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Haworthia retusa forma juhoden
Liliaceae

Distribution:  Riversdale district.

Description:    H. retusa in general is rosette shaped with the leaves ending abruptly in
flat, triangular, transparent "windows", especially evident in this variety.   This is a robust plant, several inches larger than most of the other retusa varieties.

Flower: Typical Haworthia flowers.

Cultivation: Apart from that, it is of easy culture, shade, water and feeding outdoors all summer, reduced water indoors under lights all winter.  Mealy bugs are the bane of Stapelia - with Haworthias it appears to be brown scale, especially difficult to eradicate when they nestle down at the base of the leaves.  I've found ordinary glass cleaner (the sort in spray
bottles) is effective.  The surficants drown the bugs but don't suffocate the plant.  Due to its robust size, I've potted this plant in my "H. truncata" mix.  This consists of a extremly heavy red clay which when dry is as hard as concrete.  This is the natural subsoil here in the eastern USA.  Finally, as reguards winter watering, H. retusa falls somewhere between true xerophytes like H. truncata and thin-skinned moisture hogs, like H. cymbiformis.  Intermittant moisture will usually get it happily through the winter.

Photographer, Grower: Roger L. Sieloff