Guide to Sedum Morganianum : How to Plant & Care for “Burro’s-Tail”

Affectionately called “donkey’s tail” and “burro’s tail”, Sedum morganianum is a trailing succulent.

Native to Honduras and the southern regions of Mexico, this tropical plant features bluish-green, tear—drop shaped foliage that lasts year-round and a very eye-catching look.

Its unique appearance, coupled with the fact that it’s easy to care for and has a long lifespan, make it a popular choice among plant enthusiasts.

If you’re interested in adding some excitement to your garden, Sedum morganianum is an excellent an excellent addition. Like any other species of flora, to ensure this plant thrive, proper planting and care is essential.

Sedum Morganianum: Quick Overview

• Likes full sun to partial shade
• Growing zones: 9 through 11. Outdoor temperatures should not fall below freezing, as this plant is tropical and cannot tolerate exposure to sub-freezing conditions.
• Year-round bluish-green, tear-drop shaped foliage.
• Reddish-pink show blooms may appear in the spring and summer (depending on where it is grown).
• Propagates well via both cuttings and leaves.
• Prefers slightly acidic soil; a pH of about 6.0 is ideal.
• Like all succulents, watering should be seldom; generally, soaking once a month during the winter months and once a week or every other week during the spring and summer will be suitable.

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Other Succulent Guides

• Complete Guide to Succulents
• How to Plant Succulents
• How to Water Succulents
• How to Grow Succulents from Seeds
• Why is my Succulent Dying?

Choosing a Location for Sedum morganianum

Donkey’s tail, as stated, is a tropical plant. Choosing the right location (as with any other species of flora) is vital for its survival.

Outdoor Planting

If you live in location where the temperatures do not dip below freezing, Sedum morganianum can be planted outdoors and would make a lovely addition to a rock garden or create a showy display when planted in a way that the foliage can drape down, as the plant features trailing foliage.

If you are planting outdoors, make sure to choose a spot that receives full sun to partial shade; however, exposure to direct sunlight may be damaging. Like all succulents, the leaves of Sedum morganianum do feature a whitish-gray coating that protects them from the damaging rays of the sun, try your best to plant them in a location where they will receive adequate amounts of, but not direct sunlight.

Donkey’s tail should be planted in well-draining soil. You can either use a pre-made topsoil that’s specially blended for succulents, or you can make your own substrate by mixing together standard topsoil, perlite, and course sand.

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Indoor planting

Sedum morganianum does well as an indoor houseplant. Choose a location that receives adequate amounts of sunlight for prolonged periods of time, but like an outdoor setting, exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided. Additionally, it should be placed in a warm, draft-free location.

When planting indoors, use a container that offers proper drainage. Also, make sure to plant donkey’s tail in well-draining soil. As with outdoor planting, you can either use topsoil that has been specially blended for succulents, or you can make your own by mixing together standard soil, perlite, and course sand.

How to Propagate Sedum Morganianum

Burro’s tail can be propagated from cuttings, as well as the leaves.

Propagation via Cuttings

To propagate burrow’s tail from cuttings, make sure to use a sharp, sterile knife or a pair of sharp, sterile scissors. Carefully clip a stem from the main section of the plant. Once removed, allow the end of the cutting to sit for several days until it develops a callous.

Fill a well-draining container with pre-made succulent topsoil or well-draining soil mixture that you’ve made yourself.  Soak the soil. Place the calloused-over end of the cutting into a shallow hole in the center of the soil. Do not water the propagated cuttings until the soil is completely dry or the leaves have a shriveled appearance.

Propagating via Leaves

Sedum morganianum does very well when propagated from the leaves.

• To remove a leaf from the stem, use a gentle, but firm twist-tug motion; the goal is to get a clean pull, meaning that the entire leaf should be removed from the stem, as this will increase the chances of successful propagation.
• Alternatively, instead of pulling leaves from the plant, you can collect any leaves that may drop from burro’s tail and use them for propagation.
• Whether using leaves that are pulled from the stem of the plant or leaves that the plant has dropped, make sure to let the leaves sit for a few days until they develop a callous over the end.
• Fill a container that features a drainage hole with pre-made succulent soil or well-draining soil that you’ve made on your own.
• Soak the soil and place the end of the leaves into a shallow hole in the center of the container.
• Do not water again until soil is dried out or the propagated leaves have a shriveled appearance.

Where to Place Propagated Sedum Morganianum

Place the container with propagated Sedum morganianum leaves of stems in a warm, well-lit area. Indoors, a solarium, a greenhouse, or a sunny window, are all ideal locations.

Outdoors, place the container in a portion of your garden or any other location that receives early-morning and mid-day sun.

Repotting Sedum Morganianum

When repotting burro’s tail that you have propagated yourself or that you have purchased from a nursery, doing so during warmer weather is the ideal time to do so. Use the following tips to repot your Sedum morganianum:

• Fill a container with a drainage hole with pre-mixed succulent soil or well-draining soil that you have made on your own (a mix of topsoil, perlite, and coarse sand would, for example).
• Wet the soil.
• Carefully remove the succulent from the pot that it is currently housed in.
• Gently knock away any soil from the roots of the plant.
• Inspect the roots and remove any that may be dead or rotten. If you notice any serious cuts on the roots, use a fungicide to treat them.
• Dig a shallow hole in the container. Set the plant in the hole and cover the roots; the roots should be shallow in the soil. Spread out the roots before covering.
• Place the newly potted Sedum morganianum in a warm, well-lit location.
• Do not water the newly potted donkey’s tail until the soil is completely dry or until the leaves have a shriveled appearance.

Planting Sedum Morganianum Outdoors

Do not plant Sedum morganianum outdoors, unless you live in a climate where the temperatures do not dip below or near freezing, as these plants are not cold-hardy.

• When planting in the ground, choose a location that receives full sun to partial shade. Use a shovel to dig a shallow hole.
• Fill the hole with pre-made succulent soil or with a well-draining soil that you have made on your own; remember, burro’s tail, like all succulents, needs to be planted in well-draining soil.
• Gently remove the plant from the container and remove any excess soil from the roots. Inspect the roots.
• Remove any that are rotted or dead, and if any feature deep cuts, use a fungicide to treat them.
• Place the Sedum morganianum in the hole and fan out the roots. The roots should not be buried too deep.
• Gently cover the roots with soil. Water the new planting and wait until the soil has completely dried out or until the leaves look shriveled to water again.

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Sedum Morganianum Care

However you acquire donkey’s tail – from a nursery or from your own propagation – and wherever you plant it – indoors or out – proper care is vital in order to maintain the health and beauty of this succulent. Here are some tips that will help you keep this beautiful trailing plant in tip-top condition.

Watering

As mentioned several times before, Sedum morganianum, like other types of succulents, are drought tolerant and should be watered on a seldom basis.

The “soak and dry” method is recommended for this plant. Wait until the soil is completely dry or the leaves look as if they are shriveled to water the plant. When watering, completely soak the soil.

The amount that this plant should be watered varies and depends on where it’s growing; however, on average, weekly or bi-weekly watering should be suitable during the warm weather months and once a month watering should be adequate during the cold weather months.

Watering Sedum morganianum too frequently can lead to root rot, can drown the plant, and ultimately, can kill it.

Pets and Insects

The burro’s tail succulent isn’t very susceptible to pests and insects; however, with that said, there are some pests that could become a concern.

Aphids, for example, tend to be the most common nuisance. To keep these pests at bay, you can spray off outdoor Sedum with water on a monthly basis to knock off any aphids.

For either outdoor or indoor plants, a mixture of water 4/5 water and 1/5 rubbing alcohol can be sprayed on the plants. You could also put a light application of organic neem oil on the plant.

Summing it Up

Sedum morganianum is an interesting and quite stunning, easy-to-care for plant. If the right planting and care techniques are employed, this plant can do well both outdoors and in, and should provide evergreen beauty that you can enjoy for years to come.

Other Succulent Types

• Guide to Succulents
• Aloe Vera
• Jade Plants
• Snake Plants
• Echeveria elegans
• Lithops
• Sedum Morganianum
• Coral Cactus
• Pleiospilos Nelii
• Portulacaria Afra
• Kalanchoe Tomentosa
• Sedum Rubrotinctum
• Kalanchoe Luciae