Furcraea bedinghausii: Care and Propagation Guide
Furcraea bedinghausii is a succulent plant that is native to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. The plant grows like a tree and includes a branching stem with numerous long green leaves that branch out at the tip. Pale yellow or cream flowers also tend to bloom at the tips of the branches.
The leaves usually grow as rosettes and are dark green in color.
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How to Care for Furcraea bedinghausii
Furcraea bedinghausii is a succulent shrub kind of plant that grows 59 to 79 inches in both height and width. The stem alone grows about 40 to 80 inches tall and the leaves are thick and fleshy and in the form of a beautiful rosette.
Some species come with spine-y leaves and once the plant matures, you will notice that the stalk looks like an asparagus shoot. It will then produce innumerable bulbils in green color (well, hundreds of them). They will eventually fall off the stem and start growing on their own when they touch moist soil.
Furcraea bedinghausii plants live for 10 to 20 years depending on how you take care of them. So, let’s learn a little something about that, shall we?
Weather
Temperature is an important factor when growing a succulent. So, in the summer make sure the plant is kept exposed to 71 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit while in winters the 44 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temperature base.
But it can tolerate mercury dips to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Below that, the plant will die. Remember, it is naturally a xerophyte meant to be grown in an arid climate. Whether the plant is indoors or outdoors, the humidity must be low to medium.
If you are going to keep the plant indoors, the southwest or south window is the best option because these plants grow well in bright sunlight. But windows facing east or west are also not such a bad idea because they get a little bit of shade too. You must check the specifics for the particular species you are bringing home.
Also remember that most of the time, these plants love bright sunlight and tend to thrive in those situations. If you are growing it outdoors, make sure that it does get some shade from time to time.
Soil
Furcraea bedinghausii plants need well-drained soil just like any other succulent. They need two parts of perlite or coarse sand and one part of sphagnum along with one part of garden land and one part of gravel. These plants like the soil to be a bit acidic so make sure the pH level is between 6.1 and 7.8.
When it comes to transferring the plants, do it once a year and preferably to another clay pot where they have the best chance of growing well. These are massive plants so when you are repotting the plant remember to get a large new pot.
Remove any other dead roots and old soil that might already be lodged in the soil. After the transplant, don’t water it for at least a week to stop the roots from rotting. And in the summer, keep an eye out for large white-ish green flowers.
Watering
As is the case with most succulents, you must not give these plants too much water because fundamentally, they are xerophytes which means they can survive a long drought rather comfortably. Watering them once every three to four weeks is good enough. Just make sure that the soil is completely dry before you give the plant more water.
Fertilizing
If you want to add fertilizer, which is not a bad idea, you can add it once every two or three weeks during the growing season. Feed fertilizer meant for cacti works just fine or you could get complex fertilizer and dilute it.
How To Propagate Furcraea bedinghausii
The Furcraea bedinghausii plants are propagated by using small plantlets also called bulbils that are usually grown at the bottom of an existing plant. Just wait for them to fall off the leaves, which will happen naturally, and plant them in a separate clay pot.
In fact, they grow even if you leave them right there on moist soil. And these plants look great in clusters. So, it’s not a terrible idea. Just be sure not to overwater the plant because of the new plantlets and make sure they are both getting enough light.