The perfect plant for all Joshua Tree lovers! True Joshua Trees do not grow well, if at all, outside the Mojave Desert, so we have decided to offer the next best thing- Mini Joshua Trees that can be kept in your home!
This succulent plant looks just like the iconic Joshua Tree. It is easy to care for and thrives indoors. These plants are hardy, have minimal care needs, and can be trained into even more wild and amazing shapes using bonsai methods. These are not actual Joshua Trees, but a type of succulent.
Please note-
Sizing generally refers to the size and type of container your plant is in. We offer several sizes of ceramic containers and pots. Please understand that we care for these plants ourselves, give daily care and inspection, use succulent specific soil and additional liquid nutrients, and hand trim as needed. We send only the healthiest specimens in our collection. As plants are living, growing things, your plant may look slightly different from images posted. Plant will occasionally be shipped bare root, with the vessel included.
These are very limited in availability, we hand propagate, hand pot, hand trim and hand water each individual Mini Joshua Tree. We send out only the healthiest specimens. We do not offer refunds or exchanges once shipped, as we cannot control conditions during shipping, nor the care environment of the plant once it has arrived.
Mini Joshua Tree Care Guide
Light
Mini Joshua Trees grow best in locations where they will enjoy the full sun at least six or more hours per day. Most species will tolerate partial shade but will not thrive in deep shade.
As much as it loves light, make sure to protect it from very harsh direct sun rays that can potentially harm the leaves.
When indoors, keep your Mini Joshua Tree in a sunny window or under artificial lights.
Water
Mini Joshua Trees are quite drought-tolerant but does need some water. They do their best with weekly watering from spring through fall, but may require more in extremely hot weather or if planted in a container.
Like any other succulents, Mini Joshua trees do not tolerate waterlogging. Excess water must be able to drain freely or be poured out of the planter after watering because wetness quickly leads to root rot in these succulents.
Wait until the soil is completely dry between watering. Newly planted Mini Joshua Trees should be watered daily for the first couple of weeks.
Soil
The ideal soil for your Mini Joshua Tree is a substrate mixture of nutrient-poor soil and mineral components. A substrate for succulents should be well permeable to water so that no water can accumulate after watering. This can be achieved by mixing 60% succulent soil (also called cactus soil) and 40% mineral components, such as gravel or perlite, lava rocks and some quartz sand.
The open-pored mineral components, perlites and granules support the airflow and crumb structure of the substrate, they store the nutrients and moisture but allow excess water to flow quickly after watering.
Climate
Mini Joshua trees can tolerate freezing temperatures. Most are cold hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5a to 9b, -20 to 30 °F (-28.9 to -1.1 °C). Some species will tolerate temperatures down to USDA hardiness zone 4a, -30 °F (-34.4 °C). Sedum multiceps is also tolerant of heat and drought.
Keep your mini Joshua tree indoors at temperatures between 60 and 70 °F (15 and 20 °) through the winter. When temperatures drop below 50 °F (10 °C), plants start to go dormant.
Fertilizing
Mini Joshua trees prefer lean conditions. In fact, unless your soil is extremely poor, it may be best to avoid fertilizer at all. If you do need to add some nutrients to the soil, it is best to apply an organic fertilizer at half-strength during the growing season or a light layer of compost.
Chemical fertilizers tend to cause stretching and flopping on taller varieties. Mulch should not be applied up against the base of the plant because this can cause rot.
Pruning/Trimming
Mini Joshua trees are very low maintenance and pruning isn’t necessary unless you wish to train your mini tree into looking more like a traditional Joshua tree. You can clean them up a bit after winter by removing any dead or damaged branches or foliage; this will also help keep your succulent healthy.
For most Mini Joshua Trees, pinch new growth in spring to promote branching and shorter growth; this will help keep them from getting leggy and falling side ways. Look into bonsai style care for more info on this. Deadheading the succulent in fall isn’t necessary, as the flower heads provide fall and winter interest. If you don’t want seedlings from your Mini Joshua tree, the flower heads can be removed after blooming in summer.
