Succulent
Ox Tongue Gasteria
Gasteria bicolor · Asphodelaceae
Also called: Ox Tongue, Lawyer's Tongue, Cow Tongue, Gasteria
Ox Tongue Gasteria (Gasteria bicolor) is a low-water succulent well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a slow-growing succulent.
Ox Tongue Gasteria at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Tolerates lower light than most succulents; prefers bright indirect light to light shade. In Tucson keep out of direct afternoon summer sun, which scorches the thick leaves-best in bright shade or indoors.
- Mature size
- Rosette/fan of leaves about 6-12 in tall, clumping
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Reddish to pink-and-green tubular flowers, Produces arching stalks of curved, stomach-shaped (hence 'Gasteria') tubular flowers mainly in spring.
- Cold hardiness
- Tender; protect below about 40 F. In Tucson grow as a container or indoor plant and shield from freezing temperatures.
- Soil
- Gritty, fast-draining cactus/succulent mix in a pot with drainage; avoid heavy moisture-retentive soil.
- Native range
- Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Best used as
- Indoor houseplant, Shaded-patio container, Dish gardens, Low-light succulent collections
- Wildlife
- Minor pollinator interest at bloom; chiefly an ornamental foliage succulent.
- Toxicity
- Generally regarded as non-toxic and pet-safe; a low-risk choice around cats, dogs, and children.
How to grow Ox Tongue Gasteria in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Water deeply only when soil is dry, about every 2 weeks in the warm season and roughly monthly in winter. Very rot-prone if overwatered or kept wet; keep water out of the leaf crown.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low feeder; a dilute balanced succulent fertilizer at half strength once or twice in spring-summer is adequate. Skip winter feeding.
Pruning & care
No pruning required; remove withered leaves and divide offsets to propagate clumps.
Notes
Gasteria bicolor (the variable form often includes plants once called G. lingua) has thick, tongue-like leaves marked with white spots. One of the more shade-tolerant succulents, making it well suited to bright interior spots or covered north/east patios in Tucson rather than open desert sun.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; PlantZAfrica / SANBI; World of Succulents (worldofsucculents.com)