Get ready to see the cutest succulents ever! If you thought mermaid succulents were the best thing ever, or that jellyfish succulents were the coolest thing ever, you’re about to see why those are both wrong! Meet the bear paw succulent! This adorable succulent is quite a bit like the panda plant succulent, whose leaves look like gray panda paws.
Not only does the plant look like it’s made of tiny, fluffy, green bear paws, but it will incite a feeling of warmth and coziness whenever you look at it.
Officially known as Cotyledon Tomentosa, bear paw succulents have thick, fuzzy green leaves with dark red toothed ends. They are a low-growing plant but can reach more than 30 centimeters in height, according to the online succulent retailer Succulents Box. Better yet, they usually grow orange, bell-shaped flowers in the spring.
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Cotyledon tomentosa was discovered by Mr N.S. Pillans between Ladismith and Laingsburg. It was named Cotyledon tomentosa by Von Poellnitz in 1936 in the Yearbook of the German Cactus Magazine. It was made into a subspecies by Toelken, in Bothalia in 1977. The genus Cotyledon has a wide distribution up to Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula in North-east Africa, but most species are found in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape (South Africa), with a number of species endemic in these regions.
How to grow a bear paw succulent
Indoors, the plant does best in a window that faces south or a bright area where it can get at least six hours of indirect sunlight every day, the retailer suggests. For watering, bear paws are similar to other succulents in that you only need to water them when the soil is completely dry. If you want to add bear paws to a succulent garden outside, look for a bright shaded spot where the plant won’t get too much direct sunlight. Make sure it’s in well-drained soil, too, so it doesn’t suffer from over-watering if it ever rains.
The succulent is an evergreen, hardy, drought-resistant, branched, shrublet with hairy leaves and stems.The leaves have no petioles; they have purplish-brown teeth along the tips.
Read More: How To Propagate Succulents
A succulent increasingly hard to find
Unfortunately due to excessive interest and loss of habitat, the bear paw succulent is getting harder to find in the wild. Be careful where you try to get one! It’s better to gather a cutting from a friend than to buy.
They attract birds and bees.
If you’d like to grow your own bear paw succulents, you can find small plants, or even starter kits, from your local nursery or plant shop. Alternatively, there are always some available on Etsy, Amazon, or sites like SucculentBox.
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