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Burro's Tail Care
Sedum morganianum
Basic Burro’s Tail Care
Also known as the Donkey’s Tail Plant, these striking succulents can be a little tricky to take care of so it is important you know their requirements. Below you’ll find our Burro’s Tail care guide with all the information you need to help your plant thrive.
Bright Indirect Light
I love the sunshine but too much direct light will damage my leaves.
Water Infrequently
I can be quite sensitive to root rot so be careful not to overwater me.
Low Humidity
I grow best in pretty dry environments so don't try and increase the humidity.
Draining Soil
I like a mix that includes peat moss and perlite as these prevent my roots from becoming water-logged.
Detailed Burro's Tail Care Information
Whether you're looking to make sure your Burro's Tail is in it's perfect conditions, or looking to see if one could work for your space. We've got you covered.
Burro's Tail love the sunshine
As with most succulent types, they love sunlight and can suffer in very low light areas of your home. Be careful not to expose your Burro’s Tail to too much direct light as this can scorch the plant over time.
Water it maximum once a month
Your Burro’s Tail thrives from having dry soil and too much moisture can very quickly lead to root and plant rot. We recommend watering deeply once a month, rather than light watering more often. Make sure to check the moisture in the soil before watering.
Your Burro's Tail needs a warm environment
In order to produce plenty of healthy growth, your Burro’s Tail will need a warm spot in your home. Don’t worry too much if temperatures drop a little in winter as this is their dormant period anyway.
Normal humidity levels are fine
You don’t need to worry about raising the humidity levels for your Burro’s Tail. Also, try not to grow it in a bathroom or kitchen where the natural humidity is higher.
You might never have to repot it
Your Burro’s Tail plant really quite enjoys being root bound so you don’t need to worry about repotting it. If you need to, be extra careful when handling it as the leaves can drop very easily.
Burro's Tail plants are safe for pets and children
You’ll be pleased to know that Burro’s Tail plants are not toxic when handled or ingested so you don’t need to worry about pets or small children getting too close.
Propagating a Burro's Tail is simple!
Burro’s Tail leaves can be quite prone to dropping. But this can actually make for an easy way to propagate. Leave the dropped leaves out of water and soil for a few days for them to harden at the bottom. Then insert into fresh, nutrient-rich soil and resume normal care.
Burro's Tail FAQs
Quick and simple answers to the most common questions we see about the Burro's Tail.
Burro’s Tail plants love sunshine but you’ll want to shade them from direct light during the height of summer. At all other times of the year though they will absolutely love direct sunlight like most other succulent types. They aren’t good low light plants though so make sure to monitor how much light they are getting in winter as you might need to move them to a new spot.
You want to only water your Burro’s Tail about once a month as they really don’t need much moisture to thrive. The best way to do it is to deeply water once every 4 weeks, rather than lightly water more frequently.
Luckily the Burro’s Tail is totally safe and non-toxic so you don’t need to worry about them being around pets or children. Just another reason to fall in love with these incredible plants.
Although succulents often have a low maintenance reputation, the Burro’s Tail isn’t the easiest to care for as it does have very specific care requirements. Dry soil, warm temperatures, low humidity and bright sunshine can be difficult to achieve in a lot of homes so not always one for beginner plant parents.
As with a lot of succulent types, the Burro’s Tail is quite a slow-growing houseplant. It will often take 5-7 years for the stems to reach maturity so a little patience is required.
Burro's Tail Care Starter Kit
We've put together this great little starter kit that includes all of the equipment and information you'll need to take proper care of your Burro's Tail.
Common Problems with your Burro's Tail
Here are some common issues that you might run into. It's important to diagnose any issues early to give your plant the best chance of bouncing back.
The occasional leaf drop on a Burro’s Tail is quite normal. However, if you notice it happening a lot, and the leaves look healthy and not soft or too dry, then it may be due to over-handling. For example, moving it around to different spots or brushing past it as you walk.
The most common pest found on a Burro’s Tail are aphids. We usually recommend you wash your plant down. However, this may cause excessive leaf drop so you should try and treat it using neem oil.
Dry leaves are due to watering issues. Although it is probably caused by underwatering, you should inspect the soil at the bottom of the pot just to make sure.
If there are dry patches on the leaves of your Burro’s Tail it means you have probably been underwatering.
Burro’s Tail is a trailing plant and if you start to notice it is growing upwards, it may be because it does not have enough sunlight. It might have started to reach up in search for more light.
If the whole Burro’s Tail leaf has turned white, this is probably due to too much direct sunlight. Remove the scorched part of the plant and move to a slightly shadier spot.
White spots on your Burro’s Tail indicates a fungal infection. This may have been caused by waterlogged soil. We recommend replacing the soil completely, ensuring there is enough drainage and adjusting your watering schedule.
If you notice your Burro’s Tail is turning a little soft and has mushy leaves, it is because you are overwatering. We recommend replacing the soil completely, ensuring there is enough drainage and adjusting your watering schedule.
Simple Burro's Tail Care Requirements
It sometimes helps to take caring for your plants back to the basics, here's the key considerations that you should take into account when caring for your Sedum morganianum.
These simple points should give you all you need to keep your plant happy and healthy for years to come.
| Common Name | Burro's Tail |
| Latin Name | Sedum morganianum |
| Light | Bright Indirect Light |
| Water | Water Infrequently |
| Humidity | Low Humidity |
| Soil Type | Draining Soil |
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Related Plants
Here are some other plants that will work in similar conditions, or have some matching qualities.
