Ghost Plant Guide: How to Care for “Graptopetalum Paraguayense”

Want a unique-looking ornamental plant in your home? A Ghost Plant is what you need! And don’t worry, there’s absolutely nothing scary about this easy-to-grow succulent.

Of all succulents, Ghost Plants are among the easiest to grow, even by novice growers. They can survive anything from damaged stems to not being watered for a long time, and even frost. So, if you are looking for a succulent that’s forgiving and won’t mind the occasional neglect, Ghost Plant is a perfect choice.

Popular for being evergreen succulents and for their unique look, thanks to their trailing rosette form, Ghost Plants can be seen everywhere these days, including garden centers, home improvement stores, and craft and hobby stores. And, you’ve probably also seen these plants in some of your friends’ houses but didn’t know what they were called.

Are you interested in growing Ghost Plants in your home? Keep reading below to find out how to grow and care for these adorable succulents.

About Ghost Plant

• The botanical name of the Ghost Plant is Graptopetalum paraguayense, but it is also commonly known as Mother of Pearl plant and Sedum weinbergii.
• Although the botanical name of the plant may imply that it comes from Paraguay, Ghost Plants are actually native to Tamaulipas, Mexico.
• Ghost Plants are perfect for any indoor environment. They can be great ornamental plants in both home and office spaces. As long as the environment provides them with the ideal growing conditions, the plants will thrive and make amazing greenery decorations.
• Ghost Plants can be grown both indoors and outdoors. They typically do better outside, when exposed to natural elements, but can also thrive indoors if you provide them with the right conditions.
• Suppose you live in an area with a colder climate that reaches freezing temperatures. In that case, growing your Ghost Plant indoors is definitely the right decision because this type of plant isn’t winter-hardy.
• If grown outdoors, Ghost Plants are excellent additions to rock gardens, succulent gardens, and Mediterranean gardens.
• To thrive, like most succulents, Ghost Plants need warm temperatures. The minimum temperature tolerated by these plants is 20°F (-6°C).
• Ghost Plants prefer full sun but can also adapt to partial shade. Yet, these plants look best when kept in bright direct sun. Keep in mind that if your Ghost Plant doesn’t receive enough light, it can be leggy and experience leaf drop. So, try to place your plant in a sunny spot in your home.
• These plants have specific water needs for succulents. They don’t like wet feet, and are prone to root rot, and prefer to be watered every other week. Although we don’t recommend neglecting to water your Ghost Plant, as mentioned above, these plants can survive several weeks without watering. Overwatering may be more dangerous to your plant than no watering.
• Ghost Plants do best in sandy or a light potting mix that allows good drainage. If you live in an area with excess humidity, it is particularly important to provide your plant with good drainage to help it maintain a healthy root system.
• Ghost Plants are non-toxic to humans and pets. You don’t have to worry that if you bring one indoors, it may be dangerous for your kids or pets.
• Ghost Plants are particularly vulnerable to mealybugs, vine weevil, and aphids. Good remedies for these pests are medical alcohol and a low-toxicity bug control solution that will remove the bugs without doing any harm to your Ghost Plant.

Ghost Plant Features: An Overview

• Ghost Plants are related to and look very similar to Aeonium Echeveria. Yet, a closer look at these plants will help differentiate them. For example, Aeonium Echeveria has thicker and wider leaves. While the rosettes of Echeverias can be 20 inches in diameter, the size of the rosettes of the Ghost Plant ranges between 2 to 5 inches. Plus, the Echeverias’ rosettes spread from the main stem while Ghost Plants’ rosettes break off from the root.
• The appearance of these plants is also similar to the appearance of Pachyveria plants. Yet, the main difference between the two is that the leaves of Ghost Plants are pointy, while the leaves of Pachyverias are rounded.
• Ghost Plants can grow up to 1 ft (60 cm) tall and 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) wide.
• These plants develop a rosette shape on stems, which can trail or hang when the plants reach maturity.
• What’s incredibly special about these plants is that they are chameleons, having different colors depending on how much light they get. When grown in partial shade, the plants tend to have a blue-gray color. In partial sun, Ghost Plants tend to have a gray-pink color, whereas, in full sun, their color ranges from pinkish gray to yellow.
• When provided with the ideal growing conditions, Ghost Plants produce dainty sprays of star-shaped yellow flowers in spring.

Growing Ghost Plant

Like most succulents, Ghost Plants are low-maintenance houseplants when the environment you offer them meets their basic growing requirements. In general, Ghost Plants have the same type of needs like most succulents, including abundant light, good drainage, warm temperatures, and to be protected from frost.

Ghost Plants thrive in climates with hot temperatures and are very sensitive to freezing temperatures. The lowest temperature they can survive is 20°F (-6°C). So, If you live in an area with a climate that can reach sub-zero temperatures, it’s best to grow your Ghost Plant indoors, in containers.

They love sunny spots and look their best when kept in full sun. That’s when their colors range from pinkish to yellow. The more intense the sunlight they get, the prettier its colors will become. If you grow your Ghost Plant inside your home, make sure to find the brightest place to keep them. Keep in mind that if your plant doesn’t get enough light, it will experience leaf loss, and its color will change to a dull gray. This is how you know that your plant needs to be moved to a spot where it gets more sunlight.

Graptopetalum paraguayense Ghost Plant, From Amazon

If you grow your Ghost Plant outdoors, place it in a spot that gets plenty of bright, partial sunlight. Although they can adapt to full sun, in the beginning, they are prone to sunburn. So, it’s best to give the plant some time to acclimate to the full sun.

Your Ghost Plant will also need some feeding to grow healthy and to flower in spring. We recommend applying fertilizer only during the active growth period of the plant in the spring and summer months. Yet, it’s essential to make sure that you don’t excess fertilize it because this can lead to burned leaves. Sometimes, if you provide the plant with the ideal growing conditions, a side-dressing of compost can be enough to keep it healthy and help it grow.

Planting Graptopetalum Paraguayense

Planting Ghost Plants isn’t much more complicated than it is with other succulents. They have the same typical needs, such as well-draining soil, especially if you live in an area with extra humidity.

If you grow Ghost Plants in a container, we recommend using a mixture of peat, sand, topsoil, and a little bit of compost. If your succulents are outdoors, it’s best to avoid planting them in clay soil. We recommend using a planting mix with half grit or sand and half organic material such as peat or commercial potting soil.

No matter if you plant them indoors or outdoors, keep their lighting requirements in mind and choose a spot in your home or garden where these succulents will get enough sunlight to grow beautifully.

An important thing to keep in mind: Do not plant your Graptopetalum Paraguayense outdoors if you live in an area with a cold climate and winters that reach sub-zero temperatures.

Watering Ghost Plants

Like most succulents, Ghost Plants require sufficient amounts of water to thrive but not too much. They don’t like wet feet and are prone to root rot. So, avoid overwatering your succulents because this is the easiest way to kill it.

The watering needs of your Ghost plants depend on the season and on the surrounding environment. These succulents need to be watered more frequently during the spring and summer months, as often as every 7-10 days. Yet, during the winter, you need to cut back on the water, and only water them once a month.

The best way to make sure you provide the ideal amount of water to your succulents is by allowing the top half of the soil to dry between waterings.

Propagating Ghost Plants

Ghost Plants propagate by stem or leaf cuttings and it’s best to propagate them in spring or early summer. Even a healthy leaf that falls from your plant can root where it has fallen if all the conditions are ideal.

As it is with propagating other succulents, you need to remove a steam cutting and allow it to dry for a day or two so that it heals. Next, place the cutting in a well-draining potting mix and water it every few days for almost two weeks when the steam will develop its own root system. Once the new plant is fully rooted, you can start taking care of it in the same way you care for your mature Ghost Plant.

In Conclusion

Ghost Plants are unique-looking succulents, and when provided with the ideal growing conditions, their changing colors will make them fantastic focal points in any home or garden. It’s really easy to care for them and they make lovely greenery decorations for your home or office.

Are you growing Ghost Plants indoors or outdoors? Let us know in the comments!