Can tolerate cool coastal sun but looks best in part sun to light shade. Plant in a well-drained soil and water occasionally to very little. Though often listed as not tolerating much of a frost we have not had problems with this plant with short duration temperatures to 25° F and it has been noted to survive temperatures down to 20° F at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, but it would be wise to protect if colder or longer cold periods are expected. Good in beach plantings as large container plant or garden plant.

Gasteria acinacifolia is found growing in sand or on rocks primarily around Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa with a range that extends just into the Western Cape Province. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'gaster' meaning "stomach", in reference to the swollen shape of the base of the flower and the specific epithet comes from the Latin words 'acinacis' meaning "scimitar" 'folia' meaning "leaves" in reference to this plant's long, pointed, curved leaves that resemble a scimitar. It has long been in cultivation in Europe having been cultivated in Holland as early as 1809. Our plants are produced vegetatively from an original stock plant received in 2004 from Stockton, California succulent grower Alice Waidhofer. Photo on this page courtesy of Brian Kemble, curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. 

Information displayed on this page about Gasteria acinacifolia is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.