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Cotyledon tomentosa
Also called Fuzzy Pigsears
Bear Paws is a small, freely branching succulent shrub from South Africa's Little Karoo, with chunky fuzzy leaves tipped with reddish "teeth" and orange bell-shaped flowers in spring. The key to growing it is bright light, sharp drainage, and keeping it dry in winter.
Cotyledon tomentosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to South Africa. It is a succulent evergreen shrub with large chunky ovate fuzzy green leaves. Its autonymous subspecies is known as the bear's paw because of the prominent "teeth" at the tips of its leaves. It forms large orange bell-shaped flowers in spring.
In its native habitat, the Little Karoo region of South Africa, Cotyledons usually grow in rocky quartz fields where they have excellent drainage provided by very porous soil.
In cultivation they thrive with bright light and ample airflow. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. Water with caution in winter, as the plant can lose its roots if the soil stays cold and wet for extended periods. They are dormant in summer. Protect from frost to prevent scarring.
In the UK Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. tomentosa has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It does not tolerate temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F), so in temperate zones must be protected with glass throughout the winter months. However, it may be placed in a warm, sunny position outside during summer.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cotyledon tomentosa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
