Titanopsis spp.
With bright, daisy-like flowers, species in the Titanopsis genus are bumpy-leaved succulents that blend in with the rocky ground in their native habitats.
In fact, concrete leaf plants are experts at mimicking their surroundings.
Titanopsis are admired for their unique foliage that mimics gravel – and while these succulents have a rough visual texture, they might find a soft place in your heart.
Whether you’re here to learn how to care for these succulents, or just to read about why they look the way they do – let’s pause for a second and do a virtual handshake.
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You and I are clearly both members of the weird is wonderful club – so hello, friend!
Sure, concrete leaf plants have bright, showy flowers too, but I doubt anyone is growing titanopsis solely for their blooms.
In this article, I’m going to provide you with some background information about species in the Titanopsis genus as well as details about their growing requirements and propagation guidance.
Here’s what’s ahead:
What Are Concrete Leaf Plants?
Concrete leaf plants (Titanopsis) are evergreen succulents that have a mat-like, clumping, growth habit.
These succulents have a spread of up to six inches or so at maturity, and consist of small, compact rosettes that reach two to four inches wide and tall.
Also known by their genus name, titanopsis, these botanical marvels have spoon- or club-shaped leaves.
The feature which gives these succulent plants their concrete-like appearance is the ends of the leaves which are covered with rough bumps, usually referred to as warts.
The bases of the leaves are smoother than the ends, and sometimes more brightly colored as well.
The color of the foliage is extremely varied depending on species, individual plant, and light exposure, and ranges from blues, grays, and greens, to muted pinks, purples, reds, browns, and yellows.
The daisy-like blooms of titanopsis are relatively large compared to the size of the plants, and are generally yellow, orange, or pink in color, and held on very short flower stems.
If you think your succulent is a titanopsis, but aren’t quite sure, let’s consider a few plants likely to be confused with species in this genus.
In nurseries, concrete leaf plants are sometimes labeled as lithops.
Although they are related and have similar care needs – they are different succulents and don’t even have a similar appearance!
You can read more about the different types of lithops in our guide if you want to learn more about those living stones.
There are some lookalikes, however.
Some members of the Aloinopsis genus have a very similar growth habit and also have bumps on their leaves, making them easy to mistake for the subject of our article.
There’s also Crassula ausensis subsp. titanopsis, a crassula subspecies that looks somewhat like concrete leaf plant and was named after it.
Cultivation and History
Titanopsis succulents are native to Namibia and South Africa, where they grow in arid locations and are adapted to low, seasonal rainfall, though some species also receive moisture via coastal fog.
The rough textured foliage mimics the limestone rocks and gravel in their native environments, making them practically unnoticeable to humans and herbivores until they are in bloom.
Titanopsis are members of the Aizoaceae or fig marigold family, also known as the ice plant family.
Other members of this family include succulents such as babies’ toes (Fenestraria rhopalophylla), ice plant (Corpuscularia lehmannii), split rock (Pleiospilos nelii)– and yes, lithops, too!
In fact, like lithops, titanopsis are considered mesembs, a common name used to refer to succulent plants from the fig marigold family that look like stones.
In addition to mesembs, they’re also called mimicry plants or living stones.
There are only four species in the Titanopsis genus, with some of former species having been reclassified as belonging to the closely related Aloinopsis genus mentioned earlier.
The genus name Titanopsis comes from the Greek and means not tough as a Greek god as I would have preferred, but a more mundane chalky appearance, referring to the limestone rocks among which these living stones occur in nature.
Concrete leaf plants make great houseplants when situated on sunny windowsills or under grow lights. They can also be kept outdoors year round in USDA Hardiness Zones 8b to 11b.
Titanopsis Propagation
If you’d like to try propagating concrete leaf plants, you can choose to start them from seed or divide offsets from an existing specimen.
From Seed
To propagate titanopsis from seed, there are a number of supplies you’ll need to gather!
You’ll need seeds, growing medium, coarse sand, horticultural sand, humidity domes, fungicide, a spray bottle, and either seed starting trays or three-and-a-half- to four-inch nursery pots. You may also need a heat mat.
The number of pots or trays you’ll need will depend on the number of seeds you have – you can sow 20 to 30 seeds per three-and-a-half-inch pot.
For growing medium, neither a commercial seed starting mix nor prebagged cactus and succulent soil are suitable for this purpose.
Instead, create your own mix that is 70 percent grit, such as coarse sand, pumice, or horticultural gravel, and 30 percent organic matter, such as coconut coir.
This mix is a bit richer in organic matter than the potting mix we would use to grow mature titanopsis specimens.
Fine pumice works nicely for the mineral component of this mix.
Mini Pumice
You can pick up a bag of mini pumice from the Cz Garden Supply Store via Amazon.
As for fungicide, I recommend taking an organic approach by using a biofungicide that contains Trichoderma, a type of beneficial fungi.
Inoculants containing these friendly microbes protect young seedlings from damping off, and they also serve as biofertilizer.
Mikro Root Bio-fungicide and Bio-fertilizer
Mikro Root is one such inoculant that contains Trichoderma, and is available in a choice of pack sizes from Microbial Applications via Arbico Organics.
And before we get into the seed sowing process, let me give you some tips on the use of humidity domes.
While some nursery pots are sold with mini, vented humidity domes, you can also place single pots in resealable plastic bags, or place several pots or a tray in a clear plastic bin to create a humid environment for germinating seedlings.
Start by combining the ingredients for your growing medium in the recommended portions.
When you’ve done this, have all the needed supplies, and are ready to start, fill the tray or nursery pots with moistened growing medium, leaving one inch of room between the surface of the medium and the rim of the pot or tray.
Sprinkle a shallow layer of coarse sand on the surface of the growing medium.
Titanopsis seeds are extremely tiny, like particles of dust, so it helps to mix them in a teaspoon or so of sand before sprinkling them on the surface of the coarse sand layer. Don’t cover the seed and sand mixture.
Use the spray bottle to moisten the sand and seed layer and apply the biofungicide as indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions, if using.
If you’re using a different type of fungicide, apply according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Place the nursery pots or tray into a location with bright, indirect light, and keep it warm during the day – around 77°F – and about 10 degrees cooler at night. Use a heat mat if needed.
Keep the growing medium moist and expect seeds to germinate within a month. The first seedlings may pop up within a few days to a week!
After a month or so, gradually start to acclimate the seedlings to less protected conditions, reducing heat, and increasing ventilation before removing the humidity domes completely.
Allow seedlings to remain in the same pots or trays for about a year before transplanting into larger or individual pots.
Learn more about propagating succulents from seed in our guide.
From Offsets
Concrete leaf plants produce offsets, and these can be separated from the mother plant to propagate new specimens.
To propagate titanopsis in this way, when the plant’s growing medium is dry, remove it from the pot and use a clean pair of scissors or garden snips to remove an offset.
Allow both the mother plant and the offset to callus over for about a week before returning the mother from its pot or potting up the offset as a transplant.
After repotting, wait a week before watering.
Learn more about how to propagate succulent offsets in our guide.
From Transplants
You’ll learn more about the best timing for repotting a mature titanopsis in the maintenance section below, but for now let’s cover the steps needed to transplant a specimen that you’ve just brought home or propagated yourself from seed or via offsets.
You’ll need a new pot for the concrete leaf plant, as well as some growing medium.
There are different types of growing medium that will work for these succulents, as long as they are very gritty, with approximately 85 percent mineral content.
If you’re using a commercial succulent and cactus mix, add additional grit to ensure the growing medium has excellent drainage, and avoid mixes that contain peat, which causes compacting.
And after all, peat comes from wet, boggy areas, so it doesn’t make much sense to use it to cultivate succulents that prefer arid conditions – not to mention the importance of keeping it in the ground as a carbon sink!
Rather than using a commercial mix, you might prefer to make your own succulent potting mix especially for the titanopsis.
When I make this type of mix, I start with Rosy Soil’s Houseplant Mix for the non-mineral part.
Rosy Soil Houseplant Mix
You can pick up a four- or eight-quart bag of Rosy Soil Houseplant Mix from Rosy Soil via Walmart.
For the remaining grit portion, pumice, lava gravel, or coarse sand work nicely, and you can also throw in some limestone gravel, to make these succulents feel even more at home.
Limestone Gravel
Find 1/4-inch limestone gravel in a choice of bag sizes via Walmart.
In addition to growing medium, you’ll also need a suitable pot. Make sure to pick one that has drainage holes, is deeper than it is wide, and is only one size larger than the current container the specimen is growing in.
If you’re potting up a seedling with a small root system or an offset, start with a pot that’s about two inches wide or a bit wider.
When you have combined the ingredients to create the growing medium and have a new pot, you’re ready to transplant!
Gently remove the titanopsis from its existing pot taking care not to damage the foliage or root system.
If the titanopsis is growing in a different type of potting mix, remove as much of it as possible from around the roots.
If it’s very rootbound, you may need to wet the roots to remove the old potting mix.
After wetting the roots, and removing as much of the potting medium as possible, allow them to dry again before you proceed.
Are you transplanting an offset or a year-old seedling with a small root system?
Fill the pot most of the way, use a spoon to poke a hole in the middle, then insert the succulent’s roots and firm the potting medium around the titanopsis.
Or does the specimen have a well-developed root ball?
If so, add just a shallow layer of growing medium, then hold the concrete leaf plant in the pot with one hand while filling in with medium with the other hand.
Don’t water a newly transplanted titanopsis right away, but wait a week to give it time to adjust to its new quarters.
How to Grow Titanopsis
For most of the year, concrete leaf plants require full sun – that’s to say, six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
If you’re using a light meter, that’s at least six to eight hours of light at 1000 foot candles.
Sufficient light helps to develop the “warts” that give concrete leaf plants their bumpy appearance.
In summer however, when temperatures are hottest, these succulents prefer some light shade during the hottest part of the day.
Indoors, choose a sunny, south-facing window. If you don’t have a suitable window, you’ll likely need to use a grow light to keep the succulent healthy.
Learn more about using grow lights here.
When succulents don’t receive enough light they may become etiolated, where the leaves and stems become elongated as they reach towards the light.
On the other hand, if your succulent has developed brownish patches on the foliage, it may be exposed to more direct sun than it can handle.
Be sure to gradually increase the intensity of the light exposure for recently acquired specimens, and to offer some light shade during the hottest part of the day during summer.
As for water, keep in mind that Titanopsis species have a dormancy period either in winter or summer, and are adapted to receiving less water during these periods once they have reached maturity.
You’ll learn more about which species are dormant during which seasons later in the article, so keep reading!
If you aren’t sure which species you have, it’s not a crisis! Luckily all four species prefer to receive most of their water in spring and autumn.
During the dormancy period, or during both summer and winter if you don’t know which species you have, rather than watering as soon as the growing medium is dry, stretch out the period between waterings out a bit – starting with a few days.
If you have a young specimen, it will not cope as well without water during the summer season, so continue to add moisture when the growing medium is dry.
When it is time to water, remove the succulent from its usual spot, place it in a bowl, and use a houseplant watering can with a narrow spout so that you can aim a controlled stream of water onto the surface of the growing medium, and avoid drenching the foliage.
Dump the drained water from the bowl and allow the liquid to continue draining from the holes in the bottom of the pot.
Repeat the process, allowing the growing medium to drain well before you return the succulent to its usual location.
Want to learn more about the best type of water for succulents? Check out our article!
Choosing a well-draining growing medium is just as important as taking care not to water too frequently.
As mentioned above, in the transplanting section above, the medium should be very gritty, with approximately 85 percent mineral content, and should have a ph range between 6.6 to 8.4.
As species that exhibit active growth primarily in spring and autumn, titanopsis are happiest in temperatures between 65 to 75°F.
These mesembs also do best when temperatures drop 10 to 15 degrees lower than the daytime temperature at night.
All Titanopsis species are hardy to 14°F for short periods, though this hardiness also depends on the mesemb’s roots not being wet.
In addition to temperature considerations, air circulation is also important, so don’t crowd these succulents together too tightly with other houseplants, especially if humidity levels are above 40 percent.
Growing Tips
- Expose plants to six to eight hours of full sun, with light shade during summer heat.
- Water when the growing medium is dry in spring and autumn, with less frequent watering in winter and summer.
- Make sure both the potting medium and container have excellent drainage.
Maintenance
The first maintenance task you may consider undertaking when you first bring a titanopsis home is repotting.
Nurseries often grow succulents such as these in growing mediums that contain a lot of peat, which promotes fast growth when seedlings are young.
But as mentioned, a potting medium that contains peat is a poor option for titanopsis over the long term.
So you may need to repot this mesemb soon after bringing it home.
However, if the titanopsis was shipped, as long as the pot has drainage holes, wait a month to let it get acclimated to life in your home first.
If it does not have drainage holes, go ahead and repot right away!
In addition to changing out the growing medium if it’s the wrong type, you should also consider repotting if your concrete leaf plant is root bound, has become top heavy in its current pot, or if it’s been two or three years since you last repotted.
Not sure how long it’s been since you last repotted? Start tracking this info in your gardening journal.
If the root system isn’t yet filling up the pot, you can change out the growing medium and repot it into the same container, or a pot of the same size.
For a concrete leaf plant that has outgrown its container, choose a new pot that is just one size larger than the current one, and – of course! – make sure it has drainage holes.
Concrete leaf plants have deep tap roots, so shallow pots aren’t the best choice for these succulent plants. Instead pick a pot that is deeper than it is wide.
Are you wondering if there’s a best time of year to repot titanopsis?
If you are growing a species that goes dormant in summer, repot in early autumn. For winter dormant species, opt for spring.
As for fertilizer, concrete leaf plants are adapted to growing in poor soils, so they won’t need much!
Dr. Earth Succulence Cactus and Succulent Food
Pick a gentle fertilizer that is formulated for succulents, such as Dr. Earth’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Plant Food, available via Arbico Organics.
You can learn more about how to fertilize succulents in our guide.
While it may seem like the natural approach to allow old leaves and spent flowers to remain on plants, you should include tidying up your plants as a regular maintenance task.
Dead foliage and spent blooms can provide a foothold for pests and diseases.
It’s a good idea to check for this debris whenever you water, remove it using a pair of sterilized snips if necessary, and deposit it in your compost bin.
Titanopsis Species to Select
Ready to learn more about the different Titanopsis species?
Calcarea
The largest species of the genus, T. calcarea has rosettes that reach four inches wide and tall.
The flat leaves of this concrete leaf plant are flat, spoon- to triangular-shaped, and are covered with a mix of small and large bumps.
The leaves tend to be blueish green or gray and the warts have a blue, brown, gray, or red tinge.
A recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2002, T. calcarea has orange to yellow blooms that appear in fall and winter.
Adapted to summer rainfall, this mesemb goes dormant in winter, after blooming.
Ready to add one of these titanopsis to your succulent collection? You can purchase a live T. calcarea plant in a two-inch pot from the Succulents Box Store via Walmart.
Hugo-Schlechteri
T. hugo-schlechteri has triangular to spoon-shaped leaves on two-inch rosettes.
The flat leaves of this titanopsis can be blue, gray, green, purple, or red, and are covered with a mix of small and large flattened bumps, which are white or brown.
Presented with the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2012, T. hugo-schlechteri bears blooms that are usually yellow or occasionally pink.
Sometimes called by the common name “jewel plant,” T. hugo-schlechteri is dormant in summer, and adapted to rainfall from autumn to spring.
Want to give this titanopsis a try?
Purchase a live T. hugo-schlechteri plant in a two-inch pot from Planet Desert via Amazon.
Primosii
With rosettes that are two- to 2.7-inches wide, T. primosii has chunky, club-shaped leaves with bumps that are white, gray, or tan, and appear in a reptile-skin-like pattern.
T. primosii produces flowers that are usually pale yellow with tan tips, but they may also be orange or pink.
This species grows actively during winter and is dormant during the summer months.
Schwantesii
With two-inch wide rosettes, the leaves of T. schwantesii are more upright than those of the other species and can be pale green, gray, blue, brown, or pink.
The thick, club-shaped leaves of this titanopsis are covered with large warts which are gray, grayish brown, tan, white, yellow, or yellowish brown in color.
With yellow flowers, T. schwantesii is dormant in summer, growing actively from fall through spring.
In its natural environment this titanopsis receives part of its water from fog, making it more adaptable to elevated humidity levels.
Managing Pests and Disease
While titanopsis are known for being deer-resistant, if you place these succulents outdoors you may find them visited by your local rabbit populations.
Consider placing potted specimens out of the reach of rabbits, or enclose the area with a fine-meshed rabbit fence to keep these nibblers out.
Learn more about protecting plants from rabbits in our guide.
Titanopsis tend to resist most insect onslaughts, but be sure to check your plants regularly, especially for succulent mites, scale insects, and mealybugs.
While most mealybugs are pretty hard to miss when you know what they look like, there’s a type that is harder to detect. Root mealies, as they’re commonly called, live in the soil or growing medium, feeding on the succulent’s roots.
This is one reason why you should always remove the plant from its pot and have a look at the root ball – before you purchase it or as soon as an online purchase arrives.
Root mealies look like grains of rice attached to the root ball. You can treat them with neem oil, reapplying once a week for about two months until they’re eradicated.
Learn more about how to deal with mealybugs in our guide.
As for disease, the problem you’re most likely to encounter with this succulent is rot.
If the concrete leaf plant has soft foliage or mushy roots, the plant is likely rotting as a result of a combination of too much water, not enough light, and insufficient drainage.
If rot is affecting your titanopsis, be sure to review the growing tips in this article to learn what may have gone wrong.
And for further guidance about how to deal with rotting succulents, read our guide!
Best Uses for Titanopsis
Titanopsis are unique specimen plants, whether grown indoors in a pot or outdoors in Zones 8b to 11b.
They can also be used to create attractive succulent planters but because they have unique water and growing medium requirements, instead of echeverias or hens and chicks, look to other mesembs such as Aloinopsis to fill the role of companion plants.
Concrete leaf plants are considered nontoxic, so they make safe plant choices for households with pets or small kids.
And what a fun way to teach kids about biodiversity! As for the pets – you can try, but I can’t promise they’ll listen.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Evergreen succulent | Flower / Foliage Color: | Pink, orange, yellow/blue, brown gray, green, pink, purple, red, yellow |
| Native to: | Namibia, South Africa | Water Needs: | Low |
| Hardiness (USDA Zone): | 8b-11b | Maintenance | Low |
| Bloom Time: | Fall, winter, spring | Tolerance: | Drought, low humidity |
| Time to Maturity: | 2 years | Soil Type: | Gritty succulent and cactus growing medium |
| Exposure: | Full sun, some light shade in summer | Soil pH: | 6.6-8.4 |
| Spacing: | 4-6 inches | Soil Drainage: | Well-draining |
| Planting Depth: | Surface (seeds), root ball covered (transplants) | Uses: | Houseplant, specimen plant |
| Height: | 2-4 inches | Family: | Aizoaceae |
| Spread: | 4-6 inches | Genus: | Titanopsis |
| Common Pests and Diseases: | Aphids, mealybugs, mites, scale, spider mites; root rot | Species: | Calcarea, hugo-schlechteri, primosii, schwantesii |
Are You a Softy for this Succulent?
Titanopsis might look tough, but it sure makes some of us succulent lovers all soft inside.
On the other hand, to keep your concrete leaf plant from going literally soft and mushy, make sure you use a gritty, well-draining growing medium, provide plenty of direct sunlight, and water judiciously.
Now that I’ve bubbled over with my love for this weird little succulent, would you like to share your own tales of titanopsis adoration? Please do – that’s what the comments section below is for! And if you have any questions, feel free to drop them there as well.
Want to gather some more tips on cacti and succulent growing? Keep reading right here:
