Orostachys Furusei

The genus to which this plant belongs has its name from two Greek words. ‘Oros’ meaning mountain, and ‘stachys’ meaning spike. This name is due to the succulent’s natural habitat in mountainous regions. It is a Far Eastern native growing in China, Korea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Japan, and Russia.  

Orostachys Furusei Physical Characteristics

The plant is characterized by green-brown leaves about one inch tall and spread to two inches wide. The leaves are fleshy rosettes, and they spread by some short stolons to spread up to 18 inches. It reaches sexual maturity at two or three years when it flowers. This succulent is monocarpic. Therefore, it dies after it flowers for the first time. It produces offsets by the time it flowers to replace the dying plant. These offsets are numerous, forming a dense mat over time. By these offsets, the plant eventually ends up colonizing a wide area. Its flowers grow in a tower, and each power will have many small creamy flowers.

Orostachys Furusei Care

Watering

Its watering regime must be handled carefully because wrong watering predisposes the plant to fungal infections such as root rot. You need to ensure the soil doesn’t get waterlogged as roots settling in drenched soil eventually rot. The succulent requires different quantities of water at different times. However, you don’t need to keep track of water quantities. Just ensure the soil is dry before watering so that water from the previous drink is exhausted before the next. Avoid watering in winter when it goes into dormancy.  

Light and Placement 

It requires abundant light to keep it healthy. This light may be direct or indirect; keep it under a shade when the sun is too hot to protect its leaves from scorching. Owing to its drought tolerance, you don’t need to move the plant indoors in winter, so you can place it wherever it is convenient.

Soil

The soil plays two crucial roles in the plant. It provides nutrition and facilitates proper watering. The substrate should have a high gravel content to allow water to flow easily. Also, the substrate shouldn’t have too much organic matter as such matter distorts the structure of the plant. The leaves may become longer, destroying the look for which the plant is revered.

Fertilizer

You can give it a phosphate-rich fertilizer once or twice in the growing season to increase the density and number of the leaves. A well-balanced cactus fertilizer also increases the strength of the stolons.

DO YOU KNOW? Caring (propagating, pruning/trimming, beheading, watering, …) is a set of skills that is applicable to almost every succulent. Read the in-depth succulent care guide right here >>

Orostachys Furusei Plant Growth

You propagate this succulent using offsets, which it produces in large numbers. Propagate it at the beginning of the growing season to ensure it gets established before dormancy season. It doesn’t need pruning, except to remove the dead mother plant after flowering and maybe trimming to prevent it from going beyond the areas it is supposed to cover.

Repotting may be necessary if it offsets enough to outgrow the pot. You can repot at the same time you propagate to enable you to thin some of the offsets from the pot to allow it to spread with more offsets.

Mealybugs are the most common pests for this plant. Isolate the infested plants and spray them with organic pesticides.

Final Thought 

This succulent is beautiful, provides good ground cover, and is easy to care for. It is excellent for the yard, gardens, and hanging baskets.

Some other succulents on Orostachys genus:

ABOUT ME

Richard Miller

Salute everyone. It's Richard, the author of this Succulent & Xeriscaping blog. I am a traveler and a nature lover looking for a connection with the wild green. In my journey, I found a love for succulents and xeriscaping. What attracts me is the long-lasting & unique beauty of every plant I have the chance to see with my own eyes. Welcome to my little blog and let's enjoy a good time together!

Contact me: richard.succulentcity@gmail.com