Plant Spotlight: Chinese Dunce Hat or Dunce Hat succulent

Orostachys boehmeri or Orostachys iwarenge a.k.a Chinese Dunce Cap

The Look: Small soft rosettes in a bluish green/grey color with shooting off runners of tiny offspring - similar to a spider or strawberry plant. This plant gets its nickname for the bloom that emerges from the center of the mother plant. It creates a tall cone shape, similar to a dunce hat. 

Daily care: This plant can tolerate poor soil, but it needs to drain well. It prefers full sun, if it receives low light, the petals will start to stretch and it will look more like a daisy than a rose. Wait until the soil is dry before watering again. Trim away dead leaves as it can attract bugs (mealybugs love this plant!) or promote rot. 

Flowers: A tall cone of tiny flower buds will emerge from the mother plant in autumn. The flowers are very small and a creamy white color. Once the plant blooms, it will die shortly after.

Propagation: Very easy once the mother has produced a baby on a runner. If possible, let the baby plant grow a few roots before separating it from the mother. New plants can also be propagated from mature leaves.

Growth: The mother plant is slow growing and doesn’t get much larger than 1.5” across. 

Living Coaster Compatibility: An easy plant to care for and with it’s small baby offshoots, it’s a very interesting plant. This plant will not tolerate sitting in damp soil, make sure to use a course cactus soil and don’t over-water. It can handle a few weeks without water so it’s good for travelers. Chinese Dunce caps also dislike water on it’s leaves so by watering it from the bottom up with a living coaster, makes for a happy plant!​