Choose a fuzzy bear's paw or a paddle pig's ear first.
Choose a fuzzy bear's paw or a paddle pig's ear first
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Fuzzy clawed windowsill shrub | Bear's paw — Cotyledon tomentosa | Do not buy it if you wanted a smooth paddle landscape shrub |
| Smooth paddle landscape shrub | Pig's ear — Cotyledon orbiculata ‘Macrantha’ | Do not buy it if you wanted fuzzy clawed leaves |
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The first choice is the leaf. Bear's paw is the fuzzy plant with red teeth at the tip. It stays a compact shrub on a bright sill. Pig's ear is the smooth paddle shrub that reaches about two to three feet in a frost-free bed. Read the Latin on the tag before you buy, because both may be sold only as Cotyledon. [1] bear's paw is the woolly shrublet with hairy leaves. [2] pig's ear is the Macrantha form, similar to the species, with larger orange-red flowers in winter and leaves edged in red. [3] Nurseries first listed it as Cotyledon macrantha. [4]
Which Cotyledon should I plant?
Buy bear's paw for fuzzy clawed leaves on a windowsill, or pig's ear if you want a smooth paddle shrub in a frost-free bed.
Is bear's paw the same as pig's ear?
No. Bear's paw is Cotyledon tomentosa. Pig's ear is Cotyledon orbiculata. Shop tags sometimes use Cotyledon for both, so confirm the Latin.
Browse by kind
Match the leaf, then pick that kind. Pig's ear will not give you fuzzy claws, and bear's paw will not fill a two-foot bed the way the paddle shrub does. If the tag only says Cotyledon, feel the leaf, or ask whether the plant is the fuzzy one. Read the Latin, then buy that kind. Care for the plant you already have on How to Grow Cotyledon.
Bear's paw
bear's paw is the compact succulent with fuzzy leaves that end in red teeth. Tags may say kitten paws or woolly Cotyledon. Buy this group when you want a windowsill shrub you can handle gently. It is Cotyledon tomentosa, not the smooth paddle shrub.
Pig's ear
pig's ear is the 2–3 ft succulent shrub with smooth paddles edged in red. Tags may say green pig's ear or Cotyledon macrantha. Buy it when you want a landscape plant for a frost-free bed, not a fuzzy clawed leaf. It is Cotyledon orbiculata, not a flapjack Kalanchoe.
Feel the leaf, read the Latin, then buy bear's paw or pig's ear.
FAQ
Do you hold Flavida?
No. Flavida is a tubular-leaf pig's ear sometimes sold as finger aloe. This catalog holds bear's paw and pig's ear Macrantha.
Do you hold Undulata?
No. Undulata is a wavy-leaf pig's ear. This catalog holds bear's paw and pig's ear Macrantha.
Do you hold Hamaji Silver?
No. Hamaji Silver is a compact silver pig's ear. This catalog holds bear's paw and pig's ear Macrantha.
Do you hold cliff Cotyledon?
No. Cliff Cotyledon is Cotyledon pendens, a trailing plant. This catalog holds bear's paw and pig's ear Macrantha.
Is Ladismithiensis a second bear's paw?
We hold Cotyledon tomentosa as bear's paw, not a second subspecies card. Ladismithiensis is a woolly form of the same species.
Is this the same as Kalanchoe luciae?
No. Kalanchoe luciae is the flapjack paddle plant. Pig's ear is Cotyledon. Read the botanical name on the tag.
Related guides
References
- [1] PlantZAfrica -
https://pza.sanbi.org/cotyledon-orbiculata - [2] PlantZAfrica -
https://pza.sanbi.org/cotyledon-tomentosa-subsp-ladismithiensis - [3] UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County -
https://www.ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/succulents - [4] San Marcos Growers -
https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=457
This note is part of Cotyledon Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors