Sedum Species, Donkey's Tail, Giant Burro's Tail
Sedum morganianum
Family: | Crassulaceae (krass-yoo-LAY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Sedum (SEE-dum) (Info) |
Species: | morganianum (mor-gan-ee-AY-num) (Info) |

Category:
Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Cactus and Succulents
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Light Shade
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Evergreen
Smooth
Foliage Color:
Blue-Green
Light Green
Height:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Spacing:
12-15 in. (30-38 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Characteristics:
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Propagation Methods:
From leaf cuttings
From herbaceous stem cuttings
Allow cut surface to callous over before planting
Seed Collecting:
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Siauliai,
Tucson, Arizona
Baywood-Los Osos, California
Brentwood, California
Clayton, California
Coalinga, California
Fontana, California
Fresno, California
Hidden Meadows, California
Long Beach, California(2 reports)
Los Angeles, California
Pleasant Hill, California
San Diego, California(3 reports)
Santa Barbara, California
Simi Valley, California
VALLEY VILLAGE, California
Ventura, California
West Hills, California
Alamosa, Colorado
Bartow, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Lake City, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Miami, Florida
Naples, Florida
New Port Richey, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Ormond Beach, Florida
Palm Coast, Florida
Port Charlotte, Florida
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Sarasota, Florida(2 reports)
Umatilla, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
Cordele, Georgia
Milledgeville, Georgia
Rockwell City, Iowa
Canton, Mississippi
Madison, Mississippi
Claremont, New Hampshire
Brooklyn, New York
Deposit, New York
Medina, New York
Southold, New York
Vestal, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Sanford, North Carolina
Massillon, Ohio
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
North Augusta, South Carolina
Hot Springs, South Dakota
Crossville, Tennessee
Austin, Texas(4 reports)
Broaddus, Texas
Desoto, Texas
Friendswood, Texas
Mart, Texas
Mcallen, Texas
Mission, Texas(2 reports)
Red Oak, Texas
Salineno, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Winnsboro, Texas
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Airway Heights, Washington
Deer Park, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Shoreline, Washington
Spangle, Washington
Cabin Creek, West Virginia
Newcastle, Wyoming
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Oct 31, 2018, BelindaClem from Big Stone Gap, VA (Zone 6a) wrote: Another one of my plants that I need to bring in during the winter but they do amazingly outside after the last frost of the year. They do not like full sunlight as they do burn easily. I've had mine for several years and this is the first year I have seen some amazing growth. While I still isn't very big I believe its soil mate has taken over. Next year I will be moving it to another pot to see if that will give it more room to grow. Right now it is paired with jelly beans that went crazy and I have some string of buttons that look quite lonely. |
Positive | On Aug 20, 2017, zhowe from Statesville, NC wrote: wish I could upload a photo. I noticed my plant is producing a new shoot-it is yellow..an oval bulb on top of a single stem..looks porous...is now about 1 1/2" tall. I've seen flowers but this is not the flower of the donkey plant. I can email the photo |
Negative | On Apr 25, 2017, Shazzbot from Forest Hills, NY wrote: For what it's worth, there seems to be a debate about which "burro's/donkey's tail" causes allergic reactions -- the one that caused mine looked exactly like the plant pictured above, cute little jellybean leaves and all! |
Positive | On Oct 17, 2015, maxim_wilson from Brisbane, I was gifted this plant and it has flowered for the second time , October 18 . I am in Brisbane, Australia ,similar climate to east coast Florida. |
Positive | On Jul 16, 2015, fiore_zingara from Fresno, CA (Zone 8b) wrote: This plant is so pretty hanging out of a basket by itself or in an arrangement. The only drawback is that it is very tender and breaks off easily. It is a super easy to propagate! |
Positive | On Aug 29, 2013, Big_Iron from Tallahassee, FL wrote: I have a borrows tail that I have had for about 25 years. it started from 1 leaf that my father gave me when I moved away. I have learned a few things about this plant that I would like to share. repotting 1 that is large is very difficult, it really does not like very direct sun if it is hot, mine have always grown much better in indirect sun light, they don't like cold(below 45 degrees) the leafs tend to freeze. And they cant stand to move to new areas when they are large(difficult to transport). I have moved mine several times from south to north and north to south and each time I have to really baby her back to health. I have never had my plant bloom a flower though. that would be nice to see. |
Positive | On Jul 8, 2012, succulentlady from Hill View Heights, WY wrote: I put my donkey tails in the north west window in Arkansas. It grew all the way to the floor It was hug between to windows at the top.I let it get very dry before watering it.I watered from the bottom. This plant was a silvery green. |
Positive | On May 24, 2012, kiramarie from Chalmette, LA wrote: I found a small pot containing three tiny tails at a local garden center almost a year ago.. it looked healthy and bug free but in need of a good home.. I re potted it into the edge of a dish holding other small baby succulents and has been doing well but as healthy as it looks sure does not seem to grow fast .. Sunday I found what I thought was the same plant at another garden center and grabbed both pots of them.. they were jam packed and I took all 30 some tails and put them in various pots in garden.. in comparison my newer ones loose their what I call " peas" way easy in comparison to my first which does not.. I am convinced I have two different breeds. My first ones have very slight different shape and a deeper shade of green. I have handled these little gems alot over the last 8 mo... read more |
Positive | On Apr 17, 2012, chrystypas from Bessemer Bend, WY wrote: Live in Wyoming, so of course, my Burro Tail is inside (too much wind, etc.). I took cuttings from a friend's plant that looked very sad and put it in one of those double pots that are supposed to water from the bottom. I did that because the upper portion had a rounded edge which I thought would keep the plant from breaking. It's been 1 and 1/2 years now & it is 3 feet long and has blossomed! (My plant in S. Cal never did that!) It is located in a southern window (full sun), and I water it about once a week. (Maybe too often since whenever I touch it, leaves fall off-I never had that problem in S. Cal-although that one was out in a shaded patio area and probably was watered every 2 weeks). I have several cuttings in the classroom-it is not poisonous! |
Neutral | On Sep 5, 2011, eicanfly from Palm Coast, FL wrote: I'd like to upload a pic of the poisonous plant that this one is often confused with, but not sure how...so here's the link address... |
Negative | On Apr 6, 2011, flying_geo from Center, MO wrote: Today is April 6, 2011 and I have been fighting a double eye infection since the fall of 2009 due to this plant. While pulling some donkeys tail out due to overgrowth, some of the sticky white discharge from the stem got onto my hands. I immediately washed my hands after I went inside, but evidently didn't get it all off. A little while later my eyes started to burn horribly, and as they burned and my eyes watered, the liquid that came from my eyes and ran down my face burned my face. After looking on the internet and seeing that this plant can be dangerous/toxic (but not poisonous?) I called poison control anyway, for the first time in my life. They told me to flush, flush, flush my eyes out with cool water. I did this for over an hour, and did manage to get one eye to stop burning.... read more |
Negative | On Jun 2, 2010, MCKPAINT wrote: My daughter has a beautiful Donkey Tail that she transplanted yesterday and now is itching very badly, etc. |
Positive | On Dec 17, 2009, vnickdd from Orlando, FL (Zone 9b) wrote: This is a great little plant, and fun to propogate. You can even start new plants from the little "peas" that come off the main vine. PLEASE BE AWARE this plant is NOT Euphorbia myrsinites, the invasive, poisonous nasty guy some of the other comments are refering to which is also sometimes called "Donkey Tail." You could probably eat this one (though I wouldn't recommend it). Fun plant and can do some really creative window-box decorating. Our first cutting came back from Hawaii with us (contrary to popular belief, you can bring plants back from Hawaii if you know the rules) in a ziplock bag and was planted within the week in semi-sandy soil in our greenhouse. |
Neutral | On Dec 11, 2009, hurcoboy from Rockaway, NJ wrote: I have a rather large 20+ year old Donkey's tail, and recently it did something it has never done in it's lifetime. A long(aprox 12inches) stem topped with two large(3" diameter) green fuzzy petal-like leaves emerged from the center of the planter. A day later two, half inch long dark-pink tubular blossoms appeared in the center of the newly formed leaves. |
Negative | On May 6, 2009, HMSBeagle13 from Petrolia, CA wrote: This plant is not only highly toxic but it is also HIGHLY INVASIVE! If you are a supporter of native plants to the area that you live in, please do not plant this plant in your yard. |
Positive | On Apr 10, 2009, KatG from Port Charlotte, FL (Zone 10a) wrote: I just love this interesting plant and it's really a big conversation piece amongst friends. I use it a lot for planter heads and it gives the look of dreadlocks. I was sure surprised lately with some very pretty pink blooms. I give my head planters a haircut every so often and just poke the cuttings into a sandy-soil mix and they take off! In a year, I would say that mine have grown about 6 inches. I possibly have them in too much sun though, under an enclosed pool cage as they become a little yellow. I read about transplanting a 20 year old. I just don't know how I would do that as the plant is just so fragile and tends to break off easily. Good Luck! |
Positive | On Apr 5, 2009, MlaiceSkyy from Sanford, NC wrote: My best friend had these before he deployed to Iraq, and I LOVED them, but was never able to get a cutting... I currently live in Sanford, NC. Does anyone know if they have these around this area?!?!? |
Positive | On Oct 3, 2008, scruffers from bridport, I love this plant and I have a lovely specimen that I have been growing for more than 20 years. My problem is it needs repotting (it is quite large) and I wondered if anyone has any tips for doing this without damaging the plant too much. |
Neutral | On Sep 7, 2008, pford1854 from Somerset, KY (Zone 6b) wrote: Printed from Label: |
Positive | On Aug 20, 2008, gardenlemur from Pittsburgh, PA wrote: "Donkey tail" is a common name given to two very different plants. I love this plant and am so sorry to see it get a bad reputation. |
Neutral | On Jun 19, 2008, RUFFIES from Deer Park, WA wrote: I JUST BOUGHT A SEDUM BURITTO PLANT FROM WALMART AND IT NEVER SAID IT WAS POSIONOUS. I AM SO GLAD THIS SITE TOLD US HOW BAD IT COULD BE IF NOT ANY PERCAUTION TAKEN. I HAVE SMALL GRAND KIDS WHO LOVE PLANTS AND FLOWERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION. |
Neutral | On Jan 29, 2007, wandygirl from Brookfield, CT wrote: Hey succulentdude3, gently lift the stem from the soil and see if any roots have formed. If it looks rotted or otherwise unhealthy, try again. Be sure to let the cut stem end callus over before you plant it. Good luck! |
Neutral | On Jan 28, 2007, succulentdude3 from Oak Brook, IL wrote: I planted a stem+leaf about a month and a half ago in succulent/cactus soil. It hasnt grown at all. It gets sunlight a plenty. Why hasnt it grown? It's a wicked plant, nonetheless. |
Negative | On Aug 17, 2004, jensen from South Milwaukee, WI wrote: I needed to trim my donkey tail plants and found out that evening to have a major allergic reaction to it. I must of gotten some of the milky discharge from a broken stem on my face. It burnt and I had burning in my nose so I took Benadryl and when I woke up in the morning I had the face of death. My nose and area surrounding was swollen and inflammed. My chin had a patch with blisters and inflammation to it. The swelling went into my eyes. I was quite a site. The ER gave me some steroids and more Benadryl and sent me home. Good luck and wear gloves. |
Negative | On Jul 22, 2004, gbear from Red Oak, TX wrote: My brother in-law was trimming this plant (they live in Reno, NV) and some of the secretions from the Donkey's Tail got in his eyes. His eyes began to swell really bad so my sister called Poison Control and they told them to get him to emergency care right away. They kept him nearly 10 hours and sent him home with strict orders to call them back in two days to let them know how he was recovering. Two days later his vision is still blurred. Apparently he has a severe allergic reaction to this plant. The poison control center told them he could have gone blind if left untreated. Not a plant worth having in my estimation! |
Negative | On Mar 9, 2004, ryanpolly wrote: this plant was put forward as a possible cause of the death of my cat .Has anyone any evidence to the toxicity of this plant? Is it edible? |
Positive | On Aug 12, 2003, htop from San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: San Antonio, Texas |
Positive | On Feb 22, 2003, MGTHH wrote: Thanks so much for the information posted! I received a piece of this plant from a nice woman who lived two houses down from a friend I was visiting. She didn't give me any information about this lovely plant nor did she give me the name of it. All she said was to stick the cutting and any "leaves" that fall off into dirt. I've been trying to grow more of it without success. Thanks to this site, I think I'll have a better chance now! |
Positive | On Feb 4, 2003, albleroy from Wavre/ greenhous +/- 2500 species, IA wrote: Very nice pictures and very well documented. |
Positive | On Feb 3, 2003, Azalea from Jonesboro, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: This plant is easily propagated from stems or just a single leaf dropped on sandy soil. It will root and sprout new "leaflets" in just a few days. |
Neutral | On Feb 8, 2002, Floridian from Lutz, FL (Zone 9b) wrote: Burro's tail is a native of Mexico. It is an attractive, succulent plant for hanging baskets. The leaves have a silvery blue cast to them and the branches may reach 3 feet or more. It needs warm temperatures and full sun to partial shade. Plants should be watered on at least a weekly basis. The soil should be allowed to dry thoroughly in between waterings. Apply fertilizer once during the growing season. During its dormant period, water only enough to keep the leaves from shriveling. |