PlantFiles: Ghost Plant, Mother of Pearl Plant
Graptopetalum paraguayense

Bought a cutting from a local nursery. The cutting had 15 leaves on it. Removed the leaves and laid them on the ground in a shady spot, watering them only sporadically. After about a month I have 13 new baby plants. Photo added to PF.

This plant was passed down to me from my grandmother. It has no requirements for soil/fertilizer. As for water, less is better than more, IF you have an established plant. I only water mine when the soil is dry at the top.

Propagation is extremely easy. Simply lay a few leaves down on the soil, and in two to four weeks you should have a miniature ghost plant. BE SURE TO KEEP THE ROOTS MOIST FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS! In about a year, you can start breaking off leaves to give to your neighbors and friends. It is almost like one friendly chain letter. Be sure not to remove too much of the silvery powder on the leaves; this is a natural waterproofing agent for the plant that gives it its ghost name. Keep it in the sun during warm seasons to prevent it from growing tall and gangly. Take it in during a frost. Most of all... Pass it on!

Some trivia: One time, I picked up an old, shriveled stem and buried it in the soil, and it grew! Also, the leaves turn a rosy pink if you give them plenty of sun.

This plant loves the full sun here. I have one in the sun (see photos) and another larger plant on a shaded patio. The one on the patio does nicely in a raised planter, allowing the stems of the plant to cascade downward for a nice effect, but it seems to be more "scraggly" than the one in full sun. And the one in the shade hasn't bloomed, while the one in the sun has. John

I have quite a few of these plants growing is various places in containers in my garden I just leave them out all the time and it seems that the outher leaves turn brown and curl up over the center leaves in the winter and in the spring the dried leaved fall off and it just keeps on growing. I am going to take in the larger one this year to see if I can get some size on it.

The succulent leaves of this plant are silvery green They alternate along the stems and terminate in rosettes. A carefree plant that propagates easily from a single leaf.