How To Care For and Propagate Sedum Morganianum (Burro’s Tail)

This sedum is one handsome succulent. Mine happily resides in a large square terra cotta pot with my now 5-year-old Coleus “Dipped In Wine” (yes, they’re technically perennials) and a Golden Weeping Variegated Boxwood which I brought home from Kew Gardens as a wee cutting.

One would not think to use these 3 plants in a container together but it works for me and that’s another story. In this post, I’m going to tell you how I care for and propagate my Sedum morganianum or Burro’s Tail, Donkey’s Tail or Horse’s Tail.

 If you want a real icebreaker at parties, then wear your Burro’s Tail as a necklace!

This plant eventually grows to 4′ long which will take around 6 years or so. As it grows it gets very thick with those trailing stems heavily laden with overlapping plump, juicy leaves that form a groovy braided pattern.

As you can imagine, a mature plant gets very heavy. This plant is not for a flimsy pot with a flimsy hanger. It’s best grown in a hanging basket, in a large pot like mine, in a pot that hangs against a wall or trailing out of a rock garden.

Sedum Morganianum Care

In terms of care, a Burro’s Tail couldn’t be easier. I’m going to cover that below along with propagation which is something you’ll want to know how to do because all your friends will want a cutting or two.  Mine grows outdoors but I’ll also tell you what it needs if you want to grow it in your house at the end of this list.

Light

Sedum morganianum likes bright shade or partial sun.  It will burn in strong, hot sun.  Mine gets morning sun which it prefers. And now, because my neighbor cut down two of his pine trees last year, it gets some afternoon sun too.

If you watch the video at the end you’ll see the stems that are getting too much sun are a pale green. This plant should ideally be a lovely blue-green. I may have to move it to a less sunny spot – I’ll watch it and see.

Watering

All those leaves store water so be sure not to overwater it. It will rot out if you do. My Burro’s Tail is well established (around 5 years old) so I water it every 10-14 days but give it a thorough drink. Watering this way also helps some of the salts (from the water and fertilizers) to flush out of the pot. The rainwater mine gets in the winter helps with that. In other words, don’t splash and go every other day.

In the growing season, when the days are warmer and longer, I water it more often every 9-11 days. As a rule, plants in clay pots will dry out faster as will larger plants in smaller pots. Adjust accordingly as well as to the weather conditions.

Soil

Like any other succulent, this one needs good drainage. The water needs to drain out of it fast so it’s best to use a mix specially formulated for cactus and succulents. I buy mine at California Cactus Center near Pasadena in case you live in that area. Or, you can add horticultural grade sand and perlite (or fine lava rock, gravel or pumice) to lighten up whatever potting soil you have.

My secret planting weapon is worm castings. Your Burro’s Tail would love a bit of that too. By the way, I top dress all the containers in my garden with compost and worm castings every Spring.

To have your Burro’s Tail flower is rare. Mine bloomed for the first time ever this year although there were only 3 clusters on that big ole plant.

Temperature

Here in Santa Barbara, the average low temperature for the winter months hovers around the low 40’s. We occasionally dip into the thirties but not for more than a couple of days. Mine is up against the house and shows no signs of stress during those brief chilly spells. Our average summer temps are in the mid to high 70’s which is ideal for the Burro’s Tail.

Insects

The only pests that mine ever gets are aphids so I just hose them off every month.  Burro’s Tail really isn’t susceptible to a wide range of insects.   You can spray it with a mixture of 1/5 rubbing alcohol to 4/5 water if hosing off isn’t doing the trick. Neem Oil, which works on a wide range of insects, is an organic method of control that is simple and very effective.

Propagation

Like most succulents, Sedum morganianum is a snap to propagate.  Simply cut the stems to the length you want, peel the bottom 1/3 of the leaves off and then let those stems heal off (this is where the cut end of the stem callus over) for 2 weeks to 3 months before planting.  

When you plant your cuttings, you might need to pin them down in the pot because the weight of the stems will pull them out.  You can also propagate it by individual leaf cuttings which you’ll see in the picture below. Just a head’s up because the leaves break and fall off this plant very easily. If you want to know more on this subject, I’ve done an entire blog post about propagating sedums.

 My Burro’s Tail cuttings are healing off.

You can also propagate it with the individual leaves. Baby plants are emerging where the leaf meets the stem. Simply lay the leaves on top of your cactus & succulent mix & they’ll root in. Keep it on the dry side.

Burro’s Tail makes a fine houseplant.

It is commonly sold as an indoor hanging plant. You can get your own burros tail here. Put it in a spot with nice, bright light but out of any windows with strong, hot sun. You might have to move it in the wintertime as the sun shifts to a place where the light is brighter.

It’s very important to not overwater this plant. Those leaves store a lot of water so don’t do it every week. Depending on the temperature and light in your home, a thorough watering once a month will probably be enough. 

In the video below I am in my front yard showing you my Burro’s Tail Plant:

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