Burro's Tail

Sedum morganianum, known as burro's tail or donkey tail, is a trailing succulent native to a narrow range of cliff faces in Veracruz, Mexico, where it clings to vertical igneous rock in dry tropical forest. Indoors it is grown almost entirely for its ornamental stems, which become densely packed with overlapping, plump blue-green leaves and can cascade two feet or more from a hanging basket or high shelf. Its slow, reliable growth and tolerance of neglect make it a straightforward plant for anyone with a bright window.

The single most important factor indoors is light: burro's tail needs direct sun from a south- or west-facing window to stay compact and full. Without adequate sun, new growth becomes etiolated - stems lengthen but leaves stay small and widely spaced, giving the plant a sparse, stringy look that it will not recover from without a dramatic cutback. Watering is the other failure point. As a true succulent, it must dry out completely between drinks; consistently moist soil leads to root rot, which is silent until the stems suddenly collapse. In winter or on a north windowsill, water sparingly - perhaps once a month or less.

The leaves detach from the stem with the slightest contact, which can be maddening when moving or repotting the plant. That same quality is useful for propagation: any leaf that drops can be laid on dry succulent mix and will root and sprout a new rosette on its own. The plant is slow-growing but patient growers are rewarded with impressively full, long cascades after several years.

Direct sun from a south- or west-facing windowsill is ideal; without it, stems etiolate and lose their characteristic dense leaf packing. Very intense summer sun transmitted through glass for many hours can occasionally scorch leaf tips, so light afternoon shade in peak summer is acceptable.