Houseplant · Crassulaceae
Burro's Tail
Sedum morganianum
Hand it bright light and dry feet, and this trailing succulent will tumble over the pot for years on end.
Full sun
Every 14–30 days
50–77°F · 10–25°C
USDA 10–11
Overview
Burro's tail gets its name from the fat, plaited stems that drape down like a tail over the rim of a pot. It hails from southern Mexico and Honduras, clinging to rocky hillsides, and that mountain upbringing tells you just about everything about how it wants to live. Its chubby blue-green leaves are loaded with stored water, which lets the plant brush off the dry stretches that would do in a thirstier houseplant.
The very thing that makes it eye-catching also makes it a bit particular to share a room with. Those overlapping leaves hang on only loosely and pop off at the gentlest touch, so a hanging basket kept clear of daily comings and goings is its ideal home. Given good care, a single plant can spill down several feet, and come summer it might cap its stems with little pink to red flowers, although that's a rare treat indoors.
Here's the upside: it barely asks for a thing. Bright light, a pot that drains in a hurry, and a generous gap between waterings keep it content, and the single biggest danger is overdoing the kindness with too much water. Keep it lean, leave it be, and it'll pay you back season after season.
Care
The short version: park it in the sunniest spot you've got, pot it up in a gritty cactus mix, and only reach for the watering can once the soil has nearly dried out, going drier still in winter so rot never gets a foothold.
Light
Burro's tail loves bright light to full sun, so give it the sunniest perch you can find. A sunny windowsill keeps its stems plump and snug, whereas a shadowy corner draws them out thin and pale. Moving it into harsher sun? Do it gradually over a week or so so the leaves don't get scorched.
Water
Water it lightly and only after the mix has nearly dried out, which often lands at roughly once a month indoors. Those plump leaves hold their own backup supply, so if you're on the fence, just wait. Pull back even more come winter, because cold, soggy soil is the quickest path to rot.
Soil
Set it in a gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix, and stirring in some extra perlite is even better. Any pH from 6.0 to 7.5 will do nicely. The real key is that water pours straight through rather than hanging around the roots.
Temperature
It feels right at home between 50°F and 77°F (10°C to 25°C), basically normal room temperature. A short dip toward 40°F (4°C) is okay, but get it inside before any frost arrives, because frost will finish it off.
Humidity
This is a low-humidity plant that's perfectly content in dry indoor air, so there's no target to hit and no need to mist. Soggy, still air does it no good and just opens the door to rot.
Feeding
Feed it rarely, only once or twice over the spring-to-summer growing season, with a balanced or diluted liquid fertilizer. It's naturally a lean grower, and piling on food tends to backfire.
Pruning
Expect little to no pruning. Snip back any leggy or overlong stems just to neaten things up, and be gentle about it, since the stems are brittle and the leaves let go at the slightest touch.
Repotting
Only repot once the plant has totally filled its pot, and that won't happen often. The giveaways are roots packing the container and growth that stalls out or looks crowded. Touch it as little as possible during the move so the leaves stay put.
Size & spacing
Trailing stems can stretch 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) long and fan out 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) across. A hanging basket gives those tails space to cascade and keeps them safely out of the way of passing elbows.
Troubleshooting
Nearly every hiccup with burro's tail comes down to one of two culprits: too much water or not enough light. Catch the early clues laid out below and you can usually sort the cause before the plant pays the price.
Squishy stems and leaves going see-through
When stems turn soft and leaves go translucent, you're looking at rot, and it nearly always means water has been pooling around the roots. Hold off on watering right away, let everything dry out fully, and trim off any soft or discolored stems before the rot creeps further. If the base has gone, just clip the healthy tips and root those, then switch to a gritty mix that drains quickly and ease way back on water through winter.
Fix:
- Stop watering and allow the soil to dry out
- Remove rotted portions and repot into gritty, fast-draining mix
- Propagate healthy stem tips if the base is lost
Fuzzy white clumps tucked into the leaf joints
Those tiny cottony blobs hiding in the leaf axils are mealybugs, sap-feeders that tend to leave a sticky residue in their wake. Dab each one with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol, set the plant apart from the rest, and stay on it until they're truly gone. Give every new succulent a once-over before it joins the others, and steer clear of leaving plants wet or packed too tightly.
Fix:
- Dab insects with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol
- Isolate the plant and repeat treatment until clear
Plump leaves letting go the second you brush past
Ever notice leaves scattering at the lightest contact? They barely cling to the stems, so a passing sleeve or a knocked pot sends them tumbling. That's simply the nature of this plant, not a warning sign. Pop it somewhere quiet and away from foot traffic, carry it by the pot instead of the stems, and tuck the fallen leaves into the soil, where they'll happily start new plants for nothing.
Fix:
- Place the plant where it will not be brushed against or knocked by passing traffic
- Handle by the pot rather than the stems
- Pot or scatter dropped leaves on soil, where they readily root into new plants
Stems stretching thin with big gaps between leaves
Leggy stems and washed-out leaves mean the plant is straining toward light it can't quite reach, something called etiolation. Shift it to a brighter window offering bright light to full sun, but ease into the change across a week or two so the stems don't burn. Park it on a sunny sill and the trailing growth stays compact and lush.
Fix:
- Move to a brighter spot with bright light to full sun
- Acclimate gradually to stronger light to avoid scorching
Toxicity
Here's a relief for pet owners: burro's tail is safe to have around animals and kids. The ASPCA marks it non-toxic for cats, dogs, and horses, and the leaves hold no harmful compounds. A curious bite might bring a quick bout of upset stomach, the way plenty of plants do, but nothing beyond that.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
The ASPCA puts this plant on the safe list for cats. If yours sneaks a bite, you might see a bit of drooling or a quick tummy ache, and that's about the worst of it.
Dogs None
Dogs are in the clear here as well, since there's nothing toxic in it to fret over. Should one gnaw a dangling stem, the most you'll get is some mild, short-lived stomach upset.
Horses None
Horses get the ASPCA all-clear too, so a stray mouthful while grazing isn't anything to worry about.
Rabbits Safe
With no toxins in play, a nibbling rabbit comes to no harm, though those fleshy, water-laden leaves work better as an occasional treat than a daily green.
Livestock Safe
Goats, sheep, and cattle can have a taste without any trouble. Kept as a houseplant, though, it's hardly ever going to end up in front of them.
Birds Safe
Pet birds can hang around it with no concern, and a pecked leaf holds nothing poisonous. Those brittle stems tend to scatter well before a bird makes much of a meal.
People Safe
There's nothing in it that harms people, so a child who pops a dropped leaf in their mouth is perfectly fine. It isn't a food plant, though, so it's best left on the sill.
Varieties
Burro's tail has just one close cousin worth a mention, a more compact version that's gentler to handle and every bit as easy to grow.
Sedum morganianum 'Burrito' (baby burro's tail)
Its leaves are shorter, rounder, and bunched together more snugly than the species, and they cling on much more firmly, so it's the friendlier one to move around.
How to propagate
Not many plants are this giving. Every leaf that drops and every stem you trim has the makings of a new plant, so you'll always have spares to pot up or hand off to a friend.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Growing season (spring to summer) · Several weeks to a few months to root well
Want a full plant fast? Stem cuttings are the speediest route there. Snip healthy tips through the spring-to-summer growing season, give the cut ends a day or two to callus over, then set them on top of or nudge them into a gritty mix. They'll put down roots across several weeks to a few months, quicker than going the single-leaf way.
Leaf cuttingsEasy
Growing season (spring to summer) · Several weeks to a few months, slower than stem cuttings
Each dropped leaf is basically a free plant in waiting. Set those fallen leaves on top of the soil during the growing season and they'll grow roots and little plantlets all on their own. It's dependable, though plan on several weeks to a few months, a touch slower than a stem cutting.
DivisionEasy
When repotting during the growing season · A few weeks to establish
When a clump has crammed its pot full, go ahead and divide it as you repot during the growing season. Each piece settles back in over a few weeks, turning one plant into two without much hassle at all.
Myths
Burro's tail is poisonous to cats and dogs and unsafe to keep around pets.
According to the ASPCA, Sedum morganianum is non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, which means it's welcome in a household with animals. A nibble might cause mild stomach upset, just like most houseplants would, but there's nothing dangerous about it.
The plant needs frequent watering to keep its plump leaves from shriveling.
This is a drought-loving succulent that banks water inside those chubby leaves and prefers the soil to almost dry out before its next drink. Too much water is what kills it, since that rots the roots and stems, so if you're not sure, hold off.