Succulents and Cacti

Indoors | Outdoors | Choosing Succulents | Photo Gallery

Succulent plants are a group of plants often used in drier condition garden beds or as houseplants. They are easy to cultivate and care for. With more than 60 families and 300 plants to choose from including cacti, they make for the ideal choice for the beginning gardener. Succulent, coming from the Latin: succos meaning juice or sap, contain special tissues that store water in thickened stems, leaves, roots, or a combination thereof. Succulents have even been used in artwork.

Succulents as Houseplants

Many species of succulents are well adapted to live indoors: they require little water and fertilizer, a south-facing window is ideal as they require half- to full-day sunlight, and room temperature conditions.

- Choosing the appropriate container to grow your succulent or cactus in can include plastic, ceramic, or clay and must have adequate drainage holes.

- The soil mixture that most succulents respond best to contains one part potting soil to one part coarse sand; this allows good drainage.

- During the summer, water once weekly allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. In winter succulents and cactus grown indoors require some water as they are in low humidity and a heated environment.

~One important thing to remember with succulents is to not have them standing in water for prolonged periods as this will lead to rotting and decay of the roots. This will kill your plants.

- Succulents require half- to full-day sunlight so placing them in a south-facing window is the best for healthy plants. If you don’t have a south-facing window, light can be supplemented with white fluorescent light bulbs, or a combination of daylight and white fluorescent bulbs. Keep them 6-12 inches above the plants and on for 14-16 hours everyday.

Succulents grown outdoors

As the winter begins to warm and days grow longer, many of your indoor succulent plants and cactus can be taken outdoors. In fact, they will proficiently grow outdoors as a response to nature growing conditions. This can be done by waiting for warm enough days (~70-85 degrees F) and nights (above 40 degrees F). When moving your indoor succulents and cacti outdoors, initially place them in a relatively shaded area to acclimate them to the natural sunlight. Once they have been accustomed to outdoor conditions they can be moved to sunnier areas: avoid areas with intensely hot, sunny locations between 11:00am to 3:00pm. Succulents and cacti will require more water during the summer months when grown outdoors as the natural environment is often drier than indoors.

Choosing Succulents

The variety of succulents grows continually as new cultivars and varieties are being discovered. Popularity over recent years for succulents has increased the diversity of plants available, as well. When choosing succulents and cactus take into consideration the amount of space you have to grow these plants. Some succulents can be as small as 1-2” tall to nearly 60 feet. Some popular choices for indoor succulents and cacti include but certainly is not limited to:

Hen & Chicks - Sempervivum
Mother-In-Law’s Tongue - Sansevieria
Aloe
Christmas Cactus - Schlumbergera bridgesi
Sedum
Spiderwort
Peperomia
Aeonium
Echevieria
Crown of Thorns
Kalanchoe
Crassula
Agave
Madagascar Dragon Tree - Dracaena
Pin Cushion Cactus - Mammillaria
Burro's Tail