Cotyledon 'Bear Paw' (variegated)
Cotyledon 'Bear Paw' (variegated) is a variegated form of the popular bear's paw succulent, a cultivar of the shrubby South African species Cotyledon tomentosa. Like the plain form it produces plump, fuzzy, paw-shaped leaves tipped with a row of small "claws", but here the green is broken up by irregular streaks and sectors of cream to pale yellow. The reduced chlorophyll makes it noticeably slower-growing and rather more coveted among collectors than the ordinary green plant.
Description
The variegated bear's paw is a low, branching succulent with chunky, oblong leaves densely covered in soft whitish hairs, giving them a velvety, felted feel. Each leaf is tipped with a few short reddish "toes" or teeth along its blunt end — the feature that earns the plant its name — and the leaf surface is marbled with cream, ivory or butter-yellow variegation. The exact pattern varies from leaf to leaf and plant to plant; some are lightly flecked while others carry broad pale sectors.
Variegation is unstable, as it often is in succulents: individual branches may revert to plain green or, conversely, throw out nearly all-cream growth that lacks the chlorophyll to sustain itself. Where the parent species will in time produce clusters of bell-shaped orange to red flowers on tall stalks, variegated plants tend to be shyer and slower to reach flowering size.
Cultivation
Care follows the parent species, Cotyledon tomentosa — grow it in a gritty, fast-draining mix, water only once the soil has dried out, and keep it frost-free and on the dry side through winter. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
A few points deserve extra attention with the variegated form:
- Light — the cream tissue contains little or no chlorophyll, so the plant relies on its remaining green to feed itself. Give it bright light to keep the variegation crisp and the growth compact, but introduce strong sun gradually: the pale sectors scorch far more easily than green leaves.
- Reversion and over-variegation — prune out any wholly green shoots, which are more vigorous and will otherwise take over, and remove all-cream growth that cannot support itself. Propagating from moderately variegated stems helps hold the pattern.
- Slower growth — expect a more restrained, delicate plant than the green form, and water accordingly; the reduced leaf area means it uses moisture more slowly and is even less forgiving of a wet, airless mix.
Because the variegation is carried in the plant tissue, it is propagated vegetatively rather than from seed. Stem and leaf cuttings taken from variegated growth are the usual method; note that bear's paw leaves root less reliably than many other crassulas, so stem cuttings tend to be the safer bet. Seed-grown plants will not come true.
Like other cotyledons, the plant contains cardiac glycosides (bufadienolides) and is toxic if eaten, so keep it away from pets, children and livestock.
See also
- Cotyledon — the genus overview
- Propagation — cuttings · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Pests and diseases