Ghost Plant
Location
Cactus & Succulent Garden
- Common Name: Ghost Plant (other common names: Mother of Pearl Plant)
- Scientific Name: Graptopetalum paraguayense
- Family Name: Crassulaceae
- Origin: Mexico
- Height: 1’
- Width: 2’ – 3’ clumps
- Growth: grow medium to fast and will become a spreading colony of rosettes before too long.
- Zone: 7 – 11
- Light Needs: Full sun – Partial sun (full or half-day of sun)
- Salt Tolerance: unknown
- Soil/PH/Texture: Loam and sand, mildly acidic – mildly alkaline (pH 6.1 – 7.8)
- Soil Moisture: Low water needs, well-drained – Be sure to allow the soil to almost completely dry between watering’s.
- Drought Tolerance: very
- Pests/Diseases: virtually disease free, watch for vine weevils, mealy bugs and aphids
- Growing Conditions: low maintenance and easy to grow
- Characteristics: a succulent that has fleshy, pointed, grayish white, opalescent leaves, formed in about 4” wide rosettes. The color changes to a pinkish-yellow in dry and hot conditions or to a blue-gray if it gets partial shade. It grows more rosettes at the end of its stems and cascade down and in the spring, it produces tiny yellow star-shaped flowers.
- Propagation: by offsets in the spring or by leaf and stem cuttings (Allow cut surface to callous over before planting).
- Wildlife: deer resistant
- Facts: A powdery coating called pruinose covers this plant’s leaves, giving them their ghostly look. This coating is delicate and can be damaged by handling.
- Designer Considerations: use in borders, as groundcover, in rock, succulent, cactus or Mediterranean garden beds or as a container plant or hanging basket on your patio. Try mixing ghost plant with other forms of succulents for an interesting yet low-maintenance planting.
