Graptopetalum paraguayense
The ghost plant aka mother of pearl, Graptopetalum paraguayense, is a rosette-forming succulent with fleshy, elliptical leaves, pendant stems, and star-like white flowers dotted with red.
It is a member of the Crassulaceae or stonecrop family, noteworthy for the pearlescent cast to the gray-green foliage called “farina.”
This is a waxy protective barrier against sunscald, moisture loss, pathogens, and pests and is common on many succulent species.
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Gardeners in Zones 8 to 11 can enjoy ghost plant outdoors, while those in other regions will find it makes a striking houseplant.
The rosette diameter is three to six inches, and the ghost plant has a colonizing growth habit with overall dimensions of six to 12 inches high and 24 to 36 inches across.
Read on to learn how to grow and care for ghost plants. Here’s what we’ll cover:
What You’ll Learn
Although the botanical name would indicate origins in Paraguay, this is not the case.
This species was apparently discovered in 1904 when volunteer seedlings appeared in the greenhouse of Frank Weinberg, a German cactus breeder living in New York, after receiving a shipment of cacti from Mexico.
After undergoing several classifications, including Echeveria weinbergii and E. arizonica, taxonomists assigned ghost plant to the Graptopetalum genus.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Ghost plant, mother of pearl
Plant type: Perennial succulent
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 8-11 (outdoors)
Native to: Mexico
Bloom time / season: Spring
Exposure: Full sun; bright, indirect sunlight
Soil type: Loose, sandy loam, well-draining
Soil pH: 6.1-7.8, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline
Time to maturity: 2-3 years
Mature size: 6-12 inches tall by 24-36 inches wide
Best uses: Beds, borders, containers, ground cover, hanging baskets, houseplant, rock gardens, wall crevices, weed barrier, xeriscapes
Taxonomy
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Graptopetalum
Species: Paraguayense
In addition to the species, there is a natural variation, G. paraguayense f. variegatum, with gray-green, pink or purple, and white multicolored foliage and the typical red-speckled white flowers.
G. paraguayense ssp. bernalense is a subspecies with smaller, yellowish leaves and the classic white, red-dotted flowers. There are also cultivated ghost plant varieties available.
There are varied uses for the ghost plant. Its pale color adds brightness to mixed groups of darker-toned succulents in a planter.
As the stems lengthen, they cascade, showing well in hanging baskets both indoors and outdoors.
Ghost plant spreads by offsets creating a dense weed barrier in beds and borders, and an erosion-controlling ground cover in sloping areas of the landscape.
When mature, the ghost plant is drought-tolerant. Tuck it into rock gardens and wall crevices, and feature it in xeriscapes, where it requires little attention.
How to Grow
When grown outdoors, space the succulents 24 inches apart to accommodate mature dimensions without overcrowding.
Container gardeners should use pots two inches wider than the foliage and two inches deeper than the root mass.
Avoid overly large vessels that may retain too much water and promote rotting.
When you meet the following cultural requirements, outdoor and indoor ghost plants are primed to thrive:
Climate
The species is endemic to the Tamaulipas region of Mexico, where the weather is arid and subtropical with extremes like droughts and heavy rainfall.
Spring and fall are the wettest, and winters are dry. G. paraguayense tolerates heat well and temperatures as low as 20° F.
Light
Full morning sun is best, and partial afternoon sun can be beneficial in the warmest Zones.
The foliage shades pink or purple with intense exposure and blue in shady placements. Poor sun exposure may result in leggy, less robust foliage that fails to flower.
Soil
Outdoor in-ground ghost plants require well-draining, sandy loam with a pH of 6.1 to 7.8.
If you’re using containers, make sure they have one or more drainage holes and use a cactus and succulent potting mix, or follow these instructions to make your own.
Loose, lean soil facilitates drainage and reduces the risk of rotting.
Water
Ghost plants store moisture in their leaves and have excellent drought tolerance. When established, those growing in the garden won’t need water unless there is a lengthy drought.
Allow the soil in containers to dry out completely before watering. You can use a moisture meter to guide you.
If you live in a community with municipal water, you may find that mineral salts build up on the soil and sides of containers.
Remedy the situation by watering with purified or distilled water. You can find more information about watering succulents here.
Fertilizer
It’s not necessary to fertilize ghost plants. If you choose to do so, wait until they are at least a year old to avoid burning the developing roots.
Use a liquid product formulated for cacti and succulents diluted to a quarter or half strength in early spring. It should be low in nitrogen to avoid producing fast growth that results in spindly stems.
If you need a recommendation, I use Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food.
Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food
This product has an NPK ratio of 0.5-1-1, making it very low in nitrogen and mild.
You can find Miracle-Grow Succulent Plant Food available via Amazon.
Our guide to fertilizing succulents has more information.
Cultivars to Select
When shopping, you’ll find various options available, though often they will just be listed as “ghost plant” or “mother of pearl.”
The straight species has the typical whitish-gray-green foliage and white flowers with red accents.
You can find the species in two-inch pots available from Sprout N Green via Amazon.
Bronze
G. paraguayense cv. bronze, sometimes listed as ‘Bronze’ has brightly hued foliage that shade orange and red with ample sun exposure, but green in low light conditions.
The star-shaped flowers are yellow.
This cultivated variety contrasts sharply with green succulents for a bold mixed grouping.
You can find specimens in four-inch pots available from The Next Gardener via Amazon.
Purple Haze
‘Purple Haze’ is a hybrid of G. paraguayense and G. superbum, a pink-to-lavender species with yellow flowers. It has gray-to-lavender foliage and classic white flowers with red flecks.
Pair it with the species for a complementary pastel lavender and pearlescent gray-green display.
Variegated
The naturally occurring variegated form of the species, G. paraguayense f. variegatum, has white, purple/pink, and gray-green foliage.
The white flowers are speckled with red, crowning the eye-catching foliage.
Outstanding as a standalone specimen, this option requires a full-sun placement for optimal leaf variegation.
Variegated ghosts are available from DH7 Enterprise via Amazon.
Maintenance
Ghost plants require little maintenance when their basic cultural requirements are met.
As the lowest leaves age, they turn yellow. You can gently twist them off to keep the rosettes tidy and encourage new growth.
Remove any foliage damaged by pathogens or pests to reduce susceptibility to further problems.
After flowering, trim flower stems to their base to tidy up.
Repot container-grown ghost plants when roots start to emerge from the drainage holes, moving them into a pot just one size larger.
Ensure there is never more than two inches of space around the rosettes and under the root mass.
In winter, growth slows and the soil stays moist longer, so you’re unlikely to need to water.
Keep ghost plants in a bright, frost-free spot, and if grown outdoors in containers in regions colder than Zone 9, bring them inside before the first frost.
Learn more about succulent winter care here.
Propagation
It’s not really practical to start these succulents from seed but ghost plants are easily propagated by dividing offsets, via leaf cuttings, or stem cuttings, in spring or early summer.
Our guide to propagating succulents has all the details. Let’s briefly discuss each method.
Dividing Offsets
Offsets are the small rosettes that grow up beside the parent ghost plant.
When they have two or more leaf whorls, you can gently lift them from the soil using clean fingers or tweezers, making sure the roots are attached.
Immediately transplant them per the instructions below.
Learn more about dividing offsets here.
Leaf Cuttings
To propagate ghost plants via leaf cuttings:
Select plump, vibrant leaves and twist each one to detach it.
Set the leaves in a single layer on a paper towel out of direct sunlight for up to a week to allow the cut end to completely dry and form a callus.
Fill a shallow, well-draining tray with one inch of cactus and succulent potting medium.
Lay the leaves on the surface of the soil about an inch apart.
Place the tray in bright, indirect sunlight.
Water when the leaves start to sprout roots and foliage, and continue to water each time the soil dries completely.
When there are two to three whorls of leaves and well-developed roots, each cutting can be transplanted into individual containers.
Stem Cuttings
It’s easy to take stem cuttings from ghost plants. Here’s how:
- Select one or more pendant rosettes and using clean shears, cut through the stem two inches below the rosette. You can remove the remainder of the stem from the parent plant.
- Allow the cut stem to form a callus as above.
- Choose a container two inches wider than the rosette and two inches deeper than the bottom of the stem.
- Fill the vessel three-quarters full of cactus and succulent potting mix.
- When the cut end has dried and formed a callus, push it an inch deep into the potting soil.
- Tamp the soil firmly around it to hold it upright.
- Do not water until you see new growth, and then water when the pot completely dries out.
Once the cutting has a whorl of new leaves, it is ready for transplant.
Transplanting
To transplant a divided offset:
- Loosen the garden soil.
- Settle the rosette in just deep enough to anchor the roots.
- Tamp the soil gently to secure it in place.
If you are container gardening, choose a pot two inches wider than the rosette and two inches deeper than the roots, and plant as above.
You can learn more about how to prepare outdoor soil for succulent gardens here.
To transplant a potted leaf or stem cutting:
- Work the garden soil to a crumbly consistency as deep as the pot and twice as wide.
- Remove the specimen from its container, preserving the soil around the root ball.
- Set the contents of the container slightly higher than ground level to facilitate drainage.
- Tamp to secure.
Do not water transplants until they show signs of new growth. Thereafter, water when the top one to two inches of soil are dry.
To move a rooted cutting to a larger pot, go up one pot size and ensure that there is no more than two inches around the rosette and two inches beneath the roots.
Set the contents at the same height as originally, backfilling to hold it firmly in place.
Pests and Disease
While healthy ghost plants are not prone to pests and disease, you should know about a few.
Pests
Aphids, mealybugs, and scale are sapsucking pests that feed on plant juices.
Aphids and mealybugs favor young, lush spring growth. Mites and scale insects are prevalent in dry conditions.
Avoid underwatering and overly dry indoor environments. Rinse aphids and mealybugs away with water.
Use a cotton swab dipped in one part rubbing alcohol and one part water to moisten and remove scale insects. Avoid products like neem oil that compromise the protective farina.
Night-feeding snails and slugs prefer damp, overcrowded conditions and tender new growth.
Avoid overwatering and divide succulent colonies when they become overcrowded and dense. Handpick and destroy the pests. Use bait traps and barriers as deterrents.
Vine weevils are beetles that like moist, overcrowded conditions. They feed on both leaves and roots.
Disease
Rotting may occur in excessively wet conditions that deprive roots of oxygen. This can be the result of overwatering, overcrowding, or a lack of drainage in the soil or potting medium.
It may be possible to salvage a portion of a rotting ghost plant by removing the mushy foliage and replanting any remaining healthy, rooted portions in fresh soil.
Alternatively, use any remaining healthy leaves for propagation.
Overexposure to intense sunlight can cause sunscald that scorches foliage, turning it brown. Mild sunscald is unsightly, but a severe case may cause leaf drop and death.
Choosing a location with morning sun and afternoon shade, or providing bright, indirect sunlight for houseplants, are proactive avoidance measures.
Pearlescent and Pendant
The ghost plant is one of many rosette-style succulents available for outdoor cultivation in Zones 8 to 11 or indoor pots in all regions.
With full sun to part shade in the garden, or bright, indirect sunlight indoors, it thrives in lean, loose, well-draining soil and requires minimal water.
As it grows, the pearlescent, pendant foliage has visually pleasing symmetry, texture, and movement making for a striking display. Where will you feature this easy-care eye-catcher? The garden, kitchen, or office?
Do you grow ghost plants? Please share your tips and photos in the comments section below.
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