Cotyledon orbiculata var. macrantha

pigs ear
Thick green leaves edged red on low chunky shrub. Lovely pendant apricot blooms form on upright stalks in spring. Frost-hardy.
height 2–3ft
width 2–3ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Drought, Fog, Pots, Salt, Wind
water
needs		 Low – Moderate
water
info		 Being primarily from South Africa, cotyledons are particularly well adapted to California’s climate and are drought tolerant, this green form of C. orbiculata does like a bit more water than the silver leafed forms.

If you see your cotyledon begin to shrivel or lose firmness, your plant is likely totally dry and should be watered.

Remember that if kept in a small pot your plant will want more frequent watering.
hardy
to		 22F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin South Africa
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 13–24, H2

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

While cotyledons will grow in sun or some shade, they are more squat and vibrant in the sun, and they tend to get a little floppy-looking when grown in full shade.
By pinching back the growth point (to just above where two leaves part), you can encourage your succulent to branch and have a lower bushier form. Do this by finding two leaves and pinching, snapping or cutting the stem just above them. Your plant will grow a new stem from each leaf and become twice as dense. These new stems can be pinched once a few sets of leaves lush out making an even bushier plant.
Cotyledons have candy corn flowers with recurved petals, usually dangling from an upright stem. Prune off these flowers once the stalks have dried.

Special Interest

The genus cotyledon are primarily from Southern Africa, and the name refers to the similarity of the leaves to the initial leaf that emerges from a seedpod (called a ‘cotyledon leaf’), which is uniquely shaped to fit in the seed.

These succulents are exceedingly easy to propagate from cuttings.