Native to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Burro's Tail builds its trailing stems over years rather than weeks, each rope eventually reaching two feet or more and densely packed with overlapping, triangular, blue-green leaves. Grown in a hanging basket near a sunny window, the effect is architectural and almost hypnotic. The leaves are fragile, breaking away at the lightest touch, so the plant rewards a corner where it will not be brushed against. Any leaf that falls will root readily, making propagation a nearly automatic byproduct of simply owning the plant.

In summer, pink to red flower clusters terminate the trailing stems, brief and jewel-like against the dusty blue foliage. Outdoors, Burro's Tail suits zones 10 and 11 year-round, tolerating sun to part sun in well-drained, poor soil with minimal irrigation. In cooler climates it excels as a container specimen brought inside before frost, watered sparingly in winter, and fertilized lightly once or twice during the growing season. The one firm rule is consistent drainage; overwatering is the most reliable way to lose it.