When handling the plant, exercise caution because the leaves are highly sensitive and will quickly separate from the stem.
In the event that they do break, allow them to callus over at the end before planting in a seed starting solution. A fresh plant will grow easily and develop roots in a few days.
Re-potting Burros Tail Sedum
Your plant will slow down the growth of its tails if it becomes pot-bound. By removing the plant from the pot, you may examine the roots. It’s time to re-pot the plant if you notice a dense collection of roots.
The greatest times to repot burro’s tail are during the warm months. Before you begin, make sure the soil is dry. Knock off part of the old soil as you gently remove the replant.
Place the plant in a new, one-third-larger pot, and backfill with more succulent soil. (Referral link) After the first week, stop watering the plant and start it again.
Cold Hardiness for Donkey’s Tail Sedum
The succulent Sedum morganianum is regarded as being delicate. Minimum temperatures of between 41 and 45 degrees can be tolerated. typically spends the winter in zones 10a to 11b.
The plant does best when cultivated inside if the local temperature is below these levels. Check out my list of succulents that can withstand the cold here.
Growth habit for Sedum Morganianum
When you look at the succulent’s development pattern, it is simple to understand how the common names were given to the plant. When the succulent is young, its hefty leaves resemble those of many other sedums.
Sedum morganianum and sedum burrito, however, both have a drooping tendency that is ideal for hanging baskets when the plant is healthy and mature. This explains why the plant resembles the tail of a donkey or burro so strongly.
Size of Burro’s Tail Sedum
These trailing stems from this succulent perennial plant can grow to be up to 24 inches long or even longer. It features thick, meaty, blue-green, leaves.
It can take a mature plant roughly 6 years to reach a length of 4 feet. This can be difficult because the leaves are delicate and easily break off when they come into contact with nearby objects (or your hands! ), leaving bald places in your planter.
To take use of the plant’s drooping propensity for the greatest results, place several of the stems in a planter.
It is a succulent perennial with fleshy blue-green leaves and terminal pink to red blooms in the summer that has trailing stems up to 60 cm (24 in) long.
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Sedum Morganianum Flowers
Donkey’s tail sedum has flowers at the end of a thick, full stem. Although it is fantastic to view them on an established plant, even a smaller specimen has blossoms that are worth the wait.
The flowers bloom throughout the summer and come in a variety of colors, from pink and red to yellow and white.
The speed of a burro’s tail growth
This succulent is one gorgeous sedum. My golden weeping variegated boxwood, which I brought home from Kew Gardens as a little cutting, lives happily in a huge square terra cotta pot with my now 5-year-old Coleus “Dipped In Wine (yes, they’re officially perennials), which is also a perennial.
The fact that these 3 plants grow well together in a container is surprising, but that’s another tale. I’m going to explain how I take care of and spread my Sedum morganianum, also known as a burro’s tail, donkey’s tail, or horse’s tail, in this post.
Wear your burro’s tail as a necklace if you want to be a great conversation starter at gatherings!
It will finally reach a height of 4 inches, which will take about 6 years. With those trailing stems covered in overlapping, luscious, juicy leaves that create a cool braided pattern, it becomes very thick as it grows.
Unsurprisingly, a mature plant becomes very hefty. This plant is not intended for a fragile pot or hanger. The ideal places to plant it are in hanging baskets, big pots like mine, pots that dangle against walls, and pots that trail out of rock gardens.
Size & Growth
A soft succulent is known as Sedum burrito. The thick, globular green leaves resemble beads. The larger, rounder leaves are tightly coiled on stems that can reach a length of two feet.
The stems might reach a maximum length of 4 feet if grown for more than 5 years.
A burro’s tail needs to be inserted into a strong container. Because the leaves retain such a large amount of moisture, these plants can become rather hefty.
The thick, cylinder-like stems resemble braided stems. The plant extends out to approximately 20 inches and reaches a height of around 8 inches.
Flowering and Fragrance
The blue-green leaves of the sedum burrito are stunning on their own. You can rub off the waxy layer that covers them with your fingers. The leaves don’t smell at all.
However, these plants do bloom in the spring. The likelihood of the succulent blooming as the temperature warms up increases when the winter months are cool.
Early in the summer, Sedum morganianum burrito may develop magenta, star-shaped flowers. On slender stalks, the flowers bloom in clusters of one to six.
They feature light pink sepals and vivid yellow stamens. Flying insects are drawn to their nectar.
Until they have fully grown and have stems that are at least nine inches long, these succulents do not bloom.
Light & Temperature
Burrito-shaped Sedum plants prefer a lot of bright light. If they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight, they can withstand some afternoon shadow.
Make sure the plants receive enough of indirect light if you are growing them indoors.
The plant might not grow in as fully or as tightly without intense light. The leaves of some plants may seem yellow rather than bluish-green if they receive too much sunshine.
USDA hardiness zones 10a to 11b are permissible for burrito growth.
You can cultivate these succulents outside.
They can withstand drops in temperature of 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you cultivate this plant outside as opposed to indoors, it will likely flower more frequently.
If possible, avoid exposing it to temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Watering and Feeding
Sedum burrito is a type of succulent that doesn’t require a lot of water. Plant this species in a soil that drains well. Use the soak-and-dry approach when watering it.
Give the soil a good watering after it has totally dried out. Before watering again, give it time to completely dry out, which could take a few weeks.
Neglect is what sedum burrito thrives on. To take care of it, not much is required of you. During the growing season, you can fertilize the plant lightly once or twice.
In the colder months, Sedum burrito goes dormant. During that period, it cannot stand being overwatered. The roots may be receiving too much water if the leaves start to turn soft.
Porous Soil & Transplanting
Put this succulent in a loose, well-draining potting soil. To prevent the soil from retaining too much water, you can amend it with sand or pebbles.
Transplant plants in the spring before the growing season if they start to outgrow their existing container.
How long does Sedum take to grow?
The growth rates of various succulent species vary. Climate, soil type, irrigation, and fertilizing all affect how big and fast a plant grows. While fast-growing ground cover species like Sedum can spread up to 1″ each month during the growing season, slow varieties will stay neat and compact in a pot.
How frequently are Sedum burritos watered?
A Sedum burrito might be the best option if you’re looking for a succulent, low-maintenance plant that is guaranteed to get noticed. This plant, also known by the common names Sedum burrito, baby burro tail, and donkey tail, grows swelling stems that trail or cascade down, making them ideal for a hanging basket. In zones 10 and higher according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it can also be grown outside in a garden. Sedum burritos demand a little bit more watering than typical sedums, but the extra work is well worth it.
Carefully press your finger 1 to 3 inches deep into the earth. It’s time to water your plant if it seems dry. A potted Sedum burrito typically needs watering every one or two weeks. If there is enough rain to meet the plant’s needs, the garden may require less waterings. After a week or two of dry weather, feel the soil to see if it is dry.
For smaller plants, water a Sedum burrito thoroughly and gradually until you notice the water dripping out of the drainage hole in the pot. Use a garden hose or watering can to slowly water the plant outside in the garden, covering the entire base with 1 inch of water. Stick your finger into the soil 2 or 3 inches deep five minutes after watering to be sure the water permeated the soil rather than just running through it. If the soil on your sedum feels dry, water it once more.
If necessary, empty any extra water from the drainage dish. If you don’t, you risk overwatering your plant because the soil won’t be able to naturally dry out because it will absorb the extra water from the bottom up.
Throughout the year, continue to monitor the soil for moisture and water a Sedum burrito in the same way. Watering your sedum once a month during the winter may be adequate because the plant may be dormant and slow to use up the water in the soil.
My tortilla plant is withering; why?
Irrigate using the bottom-up approach by setting the pot on a saucer of water (25 percent submerged) and letting it sit there until complete absorption. If you scroll down to “Common Issues” for additional information, wetting the foliage each time the plant is hydrated can gradually let excess moisture to collect, causing the leaves to yellow and die away. Deflated leaves, little to no growth, and a progressive loss in leaf quality are all signs of under-watering. Be sure to consider the surroundings; a location with excessive sunlight may quickly dry up the soil and eventually sear the plant’s leaves. Rapid leaf yellowing, withering, mushy leaves or stems, and plant mortality are all signs of overwatering. Study its location once more in your house. To get your specimen back on track, a relocation is required if it doesn’t get bright or overhead light.
How should a Sedum burrito be pruned?
- To decide where to make the cut, look at the stem’s leaves. Cut slightly above a leaf or leaf knot that points in the direction that you wish the stem to grow. In the course of the leaf node, the new growth at the pruning point will branch out.
- Half an inch away from the target leaf or node, cut through the stem. Use a clean, sharp knife to cut at a 45° angle.
- Each stem that needs to be pruned should have a third of its length removed. The length of each stem that is clipped varies depending on the kind of succulents to improve the plant’s aesthetic appeal.
Recommendations
- Early in the spring, before the new growth starts, prune the succulents. If the plant is one of their flowering variety, prune it after flowering or in the winter when it is dormant.
- Pruning succulents can establish roots and thrive on new plants. Plant the cuttings in a pot of damp soil and maintain the moisture there until the sources of the bark begin to show symptoms of new growth.