– Haworthia (2012)

By Chris Deem (March 2012)

It is someone’s favorite room. It is a room of pastel colors, of old-fashioned painted glass wind chimes, hand-painted furniture and hard-bound books with worn bindings. It is a room with a hardwood floor and a lingering fragrance of scented candles, no longer lit.

There are three large, painted windows in this candle-scented room. On the three windowsills are three potted plants. In the first window, in an age-worn clay pot, is Haworthia cuspidate variegata. Its left side is speckled yellow, its right side is a pale, light-green color.

Across the room in the opposite-facing window is a glistening green Haworthia cooperi var. dielsiana. Its surface is like a brooch of star sapphires.

An old oak tree shades the massive center window. Still the Haworthia reinwardtii plant growing there has red in its green leaves. This bright room holds within it a quiet repose, a feeling of eternal spring. It is someone’s favorite room.

What have I learned about the genus Haworthia? A few things, I suppose.

The genus is in the Asphodeliaceae family, and the majority of Haworthia species are from South Africa. I also read that most species are considered winter growers.

I learned that some haworthias have interesting roots. The strangest thing I learned about them is the odd reaction succulent lovers have to their flowers. Everyone seems to dislike them. These are the things I have learned, but I think they are perfect plants for anyone’s favorite room.