Faucaria tigrina
| Light | Bright light with a few hours of direct sun; a sunny windowsill suits it well |
|---|---|
| Water | Regularly in autumn and spring growth; keep nearly dry through the summer and winter rests |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Seed, division of clumps, or leaf-pair cuttings |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Faucaria tigrina, the true tiger jaws, is a small clumping succulent from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, grown for its paired grey-green leaves that are dusted with tiny white dots and edged with rows of soft, recurved teeth. When the fleshy leaves sit face to face those teeth interlock like a pair of open jaws — the feature that gives the plant both its Latin name and its common one — and in autumn the rosettes throw up large, bright yellow daisy-like flowers, making it a classic and forgiving windowsill succulent.
Description
Faucaria tigrina forms low, stemless rosettes that slowly offset into tight clumps a few centimetres across. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, thick and keeled, roughly triangular when seen from the side, and coloured a soft grey-green that is finely speckled with raised white dots. Each leaf margin carries three to about ten slender, recurved teeth tipped with soft bristles; these are harmless to the touch and are thought to help channel dew and mist toward the roots rather than to deter grazers.
The flowers appear from late summer into autumn, emerging singly from the centre of a leaf pair. They are golden yellow, many-petalled and daisy-like, 3–5 cm across, and open around midday on warm, bright days, closing again toward evening.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in the Albany Thicket around Makhanda (Grahamstown), where it grows in open, rocky patches among low shrubs and other vegetation. Plants often nestle among rocks in the light shade of surrounding plants, tolerating long dry spells by drawing on their fleshy leaves.
Like many small mesembs, Faucaria tigrina has a limited natural range; it is assessed as Endangered on the Red List of South African Plants, with only a few wild subpopulations remaining under pressure from urban development and overgrazing. True, correctly identified material is also less common in cultivation than the many look-alikes and hybrids sold under the "tiger jaws" name.
Cultivation
Faucaria tigrina is one of the easier mesembs for a beginner and adapts well to life on a bright windowsill. Grow it in a gritty, mostly mineral mix in a pot with good drainage, and give it as much light as you can — a few hours of direct sun keep the rosettes compact and encourage flowering. In too little light the leaves stretch, pale and lose their neat jaw-like symmetry.
Watering follows the plant's growth rather than the calendar: water fairly generously while it is in active growth in autumn and spring, always letting the mix dry out between drinks, and ease right off during the hot part of summer and the cold of winter, when the plant rests. Overwatering a dormant plant is the usual cause of loss. It is not frost-hardy; keep it above freezing and on the dry side when cold. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The species is easily increased. Established clumps can be lifted and divided, with each rooted offset potted on separately (see Propagation — offsets). Individual leaf pairs taken cleanly and allowed to callus will often root as cuttings. It also comes readily from seed sown on a gritty surface and kept warm and lightly moist, though seedlings are slow in their first year.
Common problems
- Rot — from watering while dormant or from a slow-draining mix; leaves go soft, translucent and mushy, usually from the base.
- Etiolation — insufficient light makes the leaves elongate and splay, opening the "jaws" wider and losing the tidy clumped form.
- Pests — mealybugs can hide between the leaf pairs and in the crown; root mealybugs and the occasional spider mite also occur. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Faucaria — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings · Repotting