Graptoveria ‘Opalina’

Graptoveria 'Opalina' (Graptoveria 'Opalina') is the succulent to reach for when you want colour without commitment. It forms tight rosettes about 15cm high and 25cm across, chalky blue green blushing apricot and rose at the tips in strong light. It is also genuinely pet friendly, so it can sit at floor level in a house with a curious dog.

Why you'll love it

• Not toxic to cats or dogs. Both parents, Graptopetalum and Echeveria, are regarded as non toxic, so a chewed leaf is a nuisance rather than a worry.
• Colour that shifts with the light. Grown bright it takes on pink and apricot through the leaf edges; in shade it stays pastel blue.
• It forgives neglect. Drought and heat tolerant, happy on a hot balcony, and more likely to die from kindness than from being forgotten.
• It multiplies for free. Offsets form around the base and a dropped leaf will strike, so one plant becomes a row of pots.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A shallow bowl with drainage holes and a gritty mix is ideal, and it is salt tolerant enough for a coastal balcony. Grouped in threes it reads better than one plant lost in a large pot.

Rockeries and edging. Set rosettes about 25cm apart between stones or along a path in a dry garden. The reflected heat suits it and the sharp drainage is exactly what it wants.

Growing Graptoveria 'Opalina' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to bright light gives the strongest colour and tightest rosettes; too little and the plant stretches and pales. It suits warm temperate, subtropical, arid and Mediterranean gardens, and takes light frost only. In cool temperate gardens, grow it in a pot under eaves and out of winter wet.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not negotiable. Use a cactus and succulent mix, or open a standard potting mix with coarse sand. In the ground it needs a raised gritty bed rather than garden loam.

Water and feed. Soak, then let the mix dry right through before the next drink: roughly fortnightly in summer, monthly over winter. Feed twice in the warm months at half strength, and shelter it from heavy summer rain.

Pruning and propagation. Pull the shrivelled lower leaves away and remove the flower stem once the yellow and orange bells finish. A leaf twisted off, dried for a few days then laid on barely damp mix, will strike on its own.

What to expect when it arrives

Plants are grown as tube stock, so what arrives is a young rosette a few centimetres across, not a full sized specimen. Expect it to fill a 150mm pot within a season and reach its 25cm spread in about two years.

Succulents travel better than almost anything else, and a leaf loosened in transit can simply be laid on the mix to strike. Leave it dry and bright for a week before the first water. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow succulents that thrive
• Browse the full succulent range
• Plants for rockeries and gravel gardens
• More plants that are safe around pets

Common questions

Is it really safe around cats and dogs?

Yes. It is a cross between two genera both regarded as non toxic to cats and dogs, one of the safer succulents for a home with pets. Any plant eaten in quantity can upset a stomach, so discourage chewing regardless.

Why has my plant lost its pink tones?

Not enough light. The blush is a sun response, and in shade the rosette reverts to plain blue green and stretches upward. Move it somewhere brighter and the colour returns with the new growth.

Can I grow it indoors?

On a bright windowsill, yes, but it needs several hours of direct light to stay compact and coloured. In a dim room it survives for months while slowly stretching out of shape.