The Pearl Plant earns its name from the raised white bumps that cover its thick, fleshy leaves like a scatter of small pearls across dark fabric. Once classified within Haworthia and later Aloe, Tulista pumila now occupies its own genus, and despite being the largest species in that genus, it remains a genuinely compact plant: 2 to 8 inches tall and 2 to 6 inches wide at maturity, with triangular to broadly lanceolate leaves forming a dense rosette. The leaves run from olive-green to dark brownish-green, and in summer thin stalks rise up to 16 inches to bear waxy, greenish-white flowers that attract bees.

Native to South Africa, it is hardy only in zones 9 to 11 and prefers life as a houseplant or patio succulent in most of North America. Give it a gritty, well-draining cactus or succulent mix and allow the soil surface to dry between waterings. It tolerates full sun but performs well in partial shade, and it appreciates warm summers and a cooler, drier winter rest. Mealybugs are the one pest to watch for, but otherwise it is remarkably trouble-free and non-toxic to both humans and animals.