Temperature
55–80°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Ox tongue
Gasteria bicolor
Ox tongue wants bright indirect light and water every 14 to 24 days, once the soil is dry all the way through. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Bright indirect
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
An east window, or two feet back from a south one. Unusually for a succulent it prefers bright shade and scorches in hard afternoon sun.
Water
Every 14–24 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the soil is dry all the way through, not on a schedule.
Humidity
20% and up
Fine in normal household air. Prefers 40%.
Difficulty
Easy
Scores 1 of 5: Scores 1 of 5: slow, small, shade-tolerant and nearly indestructible. Probably the best succulent for a room that is not sunny enough for the rest of them.
Habit
Rosette
Grows to 4–10 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- No record page found under any name tested.
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
Light
Bright indirect light. An east window, or two feet back from a south one. Unusually for a succulent it prefers bright shade and scorches in hard afternoon sun.
Water
Every 14 to 24 days in a 6-inch pot, when the soil is dry all the way through.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | soak and dry |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the soil is dry all the way through |
Soil and potting
One part cactus mix, one part pumice.
Repot roughly every 3 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. Each links to a diagnosis page with the causes ranked for this species.
- Root rot act today
- Brown crispy edges monitor
Pests
Recorded for this species. Each links to identification and treatment.
- Mealybugs this week
- Scale insects this week
Propagation
Offsets in soil. Roots in 21 to 56 days.
| Preferred method | offsets |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 21–56 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Gasteria bicolor (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-12.
- Wikidata entity Q1439759 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Gasteria bicolor Checked 2026-09-12.
- Photograph: Stan Shebs, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02