If there’s one scorching plant group I couldn’t dwell with out, it could be succulents. Their luxurious textures, shapes, and colours supply incomparable daring construction. I usually create succulent gardens as miniature landscapes; they’re good for out of doors eating tables or as centerpieces for seating areas, the place you may admire them at shut proximity. Plus, you may’t do higher for low care and forgiveness for neglect. I turned hooked on them for these causes years in the past. It’s a wholesome habit that I’ve no want to surrender.
Blue chalk sticks
Title: Senecio mandraliscae
Zones: 10–11
Circumstances: Full solar
The implausible colour and attention-grabbing texture of blue chalk sticks make this a standout alternative in a lot of my favourite succulent combos. It additionally has a refreshing upright form, complementing the prevalent mound and ground-cover types extra frequent amongst succulents.
Purslane
Title: Portulaca grandiflora cvs.
Zones: Annual
Circumstances: Full solar
Showy flowers aren’t usually a attribute of succulents. Purslane, nevertheless, is all concerning the flower. Roselike blooms float above a strong mat of small inexperienced leaves. Flower colours vary from pure white to yellow, magenta, clear pink, and blush. A good-weather buddy, purslane has flowers that open solely on sunny days. The plant can also be helpful for softening container edges as a result of it spills out over the edges.
Madagascar palm
Title: Pachypodium lamerei
Zones: 10–11
Circumstances: Full solar
This attention-grabbing character has a thick, spine-covered trunk with leaves on the high, resembling a palm tree. Regardless of its frequent title, Madagascar palm shouldn’t be actually a palm—it simply seems like one. Its unique beauty and peak make it a shoo-in for focal curiosity in seating areas. As a bonus, Madagascar palm makes an ideal houseplant through the winter, because it is likely one of the best succulents to develop.
Agave
Title: Agave spp. and cvs.
Zones: 7–11
Circumstances: Full solar
Regardless of the species or cultivar, agaves (Agave americana var. marginata, pictured) are a no brainer for my containers. They love summer season holidays outdoors by themselves or combined in with different succulents basking within the solar. When winter nears, I carry them inside with me. Not like most crops, agaves maintain their very own indoors and look equally good-looking when returned again outdoor.
Paddle plant
Title: Kalanchoe thyrsiflora
Zone: 11
Circumstances: Full solar
Grown largely for its paddle-like architectural foliage, paddle plant instructions consideration in any container it inhabits. The flat, rounded, blue-green leaves have intense pinkish purple margins—the extra solar, the extra placing the margin colour.
‘Ogon’ sedum
Title: Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’
Zones: 6–9
Circumstances: Full solar with afternoon shade
This tiny ground-cover sedum types a decent mat of dense 2-inch-high foliage. Not like most sedums and succulents, its greatest colour happens with no less than a little bit of afternoon shade. This will simply be achieved by planting it on the north facet of a container grouping, the place the taller crops will supply a break from the solar. Though tiny star-shaped flowers grace the plant in summer season, I develop ‘Ogon’ sedum for its foliage, which has the flexibility to melt and spotlight the sting of a container not like some other plant.
‘Zwartkop’ aeonium
Title: Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’
Zones: 9–11
Circumstances: Full solar
This bushy plant has beautiful, tightly packed leaf rosettes on the finish of slender branches, giving a miniature-palm-tree impact. This plant is helpful in succulent containers, providing a degree of vertical curiosity because the rosettes tower above their shorter neighbors.
Pink vygie
Title: Lampranthus blandus
Zones: 9–11
Circumstances: Full solar
This versatile plant performs effectively with succulents or different sun-loving crops in combined containers. The pudgy leaves of pink vygie are extremely textural and visually partaking. I take advantage of the plant to melt edges in combined combos and to supply textural distinction to bigger leaves discovered close by. It’s additionally straightforward to develop.
Pencil cactus
Title: Euphorbia tirucalli
Zones: 9–11
Circumstances: Full solar
This bizarre-looking succulent is simple to develop and might be overwintered indoors in direct sunshine or vibrant oblique gentle. Pencil cactus provides vertical curiosity to succulent gardens when small however can turn out to be massive over time. Bigger pencil cacti look attention-grabbing on their very own or act as an ideal addition to a bunch of containers. Water sparingly, or let nature do the watering. When it will get too large for its britches, prune it again, however train warning—the white milky sap might trigger pores and skin irritation.
Zebra plant
Title: Haworthia fasciata
Zone: 11
Circumstances: Full solar
Zebra plant can take—and really thrives on—neglect. Due to this, it’s a simple candidate to carry inside throughout winter in chilly climates. Zebra plant consists of an upright, slender rosette with tapering leaves. The plant makes a wonderful accent in succulent gardens: It’s attention-grabbing up shut, but it surely received’t steal the present from its extra dramatic neighbors.
Not sufficient solar for succulents?
Succulents are straightforward however want the solar to thrive. No solar? Perhaps succulents are greatest admired in another person’s containers. To create textural wonderlands within the shade, strive foliage-forward small hostas (Hosta cvs., Zones 3–9), membership mosses (Selaginella spp. and cvs., Zones 8–11), child tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, Zones 10–11), and bugleweed (Ajuga reptans* cvs., Zones 3–9). These shady characters shall be proper at residence in your containers and supply comparable outcomes.
Small hosta
Membership moss
Child tears
Bugleweed
Pictures, besides the place famous: Brandi Spade