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While Haworthia coarctata is a succulent plant, it is anything but basic. This plant’s shape is unique and its long stems packed with large clumps of green or rich purple-red fatter leaves. That explains how this species got the name coarctata since the meaning behind this Latin word is “crowded”. Besides the leaves, this Eastern cape plant can also be recognized by its green flowers.
Care guide highlights: Use well-draining soil for Haworthia coarctata. Avoid overwatering, and make sure it gets around 6 hours of full sunlight.
These are the topics we’re about to go through, to give you the best Haworthia coarctata care tips:
- Soil requirements of this succulent plant
- Adequate light intensity
- How often to water it?
- Temperature and humidity requirements
- Is fertilizer necessary?
- Pruning and repotting
- How to propagate this Haworthia coarctata var?
- Common problems and how to eliminate them
- FAQ
Like most succulents, H. coarctata is quite a low-maintenance plant, and caring for this one will not be too big of a hassle if you decide that this is the new plant you need in your garden.
This plant is frequently confused with another member of the family called Haworthia reinwardtii, but if you stumble upon names like Aloe coarctata, Haworthiopsis coarctata or Catevala coarctata – know that they are synonymous with this lovely species.
Mature rosettes of this enchanting beauty “give birth” to slender, up to 12 inches (30 cm) long flower stem, that is, a couple of them.
If you are curious to meet some other family members, here’s the chance:
Without further ado, let’s explore the glorious world of having the best coarctata plant possible, and keeping your succulents alive!
Soil Requirements of This Succulent Plant
As it is already widely known, succulents are plants that aren’t too hard to satisfy, so you could use a commercial mix such as a standard cactus mix, or anything marketed as succulent friendly.
The most important requirements are for it to be porous and well-draining soil.
If you happen to have some regular potting soil on hand and make the most of it, that can be of use too!
To put your regular potting soil to use, you must add a few things to the mix: some sand and organic matter.
When added, they will make it a more well-draining soil that your plant will enjoy.
Just remember, succulents and anything even remotely similar to a cactus can keep a lot of water, so having one that doesn’t drain well and fast, won’t be a comfortable environment for your Haworthia coarctata.
Plants from the Haworthia genus don’t like having their root system drained in too much water!
With that last information in your mind, you will most likely have everything be just right.
Adequate Light Intensity
Coarctata is a plant that will mostly thrive in places with both full sun exposure and sometimes a partial shade.
It’s best to consider placing it next to a window where it will have some bright light during the early hours of the day but have partial sun exposure in the afternoon.
So if you happen to have a window in your home that is facing the east, then that is your best bet!
While this South African species likes being sunkissed, it’s best to keep it out of direct sunlight. Like you would with Haworthia reinwardtii or any other member of Haworthia gang.
And of course, everything stated brings us to the conclusion that dark places or north-facing windows are the environments that should be avoided to keep your Haworthia coarctata happy and healthy.
How Often to Water It?
This species, as well as any other succulents, does not like too much water.
Typical watering for Haworthiopsis coarctata is the so-called “soak and dry” method.
What this means is that you should pour a sufficient amount of water, and then leave the plant for some time, until the soil is dried completely.
Once it gets to that state, that’s when you should do your next watering.
This method will also be useful for any other succulent you have in your garden.
One important note to consider is that your watering habits should differ from winter to summer.
While waiting for it to be completely dry before you pour some more water is a good rule of thumb, in summer you should do it much more frequently as it takes less time for things to dry up and it’s the season when the growth of your coarctata will be the most prominent.
When the early signs of autumn fold out and the summer months come to an end, you should reduce your watering frequency by a significant amount.
During the winter, the growth of the coarctata is notably slower, so plants soak less water, and therefore you might increase the risk of roots rotting.
Temperature and Humidity Requirements
When talking about temperature and the humidity of your environment, the origin of Haworthiopsis coarctata is something that should be taken into consideration once again.
To start with, the temperature shouldn’t go below -1° C (or 30° F), but anything between that and 10°C (or 50° F) can be well tolerated as a minimum.
If the area you’re living in is commonly cold and has its temperature often drop below freezing, the best move would be to keep your Haworthiopsis coarctata indoors.
On the other hand, if your region is not as cold, having your coarctata be outdoors is equally as good.
When it comes to humidity, there are no specific guidelines.
The Eastern Cape province, where Haworthia originates from, is a zone that has somewhat balanced humidity levels throughout the whole year, mostly around 70%.
Keeping the area humid could be nice for your succulent, but since these plants show to be more than resilient, it probably won’t be a crucial game-changer.
Is Fertilizer Necessary?
When talking about Haworthia coarctata var and this family in general, it’s necessary to know that this plant is a slow grower.
Like any other plant in this genus that is a slow grower, Haworthiopsis coarctata technically doesn’t need to be fertilized in order to grow.
This happens to be just another perk of having a low-maintenance plant like a succulent, a reason more to consider having a delightful succulent rock garden if you are a beginner!
However, if you want to give your H coarctata a nurturing boost, fertilizing it will be more than welcome.
Fertilizing can be significant especially if you keep your plants indoors.
Doing so won’t be an overly complicated process either, and the only thing you should be cautious about is to not overdo it.
You can use any succulent fertilizer you find.
Some examples would be organic succulent fertilizer, dry fertilizing, compost tea, or fish emulsion.
As winter is not an active period for Haworthiopsis coarctata, that’s not when the fertilizing should be done.
Since summer is the most active period for this slow-growing plant, early summer is the perfect time to start with fertilizing.
Pruning and Repotting
Pruning
Pruning is another aspect where Haworthiopsis coarctata doesn’t require much attention – possibly any!
The only pruning needed for this plant is if there’s a leaf that has dried up.
In that case, simply remove the dried part of the leaf and you’re good to go.
Repotting
When you notice that your pot is getting too big for your Haworthiopsis coarctata, that means it’s time to repot it.
All you need to do is transfer your succulent to a larger pot, and preferably do it during early summer.
You most likely won’t be needing to repot it way too often, as this is a slow grower.
How to Propagate This Haworthia Coarctata Var?
There are three different ways to propagate Haworthiopsis coarctata.
You can use either leaves, offsets, or seeds, and below you will find propagation information needed for all three methods.
Propagating by leaves
If you decide to do this using leaves, firstly you should take a healthy mother leaf from the main plant. Do this by carefully twisting the leaf from the stem. Do not leave any part of the leaf on the stem.
Then, after removing it from the stem, you should leave it for a few days until it forms a callus on the wound, and then simply lay it on some well-drained soil. That’s right – don’t pot it, just lay it down!
When you see that the roots and rosette of your new Haworthiopsis coarctata have formed, you should repot it in a new pot, and continue with regular care.
Related: 35+ Indoor Gardening Propagation Hacks that Will Blow You Away!
Propagating by offsets
When you see an offset has formed from the mother plant, this could be used as a chance for propagating. What you need to do is simply pull the offset from the mother plant, clean it up and let it dry for a few days until a callus forms.
After that, it will be all ready to be put in a new pot.
Propagating by seeds
While using seeds to propagate your Haworthiopsis coarctata isn’t the recommended method, it still can be done. As a slow-growing plant, it will need time to form seeds.
When you do come across them, the best time to plant them will be the fall months. If you live in a cooler region, it is advised you do this indoors. Once spring comes, you can transfer this cutie to any kind of a shallow dish, or find a place for it outdoors.
Common Problems and How to Eliminate Them
Overwatering
One of the few things that can be devastating to any succulent, and therefore your Haworthia, is overwatering it.
If your soil is not well-draining, that can make this situation even worse.
So make sure you’re using a well-draining kind, and stick to the “soak and dry” method.
Fungal growth
As a consequence of overwatering, the H. coarctata may develop some fungal growth.
To deal with this, let it dry thoroughly or even get rid of the disseased parts.
If the fungal infection becomes severe though, the best step would be to propagate using healthy parts of the Haworthia, a healthy leaf for example.
Pests
While pest infections aren’t too common in the Aloeae genus, it’s possible, as it is with all plants.
If your dear spiky friend is inside, it might attract flies or aphids, and that problem can be easily resolved by moving the plant outdoors.
If some other kind of pest attacks your dark green succulent, you can find fertilizers that are made for getting rid of them.
Related: Aphids on Indoor Plants- How to Deal with It
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Haworthiopsis coarctata dangerous for people or animals?
It is absolutely safe to have Haworthiopsis coarctata around both humans and animals. Just as with any other plant, for example, Haworthia reinwardtii or Haworthia truncata, make sure it doesn’t get ingested and you will be fine. Haworthiopsis coarctata is non-toxic.
How often should I water my Haworthia coarctata?
Don’t water Hatwortia coarctata until you notice that the pot is completely dry. Overwatering puts your plant at risk of developing a fungal disease, and even though that’s an easy problem to handle it should be avoided. The best practice is using the “soak and dry” method – meaning you should let the plant soak the water and dry up before watering.
