Succulent plants have unusual shapes, rich textures, varied colors, and showy blooms that make a dramatic impact in any container or garden setting.
They are not a unique floral family, but diverse members of numerous plant groups. What they have in common is their water-retaining, fleshy leaves and stems.
The cactus is one type with which you are probably familiar, but there are loads more!
And don’t worry about your USDA Hardiness Zone. Whether you grow them as annuals in the garden or in pots, there’s something for everyone to love.
Containers for Indoors or Outdoors
I adore miniature succulents grouped in pots. They remind me of the exotic sea life of a coral reef, and I never get tired of admiring and fussing over them.
Pot up some favorites to winter over or share with friends, like striped Haworthia; Pleospilos nelii; and plump, clustered Sedum. Photo by Allison Sidhu.
These little varieties are perfect for me because it’s too cold to leave them outside here in the Northeast. If you like larger types, just use containers on wheels and bring them in and out as you like.
You can also sow directly in the garden in spring, and if you’re in a frost zone, your flora will simply die out when winter comes.
However, unlike typical summer annuals, you can dig these up, pot them, and enjoy them indoors through the winter.
A variety of succulents including a finger-like Senecio, blooming Graptopetalum, rosette of Aeonium, and red-tinged Crassula fills a patio container. Photo by Allison Sidhu.
An even easier way to preserve your favorites is to propagate your own plants by taking a small cutting of each to root indoors. By summer, you’ll have small plants to take out to the garden.
Some succulents are perennials. My Sempervivum and Sedum withstand hard frosts and return year after year, spreading to form dense carpets of interest in former “problem areas” plagued by dry, sandy soil.
Jade, Aeonium, and Sempervivum form a texturally rich and colorful sidewalk border. Photo by Allison Sidhu.
Stay tuned! We’ve got eleven eye-catching species just begging for pots on your patio and feature placements among your annuals and perennials.
Eleven Species to Love
The following eleven succulents come in a vast array of species, subspecies, and cultivars of varied colors, shapes, and textures.
From geometric to curvaceous, subtly tinged to boldly striped, they offer an abundance of visually exciting flora with which to design containers and gardens.
Sempervivum
Closely related to sedum is Sempervivum. Its perennial, evergreen rosettes are the mainstay of rock gardens in Zones 3 to 6, and often all the way to Zone 8.
This is one of my favorites here in northeast Pennsylvania, with an array of choices ranging from one to twelve inches in height.
S. tectorum hen with chicks. Photo by Allison Sidhu.
Perhaps the best known is S. tectorum, aka hen and chicks, or houseleek (also a common name of Aeonium). It’s remarkable for the proliferation of tiny replicas of itself that mature and spread densely.
This is a useful and attractive groundcover choice for dry problem areas, like those along suburban sidewalks. It’s also a popular selection for roof gardens and rock walls.
Another is S. arachnoideum, the cobweb version of hen and chicks.
S. arachnoideum.
White filaments cover the top of each rosette as though a spider was busy spinning many, many webs. There’s always something funky to find with succulents!
Sempervivum thrives on neglect, and requires almost no watering. Simply provide sandy, well-drained soil and full sun, and it is in its element. If you garden in a northern climate, apply some mulch in early fall for an added layer of warmth.
Sempervivum Seeds, Hardy Mixture
Keep in mind that Sempervivum is monocarpal, and each hen dies after flowering. However, its chicks carry on from there.
Seeds are available from True Leaf Market in packages of 1,000.
Find tips on growing Sempervivum or hens and chicks here.
11. Senecio
The Senecio genus is a large one that includes blue chalk stick, S. serpens, and string of pearls, S. rowleyanus. Both species do well in full sun to partial shade, with sandy, well-drained soil and minimal water.
A leggy blue chalk stick, S. serpens, exhibits some signs of overwatering and low light, and mingles with ghost plant, G. paraguayense. Photo by Allison Sidhu.
In a pot, string of pearls cascades in jewel-laden vines. On the ground, it makes a dense covering, as creeping stems root themselves.
While the flowers are tiny, they are fragrant, long-lasting, and striking, with long stamens protruding from white blossoms. This unusual variety may reach up to two feet in length.
String of pearls is perfect for hanging planters.
Enjoy string of pearls year-round in the garden in Zones 9 to 12. If you pot it, refresh the pot each spring, increasing in size as needed, topping up with fresh cactus/succulent potting medium, and a diluted or modest application of low-release fertilizer as desired.
Too much fertilizer may make some succulents leggy when they should be compact, so over-fertilizing should be avoided.
If a plant becomes root bound, or very old, it may be best to take cuttings and start fresh.
Senecio Rowleyanus in 4-Inch Pots
String of pearls, S. rowleyanus, is available on Amazon in four-inch pots.
Blue chalk stick produces dusky blue finger-like leaves and stretches to a foot in length if given the opportunity. To keep it more compact, prune off leggy stems and root them if you like.
Grow it year-round in the garden in Zones 10 and 11, and enjoy tuft-like, yellowish fragrant blossoms in spring.
Senecio Mandraliscae in 2.5-Inch Pots
Blue chalk stick is a bit temperamental when it comes to propagation. We haven’t had much luck in my family. You may try dipping a fresh, wet leaf or leaf/stem cutting into a powdered rooting hormone before placing it into sandy, well-drained cactus/succulent potting medium, or gritty soil.
Blue chalk stick, S. serpens ‘Mandraliscae,’ is available on Amazon. You will receive two 2.5-inch pots.
Feed Your Passion
With so many succulents to choose from, you’re sure to find a new favorite (or two, or ten…) on our list. And you’re ready to plant, now that you know a little more about the specifics on each.
For more of our top tips to become a succulent gardening pro, be sure to check out our expert guide!
Six Succulents in 4-Inch Pots from Fat Plants San Diego
If you decide that you ordered a few too many, or you found a sale at the local garden center and went a little crazy (we can’t blame you), why not give some away as party favors at your next get-together? (Here’s a mixed variety of six that’s available on Amazon that would be perfect for this…).
Don’t hesitate to jump into the amazing world of growing succulent plants. Will you add a few to your houseplant collection on the kitchen windowsill, or will you go all in with a rock garden full of perennial Sempervivum and Sedum? We can’t wait to hear all about your new garden passion in the comments section below!
And for more information about growing succulents, have a read of these guides next:
