Gasteria ‘Lots of Spots’

Gasteria 'Lots of Spots' is the succulent for a shelf or a windowsill that gets bright light without blazing afternoon sun. It stays around 200mm tall and 300mm across, holding thick tongue shaped leaves in a stacked fan, each one speckled heavily in white over deep green. It is also on our pet friendly list, which narrows the field considerably if a cat shares the windowsill.

Why you'll love it

• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which is rare among the succulents people actually want to grow indoors.
• It stays small. At 200mm tall and 300mm across it lives happily in a 150mm pot for years, so it suits a desk, a bathroom sill or a shelf.
• Almost nothing to do. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and content in poor soil. Water it when the mix dries out and otherwise leave it be.
• It flowers. Arching stems carry rows of small tubular flowers in orange and pink through the warmer months.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A shallow pot with a drainage hole is all it asks. Terracotta suits it particularly well, because the porous walls help the mix dry between waterings.

Indoors, balconies and courtyards. A bright windowsill works anywhere in the country, and indoors your climate stops mattering, which counts with a plant that takes light frost only.

Rockeries and edging. In warm temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid gardens it grows in the ground, between rockery stones or along the front of a dry border.

Growing Gasteria in Australia

Position and climate. Bright light with protection from harsh afternoon sun. Full western sun scorches pale patches into the leaves, while deep shade makes the plant stretch and lose its spotting. It takes light frost only, so cold districts should grow it under cover.

Soil. A cactus and succulent mix, or potting mix cut with coarse sand or perlite. Poor soil is fine, wet soil is not, and a pot standing in a full saucer will rot the base of the fan.

Water and feed. Soak it, drain it, then let the mix dry right through before the next drink: roughly every two to three weeks in warm weather and every five to six in winter. Feed at half strength once or twice over spring and summer, no more.

Grooming. No pruning as such. Pull spent flower stems away once they brown, and remove offsets from the base with a clean knife for more plants or a tidier clump.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in one size, tube stock: a young plant with a small fan of leaves rather than a full rosette. Pot it into a 120mm to 150mm pot with free draining mix and give it a season to bulk up. Gasteria is naturally slow, so buy it small and enjoy watching it fill out.

Few plants travel better, since the thick leaves carry their own water and a scuff on an outer leaf is only cosmetic. Leave it somewhere bright and hold off watering for a week after potting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the aloe care guide, which covers the same light and watering needs in a close relative.
• Browse the full succulent range.
• See more pet friendly indoor plants.
• Compare other plants suited to rockeries.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Yes. Gasteria is listed as pet friendly and is not toxic to cats or dogs. As with any plant, an animal that eats a large amount of foliage may still get an upset stomach.

How often should I water it?

Only when the mix is dry all the way through, roughly every two to three weeks in warm weather and every five to six in winter. Soft, yellowing lower leaves mean it has had too much.

Can it take full sun?

Bright light suits it, harsh afternoon sun does not. Morning sun with shade from about midday gives the deepest colour and the heaviest spotting without scorch marks.