Though commonly called Zebra Cactus, the Haworthia fasciata is a succulent, not a cactus.
On Friday mornings you can usually find me at Green Thumb Nursery with the weekly  coupon in hand. Last week I headed directly to the cactus and succulent section. I’m always on the lookout for something different, and the Haworthia fasciata caught my attention and landed in my shopping cart. This unusually marked plant is small and slow growing, so is perfect on an office desk or kitchen window. It likes bright indirect sunlight.
The Zebra Cactus originated in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It’s a stemless clustering perennial in the same family as the Aloe plant. It’s drought tolerant and should only be watered every other week. Over watering can cause rot. Fertilize occasionally with a very weak fertilizer solution.

The Zebra Cactus does not need repotting very often because of its slow growth. It is time to repot when offsets have filled the pot. The new container should be a little larger than the original and filled with fresh cactus mix. In a previous post I gave my favorite cacti and succulent potting mix recipe.  Below you can see one offset on my new plant.

To propagate, separate offsets from the parent plant when repotting. Use a sharp knife and cut the offset as close to the parent as possible, make sure to get some roots. Give the freshly cut offset at least a day to dry before planting it in a small container of cactus mix, then water and place in a protected area. If properly cared for,  Zebra Cactus will produce small white flowers on long stems during the month of June.