Suddenly in the latter half of 2024, Drosanthemum made its debut on the main stage of the succulent plant market. This was triggered by increased production in China and Korea, along with a certain well-known company importing and featuring the plant. Until then, this new variety had virtually no exposure, so growers are still experimenting to figure out the best care techniques. In this article, I'll focus on what to do first if you get your hands on a Drosanthemum cutting, along with a practical guide to how to propagate your Drosanthemum using these same tricks.
For a comprehensive guide, packed with even more Drosanthemum know-how, check out the detailed article below!
Have you seen images like this popping up on online marketplaces or succulent shops? It looks just like a tiny tree loaded with jelly beans—small, glistening beads of color like something out of a fantasy. Around 2023, this "plant-that-doesn't-look-like-a-plant" wowed the succulent crowd with its eye-catching look. In mid-2024, word quickly spread and overseas growers (possibly the very ones who started the rumors!) began importing their mass-propagated stocks into Japan. The ones you may have seen for sale—or what I have at home—are those imported plants.
Drosanthemum is a member of the mesemb family natively found in South Africa. The name comes from the Greek for "dew flower." It's closely related to plants you might recognize, like the Showy Ice Plant Lampranthus spectabilis. Remarkably, despite its quirky appearance, Drosanthemum produces glossy, thin-petaled, colorful daisy-like flowers from winter to spring.
The size and shape of those jelly bean leaves can vary a lot depending on the variety. However, the tiny, perfectly round leaves you see circulating online are usually a temporary reaction to stress. Even for those varieties, once healthy, the leaves often grow about 20% larger and become more barrel-shaped. There's still a lot we don't know—even globally—about just how much the plant can change as it grows in cultivation.
My first experience with Drosanthemum was in early 2024, with a variety called “eburneum” (at that time, it was the only one available!). Thankfully, it rooted and settled in without any issues, and even gave me beautiful flowers in the spring. Maybe that led me to let my guard down, thinking this was an easy plant.
Next came autumn 2024, and the arrival of those long-awaited beaded "bean trees." I ordered one, and managed it as a cutting just like I had back in spring..
To my dismay, everything withered … (sweatdrop)
They simply didn't take up any water and shriveled away. Where did I go wrong?
To find out what went wrong, I started experimenting. Here’s what I tried:
And here’s how things turned out:
The clear conclusion? "Just cut it!" No matter the size, woody stems that have hardened won’t absorb water, but a freshly cut surface will rapidly soak up water and restore plump, healthy leaves.
It reminds me of how even wilted cut flowers will often perk up if you recut the stems and put them in water. Since becoming a succulent fan, I’d forgotten this trick (I’ll have to try recutting for other succulents someday). For Drosanthemum, though, this simple action makes a huge difference.
Of course, this method is the opposite of the usual advice for succulent cuttings, which warns, “don’t plant immediately after cutting, or they might rot.” So, it’s probably risky during seasons when rot is more likely, or if you’re using not-quite-sterile recycled soil.
With Drosanthemum, smaller branches seem to recover the fastest when you use the "stem cutting" method. It's unclear whether this is just about the volume, because short branches are easier to rehydrate, or if fresher branch tips simply absorb better. The answer's still a mystery.
In any case, it seems that the simplest way to propagate Drosanthemum is to snip off the tips and stick them into soil. There’s no need to push them in deeply—just cover the cut edge with soil and you’re good (burying them deeper didn’t make much difference for me).
Keep in mind, everything up to this point covers "how to help cuttings take up water quickly and reliably"—it’s not about rooting itself (I’m still not sure if this method speeds up rooting). Still, even if roots take a while to form, as long as the leaves stay healthy by absorbing water, the plant should have the stamina to wait it out. You can relax and let nature take its course.
I’ll keep observing the ones I have at home, and update the article if I see roots starting to grow.
So, there you have it: "Just cut your Drosanthemum."
This report is just a quick update based on what worked for me, but I’ll post more details as I learn. If you’re feeling nervous about trying an unfamiliar new plant, I hope this encourages you to give it a go—even just a little!
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