Haworthia Retusa

A succulent built for a windowsill, not a desert

Haworthia retusa — Star Haworthia, or Civi Green in most local nurseries — grows as a low, tight rosette of thick triangular leaves that bend back at the tip. The flattened tip of each leaf is a window: translucent tissue, lined with pale green veins, that lets light into the leaf. In the wild it grows half-buried in the shade of grass and rocks, so it is built for filtered light, which is exactly why it does better indoors than most succulents.

It grows slowly and stays compact, offsetting pups around its base over the years into a small clump.

Light

Bright indirect light. A desk near a window or a sill that gets only early morning sun is right. Harsh afternoon sun is the one thing it objects to: the leaves turn red-brown and the windows cloud over. That colour is stress, not decoration — move it back from the glass. Too little light shows the other way, as leaves that flatten out and turn pale. Once the afternoons are past 38°C, keep it well away from any west-facing window; the summer care guide covers the same adjustment for the rest of the collection.

Water

Every two to three weeks, and only once the soil is dry all the way through. The leaves store water, so a plant that is too dry wrinkles slightly and recovers within a day of watering. A plant that is too wet goes soft and translucent at the base, and that does not recover. Through the July and August monsoon, stretch the gap and check the soil with a finger instead of the calendar. If the base has already gone mushy, read how to save a dying succulent.

Soil and potting

A gritty, fast-draining mix in a pot with a drainage hole — the soil mix guide has the ratio. Haworthias have fine roots that rot quickly in dense soil, and they are happy in a small pot for years. When the clump fills it, the pups can be separated and potted up on their own.

Winter

It slows right down from November and needs even less water. Keep it off cold window glass at night and away from direct heater air.

Good to know

Haworthias are non-toxic to cats and dogs, so it is a safe choice for a low shelf in a house with pets.