Fenestraria rhopalophylla
With their small, upright, club-shaped leaves, baby toes (Fenestraria rhopalophylla) are among the cutest succulents out there.
They feature essentially stemless, green to grayish green, club-shaped leaves that grow vertically, reaching about two inches tall, with a spread of eight inches or more as they produce offsets.
The tips of the leaves feature translucent windows, adding to their unusual appearance.
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This species is native to Namibia and South Africa, where it grows in dry coastal deserts where there is plenty of fog and strong winds, and sandy, gravely soils.
To protect themselves from windy conditions and intense sunlight the leaves remain mostly buried in soil with only the translucent tips showing, which look like small pebbles.
Also known as window plant, this species is a member of the fig marigold or Aizoaceae family, which includes relatives such as lithops, tiger jaws (Faucaria spp.), split rock (Pleiospilos nelii), concrete leaf plant (Titanopsis), and ice plant (Delosperma lehmannii).
A worthy addition to any succulent collection, these cute little plants are pretty easy to grow when you provide the right conditions.
Ready to learn more? Here’s what I’ll cover:
What You’ll Learn
Many of the members of this family are referred to as mesembs or “mimicry plants” as they typically resemble stones or gravel, allowing them to blend in with their natural surroundings.
This is the only species in the Fenestraria genus.
The transparent tops of the leaves are flat or rounded, and serve as windows, allowing light to enter and perform photosynthesis inside the leaf.
These are also known as epidermal windows or fenestrations.
Other succulent plants that have leaf windows like this include some haworthias, lithops, and some types of peperomias, like ruby glow (Peperomia graveolens).
Quick Look
Common name(s): Baby toes
Plant type: Evergreen succulent
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 9b-13b (outdoors)
Native to: Namibia, South Africa
Bloom time / season: Autumn to spring
Exposure: Full sun with protection from heat
Soil type: Cactus and succulent mix with extra grit
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0, slightly acidic to neutral
Time to maturity: 2-5 years
Mature size: 8 inches wide x 2 inches high
Best uses: Ground cover, houseplant, specimen plant, succulent fairy gardens, succulent planter
Taxonomy
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Aizoaceae
Genus: Fenestraria
Species: Rhopalophylla
When baby toes are exposed to plenty of sunlight, they produce flowers, even indoors!
The flowers usually appear from autumn to spring, and are one to two inches wide, appearing on short stems.
These blooms are daisy-like, with white, yellow, or orangish yellow petals, and yellow centers.
If the flowers are pollinated, a roundish seed capsule forms, and turns brown when seeds are mature. The seeds held within can be easily sown to propagate new specimens.
If your succulent looks like a Fenestraria but has purple flowers, your plant is most likely a different species, Frithia pulchra.
Known as fairy elephant’s feet or purple baby toes, F. pulchra looks very much like the subject of this article.
But when viewed from the top down, fairy elephant’s feet has more or less heart shaped windows, while Fenestraria windows are a curved triangular shape, similar to a fingernail or toenail.
Baby toes was previously classified as Mesembryanthemum rhopalophyllum and Fenestraria aurantiaca, and some nurseries may list the plants by these former names.
Now let’s discuss how to keep these cute plants happy!
How to Grow
Baby toes succulents can be grown as houseplants and are a good choice for low succulent planters, with their shallow root systems and tendency to creep.
They are also charming in succulent fairy gardens.
Gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 9b to 13b can grow baby toes outdoors year round in containers or as a ground cover as long as you have excellent drainage and can provide protection from abundant rainfall.
Light
Baby toes will display the best growth and produce flowers if provided with at least four and preferably six or more hours of direct sunlight or the equivalent from a grow light per day.
But if you’ve just brought yours home from the nursery, rather than situating it in blazing sun immediately, acclimate it gradually.
In summer, reduce direct sun exposure to early morning and later in the day, providing light shade during the heat of the day.
If you provide bright, indirect light, baby toes is less likely to flower than if it’s in direct sunlight.
Soil
Baby toes succulents need a growing medium that has a pH range of around 6.0 to 7.0, and is sandy or gravelly with plenty of mineral content, supplying excellent drainage.
They need a grittier mix than the typical commercial cactus and succulent soil, so you may need to make your own!
Aim for 20 to 25 percent organic matter and 75 to 80 percent mineral content.
You can make your own mix by using three parts houseplant potting medium, made up of ingredients such as coconut coir, compost, biochar, horticultural charcoal, or pine fines.
The other seven parts should be a mix of gritty mineral ingredients, such as sand, gravel, and pumice.
One of my favorite potting mix products is Rosy Soil’s Houseplant Mix, available for purchase in four- or eight-quart bags from the Rosy Soil store via Walmart.
Even though these plants grow with just their windows showing in their native range, don’t try this at home, as your conditions are likely more comfortable than those found in the wild, and burying the leaves too deep could lead to rotting.
In cultivation you’ll have more success covering just the root ball and leaving the foliage above ground.
Water
In general, you’ll need to allow the growing medium to dry out completely between waterings.
When the leaves feel very firm and are wrinkle-free, they are still well-hydrated, so they don’t necessarily need any water.
If the leaves are starting to look wrinkled, that means they are using up their stored water supplies, and are ready for a drink!
In spring and autumn water soon after the growing medium dries out. In winter and summer, allow the medium to dry and then wait for the leaves to just start to wrinkle as well.
If you overwater it can cause the leaves to split open, so take care to always check the soil first.
Temperature and Humidity
Baby toes prefer a temperature range of between 65 to 85°F, but they can tolerate lows of 25°F provided the roots are kept dry.
A humidity level of about 40 to 50 percent is ideal.
Fertilizing
Fertilize once a month during the growing season, using a gentle fertilizer formulated for cacti and succulents.
I like Dr. Earth’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Food, available in a 16-ounce pump bottle from Arbico Organics.
You can learn more about fertilizing succulents here.
Repotting
As they are slow growing, you won’t need to repot your baby toes very often.
If the plant has outgrown its current container or is planted in the wrong type of growing medium, go ahead and repot immediately.
Ideally you’ll do this in spring and not while the plant is blooming.
These succulents don’t have deep tap roots, so you can choose a shallow pot that’s wide enough to allow the plant to spread horizontally.
Make sure the new pot is just one size larger than the current container, and that it has drainage holes.
Place a shallow layer of the potting medium in the bottom of the new pot.
Unpot the plant from its existing pot and remove as much of the existing potting soil from around the roots.
Place the bare root plant into the new pot, backfilling with soil until it reaches about half an inch from the rim.
You can use some clean, sterilized rocks to help support the plant if it’s not standing up too well by itself.
Wait a week before watering.
Where to Buy
It can be quite difficult to find nurseries selling these memsebs, so you may need to visit a store that specializes in succulents, either in person or online.
In addition to the species plant, there are two subspecies and one cultivar:
Aurantiaca
Formerly considered a separate species, F. rhopalophylla subsp. aurantiaca is now considered a subspecies.
These plants have yellow or orange flowers that are nearly three inches wide.
Rhopalophylla
F. rhopalophylla subsp. rhopalophylla produces white flowers that are two inches wide.
It’s worth noting that when you purchase a Fenestraria, the seller likely won’t list to if it is one of the subspecies.
Fireworth
A cultivar of F. rhopalophylla subsp. aurantiaca, ‘Fireworth’ is distinguished by the orange tips of its otherwise yellow flower petals.
Propagation
Would you like to try propagating your own baby toes succulents? You have a few options. Let’s start with growing from seed!
From Seed
For this propagation project you’ll need a seed starting tray or nursery pots, growing medium, and of course, seeds.
If you don’t have access to a homegrown supply of Fenestraria seeds, you can purchase packets of 30 seeds from the Cz Grain Store via Amazon.
You can sow a large batch of these tiny seeds in a seed starting tray, or use three-inch square nursery pots. You can sow around 15 seeds per three-inch pot.
Fill the pots or trays with moist growing medium, leaving about a half an inch of a gap between the surface of the medium and the rim of the container.
Sprinkle the tiny seeds on the surface of the growing medium and don’t cover them with soil.
Place a humidity dome over the pots or trays. Alternatively, you can place the pots or trays inside transparent, sealable plastic bags, or clear plastic bins.
Set them in a spot where they will be exposed to bright, indirect light and where they will stay warm – around 77°F during the day – using a heat mat if necessary.
Keep the growing medium moist but not soggy, using the bottom watering method or a spray bottle with a gentle mist.
It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate, but you may see the first seedlings pop up within a week.
Keep the seedlings in high humidity for the first one to two months, then start to acclimate them by gradually removing the humidity dome.
After acclimating the seedlings to less humid conditions, gradually increase exposure to direct sunlight, but make sure to keep up with watering.
Allow the seedlings to mature in the same container for a year before transplanting.
Our guide to growing succulents from seed has more information.
From Offsets
The best time to propagate offsets is in the spring when the plants are actively growing.
Examine the stems right above the soil level – offsets will look like separate plants.
Gently remove an offset along with its roots by breaking or cutting it away from the mother plant, along with its roots. If using scissors, make sure they are clean and sterilized.
Allow the offset to callus over for a few days by setting it in a dry location out of direct sunlight.
Once the offset has had a few days to callus, prepare two- to three-inch pots or trays by filling them with growing medium to within about half an inch of the rim.
Poke a hole in the medium, then insert the offset’s roots.
If the offset is floppy, you can add some rocks around it to help keep it propped up.
Keep the new plants at a temperature of approximately 68°F, to encourage root establishment, and wait a week before watering.
Learn more about propagating succulents from offsets here.
Managing Pests and Disease
Baby toes succulents are not particularly prone to problems with pests or disease.
Outdoors, slugs and snails may come to visit, and indoors, keep an eye out for scale insects, spider mites, and mealybugs.
When you bring a new plant home from the store, be sure to inspect it for signs of pests. In addition, take it out of its pot and check the roots for root mealies.
Root mealies feed on roots. They look like grains of rice and can be hard to distinguish from bits of perlite.
The main disease you should be concerned with in these plants is rot – and this is primarily caused by overly moist growing medium.
Our guide to dealing with rot in succulents can help you out.
Don’t Put Her in the Corner
Nobody puts baby in the corner, and you shouldn’t leave baby toes succulents there either – unless it’s a corner with bright, sunny windows!
Whether your succulent goes in a well-lit corner or not, she actually won’t mind if you neglect her somewhat.
Remember to allow her well-draining growing medium to dry out between waterings and provide at least four hours of direct sunlight, preferably more!
Are you growing baby toes succulents? Let us know in the comments section below!
Would you like to learn more about growing succulents? We have more reading for you right here:
