Ox Tongue Plant
Gasteria bicolor
A popular Gasteria with thick, tongue-shaped, dark green leaves often speckled, resembling an ox's tongue.
The essentials at a glance
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Watering
Every 14 days
-
Light
Bright indirect light
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Humidity
30–50 %
-
Temperature
15–28 °C
How to care for your Ox Tongue Plant
Everything you need to keep your Ox Tongue Plant healthy: watering, light, humidity, feeding, repotting and pruning.
The Ox Tongue Plant is a striking succulent prized for its distinctively thick, fleshy leaves that often grow in a distichous (two-ranked) or rosetted pattern. Its dark green foliage is frequently mottled or speckled with lighter green or white spots, adding to its visual appeal. It's a robust and easy-to-care-for plant, tolerant of lower light conditions than many succulents, making it perfect for indoor environments. It also produces charming, stomach-shaped flowers on tall spikes.
Watering your Ox Tongue Plant
Every 14 days
Soak and dry
How to know it needs water
- Soil completely dry
- Leaves feel slightly soft
How much light a Ox Tongue Plant needs
Bright indirect light
Bright indirect light to partial shade
- Direct sun tolerated
- 0 to 3 h a day
- Orientations that suit it
- North, North-east, East, South-east, South, South-west, West, North-west
Humidity and misting
30–50 %
Low Misting is not necessary and can be detrimental.
Feeding and fertiliser
Every 90 days
Fertilize lightly once or twice during spring/summer.
- Recommended feed
- Balanced succulent fertilizer · 2-7-7
Repotting your Ox Tongue Plant
Every 24 months
Repot with fresh, well-draining succulent mix.
- When
- Spring
- Potting mix
- Cactus and succulent mix
- Mix in
- perlite, pumice, coarse sand
The tell-tale signs
- Roots growing out of drainage holes
- Offsets crowding pot
Pruning your Ox Tongue Plant
As needed Remove spent flower stalks at their base with clean cuts.
Through the year
Watering is not set once and for all: it follows the light and the growth. Allow 25 days between waterings in the depth of winter, against 13 in the growing season.
- 21 J
- 17 F
- 14 M
- 13 A
- 13 M
- 13 J
- 13 J
- 13 A
- 14 S
- 17 O
- 21 N
- 25 D
Active growth · Days between waterings
Good to know
- Known for its thick, tongue-shaped leaves, often mottled with lighter spots.
- Produces unique, stomach-shaped flowers on tall spikes.
Frequently asked questions about the Ox Tongue Plant
How do you care for a Ox Tongue Plant?
Water it every 14 days. Give it bright indirect light. Ideal humidity: 30–50 %. Ideal temperature: 15–28 °C. Soak and dry
How often should you water a Ox Tongue Plant?
Every 14 days Soak and dry How to know it needs water : Soil completely dry ; Leaves feel slightly soft.
How much light does a Ox Tongue Plant need?
Bright indirect light Bright indirect light to partial shade 0 to 3 h a day
Is the Ox Tongue Plant toxic to cats and dogs?
No, the Ox Tongue Plant is not listed as toxic to cats and dogs. That is still no reason to let your pets chew on it.
Why are my Ox Tongue Plant leaves turning yellow?
Yellowing most often comes from too much water: the mix stays wet and the roots suffocate. Check that the pot drains, empty the saucer, and let the mix dry before watering again. Too little light or a cold draught cause the same symptom.
When should you repot a Ox Tongue Plant?
Repot every 24 months, ideally in spring. Repot with fresh, well-draining succulent mix.
At a glance
- Family
- Asphodelaceae
- Category
- Succulent
- Placement
- Indoor and outdoor
- Mature height
- 30 cm
- Growth
- Slow
- Temperature
- 15–28 °C
- Pot materials
- terracotta, ceramic, plastic
- Growth
- Reaches maturity in 5 years
These figures are for an average plant. In the app they are recalculated for yours, based on your room, its orientation and the season.
And for your plant, in your home?
In the app this plant becomes yours: a watering schedule tuned to your home, health tracking from photos, and reminders at the right moment.
