Haworthia is a large genus of rosette producing succulents from South Africa. They are closely related to Gasterias and Aloes but generally much smaller. Rosettes range from less than an inch to 3 or 4 inches. Most offset readily but a few are solitary. Often called "Windowpane Plants", many species have triangular leaves with patterns of translucent "windows" that allow light into the leaf for photosynthesis. In the wild these translucent leaf tips are often all that shows of the plants presence. The rest of the plant is buried in the sandy gravel it grows in. The variations in the patterning of the leaf tips can be very beautiful, and grown in strong light the plants can often take on a reddish or even brown or purple hue. Other varieties of Haworthia lack the translucent leaf tips but can produce short or long lance shaped leaves with beautifull raised white patterns on their undersides. These usually retain their lower leaves and can grow into short columns. Still other Haworthias can have leaves that are almost grass like. Natural and cultivated hybrids abound and the variety seems almost endless.
     Most Haworthias are fairly easy to grow in any good cacti and succulent mix. They appreciate water when they are actively growing but should be watered just enough in winter to keep them from shriveling. I made the mistake of letting them get a little too dry and they came back very slowly in spring. As with Aloes and Gasterias loss of lower leaves is normal as the plant grows. These can be removed periodically with a gentle tug. Haworthias are easily propagated from the offsets that frequently form on the sides of the main rosette. Offsets that have some roots of their own being the easiest. The few solitary types can only be grown from seed.

I have several Haworthias and I'm always looking for more. Click on a thumbnail below.
Haworthia retusa	Haworthia mirabilis var. badia	Haworthia venosa ssp. tesselata	Haworthia coarctata
Haworthia truncata	Haworthia limifolia	Haworthia emelyae var. picta	Haworthia attenuata
Haworthia mirabilis	Haworthia turgida var suberecta	Haworthia cymbiformis	Haworthia viscosa
Haworthia resendeana	Haworthia retusa cv 'White Ghost'	Haworthia emelyae var. comptoniana	Haworthia reinwardtii