Guides / Succulents
Succulents
Drought-tolerant plants with thick, fleshy leaves.
A
African Milk Tree
Euphorbia trigona
Practical guidance for growing African milk tree, Euphorbia trigona, including its caustic sap, upright ribbed stems, low water needs, safe handling, and repotting a top-heavy plant.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
How to grow aloe vera indoors. Watering, light, dividing the pups, the difference between the gel and the yellow sap, and whether it is safe for pets.
Aucamp's Living Stone
Lithops aucampiae
How to grow Lithops aucampiae, a brown-red living stone with stone-mimicking paired leaves, yellow flowers and once-a-year leaf renewal.
B
Baseball Plant
Euphorbia obesa
How to grow baseball plant, Euphorbia obesa. Why it is mistaken for a cactus despite being a euphorbia with irritant sap, why a lone plant never sets seed, and why underwatering is by far the safer mistake.
Beaked Yucca
Yucca rostrata
How to grow Yucca rostrata, the beaked yucca, a trunk-forming desert species with a powder-blue globe of fine leaves and hard frost tolerance.
Bear's Paw
Cotyledon tomentosa
How to grow Cotyledon tomentosa, the bear's paw succulent, with chubby furred leaves tipped in red claws. It is toxic if eaten.
Blue Agave
Agave tequilana
How to grow Agave tequilana, the blue agave behind tequila, with narrow steel-blue leaves. It is the crop of the fields of Jalisco.
Burro's Tail
Sedum morganianum
How to grow burro's tail, Sedum morganianum. Why its leaves detach at the lightest touch, a normal trait rather than a problem, siting it somewhere nothing brushes past it, and rooting the fallen leaves into new plants.
Butter Tree
Tylecodon paniculatus
How to grow Tylecodon paniculatus, the butter tree or botterboom, a caudiciform succulent with a swollen yellow trunk and a summer-deciduous habit.
Button Plant
Conophytum calculus
How to grow Conophytum calculus, the button plant, a tiny living stone with a near-perfect grey-green sphere that grows in winter.
C
Candelabra Tree
Euphorbia ingens
How to grow Euphorbia ingens, the candelabra tree, a giant African euphorbia with four-angled branches and dangerously caustic sap.
Canyon Dudleya
Dudleya cymosa
How to grow Dudleya cymosa, the canyon dudleya, a Californian succulent with small rosettes in rock crevices and vivid red and orange flowers.
Carrion Flower
Stapelia grandiflora
How to grow Stapelia grandiflora, the carrion flower, with huge hairy star flowers that smell of rotten meat to draw flies and finger-like stems.
Cathedral Bells
Kalanchoe pinnata
How to grow Kalanchoe pinnata, cathedral bells, with scalloped leaves that sprout new plants from the notches. It is toxic if eaten.
Caucasian Stonecrop
Sedum spurium
How to grow Sedum spurium, the Caucasian or two-row stonecrop, a hardy carpeting succulent with scalloped leaves, pink summer heads and rich winter colour.
Chalk Liveforever
Dudleya pulverulenta
How to grow Dudleya pulverulenta, the chalk liveforever, a brilliant-white chalky rosette with tall arching stalks of red hummingbird flowers.
Chandelier Plant
Kalanchoe delagoensis
How to grow Kalanchoe delagoensis, the chandelier plant or mother of millions, with plantlet-fringed leaves. It is toxic and invasive.
Chinese Jade
Sinocrassula yunnanensis
How to grow Sinocrassula yunnanensis, the Chinese jade, a small clumping succulent with near-black rosettes that flowers once and dies.
Common Houseleek
Sempervivum tectorum
How to grow Sempervivum tectorum, the common houseleek. Why the parent rosette dies after flowering, why it survives winters that kill echeveria, and how to grow it on a roof.
Cooper's Haworthia
Haworthia cooperi
How to grow Cooper's haworthia, Haworthia cooperi. Why its translucent leaf windows sit mostly buried among grass in the wild, and why it needs far more regular summer watering than a typical succulent.
Coral Aloe
Aloe striata
How to grow Aloe striata, the coral aloe, a spineless aloe with smooth blue-grey leaves edged in coral pink and arching coral-red flowers.
Corn Cob Euphorbia
Euphorbia mammillaris
How to grow Euphorbia mammillaris, the corn cob euphorbia, a small spurge with short ribbed clustering stems and caustic milky sap.
Crinkle-Leaf Plant
Adromischus cristatus
How to grow the crinkle-leaf plant as a houseplant. Its felted, wavy-edged leaves, trailing habit, and why it dislikes both deep shade and harsh sun.
Cylindrical Snake Plant
Dracaena angolensis
How to grow Dracaena angolensis, the cylindrical snake plant, with stiff round spear-like leaves that thrive on neglect but rot if overwatered.
D
Desert Rose
Adenium obesum
Practical guidance for growing desert rose, Adenium obesum, including the swollen caudex, dry dormancy, bright light, sparing water, severe toxicity, and repotting a bonsai-like base.
Desert Savior
Echeveria strictiflora
How to grow Echeveria strictiflora, the desert savior, a cold- and drought-hardy Chihuahuan desert echeveria with a blue-grey rosette and orange flowers.
Disc House-Leek
Aeonium glandulosum
How to grow Aeonium glandulosum, the disc houseleek from Madeira, a cliff-dwelling succulent with flat rosettes that press against rock and form mats.
Dragon Blood Tree
Dracaena draco
How to grow dragon blood tree, Dracaena draco. Why it spends decades as a rosette before branching into its umbrella crown, the red sap once traded as dragon's blood, and why overwatering is the real risk.
Dragon's Blood Tree
Dracaena cinnabari
How to grow Dracaena cinnabari, the dragon's blood tree of Socotra, a rare succulent tree with an umbrella crown, red resin and extremely slow growth.
Dyckia
Dyckia brevifolia
How to grow Dyckia brevifolia. A ground-rooted, spine-edged bromeliad for a rockery or gravel bed, grown like an agave instead of watered in a cup.
F
Flaming Katy
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
How to care for Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. Watering a succulent that is sold in flower, deadheading, and the long dark nights that make it bloom a second time.
Flat-Topped Aeonium
Aeonium tabuliforme
How to grow Aeonium tabuliforme, the flat-topped aeonium, a short-lived succulent whose near-flat plate of leaves forms a perfect spiral.
Foxtail Agave
Agave attenuata
How to grow Agave attenuata, the foxtail agave, with a spineless grey-green rosette and a long curving flower spike, the one agave safe to brush against.
G
Ghost Plant
Graptopetalum paraguayense
Practical guidance for growing ghost plant, Graptopetalum paraguayense, including pale rosettes, leaf propagation, drought tolerance, bright light, and non-toxic houseplant care.
Giant Agave
Agave salmiana
How to grow Agave salmiana, the giant agave or pulque maguey, with a huge dark green rosette and a long history as the source of pulque.
Giant Candelabra Tree
Euphorbia cooperi
How to grow Euphorbia cooperi, the giant candelabra, a bushveld euphorbia with segmented branches and exceptionally dangerous sap.
Giant Chalk Dudleya
Dudleya brittonii
How to grow Dudleya brittonii, the giant chalk dudleya. Its large rosette coated in white chalk, why not to touch the leaves, and its winter growth.
Giant Velvet Rose
Aeonium canariense
How to grow Aeonium canariense, the giant velvet rose, with huge flat rosettes of soft downy leaves. It grows in winter and rests in summer.
H
Heuffel's Houseleek
Sempervivum heuffelii
How to grow Sempervivum heuffelii, Heuffel's houseleek, an easy, fully hardy alpine mat-former with tight colourful rosettes that divide by splitting.
Horse's Teeth
Haworthia truncata
How to grow Haworthia truncata, horse's teeth. Its leaves cut off flat in two rows with windowed tops, why it grows half-buried, and how to water it.
J
Jade Plant
Crassula ovata
How to grow a jade plant, Crassula ovata. Watering a succulent properly, pruning it into a tree, getting red leaf edges, and why it breathes at night.
Jelly Bean Plant
Sedum rubrotinctum
Practical guidance for growing jelly bean plant, Sedum rubrotinctum, including bead-like leaves, sun colour, propagation from a dropped leaf, watering, and low pest pressure.
Joshua Tree
Yucca brevifolia
How to grow Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua tree, a slow-growing Mojave icon with branching arms of stiff spiny leaves. It is toxic and sharp.
L
Lace Aloe
Aloe aristata
How to grow lace aloe as a houseplant. Its dark, white-spotted, softly toothed leaves, and why it is one of the more cold-tolerant small aloes.
Lanceleaf Liveforever
Dudleya lanceolata
How to grow Dudleya lanceolata, the lanceleaf liveforever, a hill-slope succulent whose narrow green leaves shrivel back in summer drought.
Lavender Pebbles
Graptopetalum amethystinum
How to grow Graptopetalum amethystinum, the lavender pebbles, with plump pastel rosettes that colour pink and lavender in sun.
Lipstick Echeveria
Echeveria agavoides
How to grow lipstick echeveria, Echeveria agavoides. Why its pointed leaves look closer to a small agave, what strong sun does for the red leaf-tip colour, and why water pooling in the rosette is the fastest way to lose it.
Little Jewel
Pachyphytum compactum
How to grow Pachyphytum compactum, the little jewel, a compact Mexican rosette succulent with chubby faceted leaves outlined in silver and a powdery bloom.
Living Stone
Lithops karasmontana
How to grow living stones as a houseplant. Their camouflage as pebbles, the annual leaf-splitting cycle, and why watering at the wrong time can kill them.
Living stones
Lithops lesliei
How to grow living stones, Lithops lesliei. The strict watering calendar, why you must not water while it splits, and the annual leaf change.
Living Stones
Lithops optica
How to grow Lithops optica, a windowed living stone from Namibia with translucent lobes and white flowers, and how to time its watering.
M
Many-Leaved Monanthes
Monanthes polyphylla
How to grow Monanthes polyphylla, the many-leaved monanthes, a miniature Canary succulent with tiny rosettes that form mossy green cushions.
Mexican Snowball
Echeveria elegans
How to grow Echeveria elegans. Keeping the rosette tight, why you must not touch the leaves, watering without rotting the centre, and beheading a stretched plant.
Moonstones
Pachyphytum oviferum
How to grow moonstones, Pachyphytum oviferum. Why touching a leaf leaves a permanent mark in its chalky farina bloom, and what triggers its red-orange flower spikes each winter.
Mother of thousands
Kalanchoe daigremontiana
How to grow mother of thousands, Kalanchoe daigremontiana. The plantlets that drop off everywhere, the cardiac glycosides that kill livestock, and containing it.
Mottled Spurge
Euphorbia lactea
How to grow Euphorbia lactea, the mottled spurge or dragon bones, with ridged green-and-white stems and caustic milky sap that needs careful handling.
P
Paddle Plant
Kalanchoe luciae
Practical guidance for growing paddle plant, Kalanchoe luciae, including flat paddle-shaped leaves, red colour in strong light, flowering stems, drought tolerance, and toxicity to pets.
Panda Plant
Kalanchoe tomentosa
How to grow panda plant, Kalanchoe tomentosa. Why the rust-brown leaf edges are normal rather than a sign of stress, why it rarely flowers indoors, and the cardiac glycosides that make a flowering plant riskier to pets than its leaves.
Parry's Agave
Agave parryi
How to grow Agave parryi, the artichoke agave, a tight blue-grey rosette tipped with black spines and the hardiest of the agaves.
Pig's Ear
Cotyledon orbiculata
How to grow pig's ear as a houseplant or in a mild-climate garden. Its thick, chalky-coated leaves, red-margined forms, and clusters of dangling autumn flowers.
Pinwheel Aeonium
Aeonium haworthii
How to grow Aeonium haworthii, the pinwheel aeonium, with blue-green red-edged rosettes on branching stems and a winter growing season.
Plush Plant
Echeveria pulvinata
How to grow plush plant as a houseplant. Its velvety, red-tipped leaves, why touching them dulls the surface, and its shrubby, upright habit.
Powdery Liveforever
Dudleya farinosa
How to grow Dudleya farinosa, the bluff lettuce or powdery liveforever, with clustering chalky rosettes that flush pink on sea cliffs and grow in winter.
R
Red Dragon Flower
Huernia schneideriana
How to grow Huernia schneideriana, the red dragon flower, a small carrion-flower relative with deep-red bell flowers and clustering toothed stems.
Retuse Haworthia
Haworthia retusa
How to grow Haworthia retusa, the retuse haworthia, a star of fleshy leaves with translucent windowed tips that grows well in bright shade.
Ruby Necklace
Othonna capensis
How to grow Othonna capensis, the ruby necklace or string of rubies. Its bean-like leaves that redden in sun, its yellow daisies, and how to keep the colour.
S
Sapphire Tower
Puya berteroniana
How to grow Puya berteroniana. A spined Chilean rockery bromeliad whose huge turquoise flower spike traps small birds in its own leaves.
Showy Stonecrop
Hylotelephium spectabile
How to grow Hylotelephium spectabile, the showy stonecrop or ice plant, a hardy border succulent whose flat autumn flower plates attract bees and butterflies.
Spanish Dagger
Yucca gloriosa
How to grow Yucca gloriosa, the Spanish dagger. Its stiff sword-leaved rosettes, tall white flower spikes, why it is sharp and toxic, and its toughness.
Spatulate Aeonium
Aeonium spathulatum
How to grow Aeonium spathulatum, a small shrubby Canary Islands aeonium with woody stems tipped with tiny sticky rosettes.
Spiral Aloe
Aloe polyphylla
How to grow Aloe polyphylla, the spiral aloe, a Lesotho mountain plant with a perfect spiral rosette that needs cool, sharply drained conditions.
Star Sansevieria
Dracaena kirkii
How to grow Dracaena kirkii, the star sansevieria, a low starry rosette of mottled, wavy-edged leaves that thrives on neglect and rots if overwatered.
String of Bananas
Senecio radicans
How to grow string of bananas as a hanging houseplant. Its curved, banana-shaped leaves, fast trailing growth, and why it is easily confused with string of pearls.
String of Buttons
Crassula perforata
Practical guidance for growing string of buttons, Crassula perforata, including stacked triangular leaves, propagation from leaves, bright light, drought tolerance, and mild toxicity.
String of Tears
Curio herreanus
How to grow Curio herreanus, the string of tears or string of beads, with plump windowed beads on trailing stems, and how to water it without rot.
Succulent Bush Senecio
Senecio barbertonicus
How to grow Senecio barbertonicus, the succulent bush senecio or lemon bean bush. Its finger-like leaves, its scented winter flowers, and why it is toxic.
T
Tiger Aloe
Gonialoe variegata
How to grow tiger aloe, Gonialoe variegata. Why it rots more easily than it scorches despite its tough desert look, and how growing beneath low shrubs in the wild shapes its need for some shade rather than full sun.
Tiger Jaws
Faucaria tigrina
How to grow tiger jaws as a houseplant. Its toothed, gaping leaf pairs, autumn daisy-like flowers, and why it needs a proper summer rest instead of a winter one.
Torch Plant
Aloe arborescens
How to grow torch plant, Aloe arborescens. Why it flowers in winter rather than the summer most aloes choose, how it resprouts after wildfire in its native range, and why a plant kept in a small pot may never flower at all.
Tree houseleek
Aeonium arboreum
How to grow aeonium, Aeonium arboreum. The summer dormancy that reverses normal watering, why a flowering rosette dies, and overwintering it outside its own climate.
W
Warty Gasteria
Gasteria carinata var. verrucosa
How to grow Gasteria carinata var. verrucosa, the warty gasteria or ox tongue, with dark two-ranked leaves covered in white warts that tolerates low light.
Watch Chain
Crassula muscosa
How to grow watch chain, Crassula muscosa. Why its tightly stacked leaves look like a braided zip fastener, the unpleasant smell its small flowers give off, and why stretched, gappy growth from too little light cannot be reversed.
Whale fin snake plant
Dracaena masoniana
How to care for Dracaena masoniana. The single-leaved snake plant that is usually sold as one enormous paddle, why it grows so slowly, and why a whole plant can be one leaf.
White Stonecrop
Sedum album
How to grow Sedum album, the white stonecrop, a hardy bead-leaved carpeting succulent of Europe and western Asia, a classic green-roof plant.
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