hours, making sure there is always some moisture on the leaves and the plant feels good at your home. Placing a Zebra Plant to a green house is another idea (since the humidity is always higher), but of course this is an option only if you live in a warm area and have a greenhouse :).
Under-watering is another common cause of Zebra plant leaves drooping
One thing I love about plants is that as long as we watch them carefully, they will tell us how they feel, and what they need. Besides other reasons, leaves drooping (of any plant) signifies that the plant is thirsty, and needs water. With a Zebra Plant, under-watering is much more common then over-watering. As I said again, the plant is native to tropical regions. It doesn’t like to be drown in water (that’s why you should always use a pot with a drainage hole and empty the saucer after watering the plant), but it likes to be soaked pretty regularly (just like in a rain forest), taking a bit of water it needs.
Check the moisture of the top layer of the soil. If it is dry, and if it is the case often, the leaves droop because the plant needs water more regularly. Luckily enough the remedy is quite simple here. You just need to adjust your watering schedule, and simply soak your Zebra plant with water more often. But I do not want to give you any exact schedule. The soil moisture should be your guide here. It may be enough watering your plant once in ten days, but in some cases and climates you may need to water it two times a week. So make sure to check the moisture of the soil, as well as signs your plant gives you (such as drooping of leaves), and water accordingly.
Lack of nutrients in the soil as the no. 3 main cause for the leaves of your Zebra Plant drooping
As I’ve said a couple of times already, Zebra plant is native to tropical areas of Brazil. One of the characteristics of such areas is the soil super high in certain nutrients. Similar soil is hard to get in any shop, and you cannot easily replicate it even if you try to make your own soil mix at home. For this reason, Zebra plant needs regular fertilizing, ideally with a liquid fertilizer fitting for this type of a plant. You can find such products on Amazon for example.
When you do not fertilize your Zebra plant, it will quickly experience a lack of nutrients it is genetically preconditioned to need, and it will suffer in one way or another. Drooping of leaves is often the first sign of the problem. If you leave it untreated, however, the plant may simply wilt away and die. To make things clear, I am not a big fan of fertilizing plants (maybe that’s why I prefer succulents, plants that need little to no fertilization), but with some delicate plants like Zebra you do not have other options. If you do not fertilize it, you will never see it in full beauty, and it will often eventually die…
Zebra succulent dying and how to save it
There is hardly anything more frustrating than seeing a succulent plant dying, especially when you have cared for it with love, and when it is your favorite Zebra succulent. Just like with everything else in life, however, law of action and reaction cannot be broken. If your succulent is dying, it means that there is a problem, or you neglected something in your care.
The most common reason why zebra plant dies is over-watering. When the problem is not resolved immediately, the plant will look droopy or dying. It is important to remember though that there are many factors that pose threats to zebra plants. To make sure that over-watering is the real culprit, I recommend that you check the soil. You can do it by inserting one of your fingers into the soil and see if it comes out with dirt. If so, then probably your zebra plant is over-watered. Let’s have a look at other possible causes though, and how you can address them.
How to save a dying zebra succulent?
Just like a doctor treating his patient, you cannot really come up with a cure until you know what causes the issue. So the first step is identifying the root of the problem. Just then can you come up with necessary steps to take to save your zebra succulent.
Now we will have a look at the most common reasons why zebra plants may suffer, and also on a remedy for each of these problems. Let’s go!
Zebra plant with soft brown or yellow leaves
Your zebra plant leaves may turn brown or yellow with a soft and mushy texture. These symptoms are a clear sign of over-watering. Most of my succulent plants before planted in pots without drainage holes had this issue.
The problem was that because the water has nowhere to go, it stuck at the bottom of the pot. As soon as the roots reach the wet area, they start to rot. If you are a beginner, it is very important to keep in mind that succulents are accustomed to arid areas. Growing them in your garden, you need to give them similar soil and the amount of water that they would get in their native location.
Good news is that it is not that hard. The simplest thing I can recommend is to plant zebra plant into fast-draining soil and only water when it the soil is completely dry. This will keep your zebra plant safe from over-watering, which is the no. 1 reason why these plants die. You should never plant a zebra plant in compact or regular garden soil. As I mentioned, succulent plants need gritty soil that drains excess water. You can buy fast-draining soil online (click here to check my recommended soil on Amazon–affiliate link), or make your own.
Guide on saving over-watered zebra plant
Once you identify the symptoms of over-watering, take the following five steps to save your plant:
- Stop watering . As soon as you noticed the symptoms of over-watering, stop watering immediately. Allow the soil to completely dry before watering again. During summer, the soil dries faster. But during winter, the moisture in the soil may take a longer time to dry, sometimes weeks. Always check the soil before giving your plant any more water.
- Replace the existing soil if necessary. If the soil stays damp for too long, replacing it with new potting soil is a good idea. Immediate action is needed in this case. If zebra plant remains in the damp soil, it will suffer from root rot. Choose the fast-draining soil, it will help the plant recover.
- Use a pot with drainage hole. Aside from fast-draining soil, also make sure that the pot has a drainage hole. A well-draining soil is not enough. The water during watering should have an exit point to drain. This prevents the water from getting stuck at the bottom of the pot.
- Use a pot with appropriate size. In terms of choosing a pot for a zebra plant, pick the one that has proportional to the size of the plant. A too big or too small pot will not work well. Larger pots can contain a large volume of soil which takes a longer time to dry. On the contrary, smaller pots may limit the plants’ growth. A pot that is proportional to the size of the plant is the best option. It provides just enough soil and moisture for the plant.
- Always empty the saucer. If you are growing zebra plants indoors, there is a high chance that you use saucers beneath the pots. A saucer catches the water during watering and keeps it from spilling. However, the saucer should be emptied after watering. The water in the saucer can potentially cause root rot, especially in a shallow pot, where it not uncommon for the roots to stretch all the way to the bottom of the pot.
Zebra plant with red or white leaves
When you grow zebra plants outdoors, you might notice that the leaves turn red or white. This means that the plant is overexposed to sunlight. The leaves are not mushy or soft. This indicates that the plant suffers from direct sunlight. Zebra plants love bright indirect sunlight, not a direct one.
If you see these symptoms, I suggest that you move the plants to shaded areas immediately. Sunburn can potentially kill zebra plants. Healthy zebra plants have green leaves. This indicates that the plants are getting the appropriate amount of sunlight. The key to saving zebra plants that have red or white leaves is to move them immediately to shaded areas. As simple as that :).
I can tell you from my personal experience with growing zebra plants for years that excessive sunlight exposure will surely cause serious problems to the plant. Make sure you give it the environment it needs.
Zebra plant with brown lower leaves
Zebra plants sometimes also develop brown lower leaves. This is another issue that needs immediate attention. The most common cause of this problem is actually under-watering. Light watering won’t work in succulent plants. This is the reason why I always recommend the soak and dry watering method.
Light watering only causes issues to the zebra plant. If the water only reaches the top of the soil, the roots will grow upward instead of downward. This in turn creates a weak root system. Other than that, light watering keeps the plant thirsty. As a result, the leaves will turn brown starting from the bottom. Check for this symptom, it can happen especially during summer months, and it is a clear indication that your plant needs more water.
Luckily enough, the remedy is easy here. Soak the soil only, avoiding leaves and stems. Allow the water to flow through the soil until you see the water draining through the drainage hole of the pot. This technique is known as soaking, and it ensures that all the roots are able to get the water they need. Remember that it is always much easier to save your zebra plant dying from under-watering that it is to save it from over-watering.
Final thoughts
The most common reasons of zebra plant struggling or dying are over-watering, under-watering, and exposing it to excessive direct sunlight. Any of these factors can potentially kill your zebra plant. As you now know though, you can address each of these problems quite easily.
As soon as you notice the symptoms described in this post, act accordingly and immediately. Your first job is to figure out what causes the problem, and just then act on it. Immediate intervention may be needed to save a dying zebra plant, especially when the cause is over-watering. To learn more about succulents, and how to make sure they thrive in both your home and garden, do not forget to check my complete guide here. Happy growing!
Final thoughts
Zebra Plant isn’t an easy plant to grow, and you may experience many problems with it. Drooping of leaves isn’t the worst case scenario though. As you know now, low humidity, under-watering, and lack of nutrients in the soil are three main reasons why the laves may start bending or hanging downwards. I hope that I shed some light on possible remedies, and that you will revive your drooping plant. Good luck!
May also interest you: Aloe Vera – Most common questions and issues.