Species · genus Cotyledon · Crassulaceae

Pig's Ear

Cotyledon orbiculata L.

Also known as: Pig's Ears · Cotyledon · Pig Ears · Pigs Ears · Round-leafed Navel-wort

Growth habit

succulent subshrub

Native range

Angola, Cape Provinces, Eswatini, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces

Reference · C. orbiculata

Cultivars of C. orbiculata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under C. orbiculata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Cotyledon orbiculata is a succulent subshrub from arid and seasonally dry regions of southern Africa, storing water in its thick, paddle-shaped leaves. Plant it in gritty, fast-draining mix and give bright direct light. Water deeply but infrequently, only once the soil has dried out completely through the pot; if in doubt, wait, as standing moisture rots the roots and stem.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

10–27 °C

Soil mix

Gritty, fast-draining cactus and succulent mix

Propagation

Leaf or stem cuttings left to callus, then rooted

Fertilizing

Dilute succulent feed once or twice in the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Orange bell-shaped flowers on tall stalks in summer

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Crassulaceae genus Cotyledon contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides, which are toxic to animals and humans. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Pig's Ear yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.