This succulent has a short stem with a rosette of leaves that form a small clump. It has thick spotted dark green fleshy triangular-shaped leaves and the orange red tube-shaped flowers appear on a tall raceme above the foliage during midsummer.

Hardiness zones 9 to 11

Gasteria nitida is naturally found in a South Africa growing on the Eastern Cape in rocky places. It prefers an open sunny to semishade position and grows in well-drained poor to moderately fertile sandy-stony coarse textured soils and is drought tolerant but frost tender.

The Cow-tongue cactus is grown for its foliage, clumping habit and its flowers. It is planted in small or arid gardens as a specimen in rockeries all grown as a potted plant for indoor or outdoor use. It is suitable from coastal and inland regions and establishes from division in 2-3 years. This plant is also grown in succulent collections and can be used in roof gardens requiring a little care once established. ID 2077

Gasteria (gas-TE-ree-ah)  nitida (NI-ti-duh)

Aloeaceae  (ah-LO-ee-AY-see-e)