Succulents are trendy, beautiful, and the most ornamental category of plants with their wildly distinct colors and shapes. They give off the impression of foolproof plants that thrive on abuse and neglect with simple, one-size-fits-all needs.
That’s not quite the case.
Succulent enthusiasts’ common refrain is to “think of the desert;” give them lots of warmth and little water. Just don’t let them get cold, or freeze. That’s what their native habitats in the wild are like, right?
That’s not necessarily true either! I’ll explain.
What are succulents?
“Succulence” is really a very general term. It describes thick, fleshy organs that appear on different plants regardless of the plant family they come from. Succulent plants aren’t all related to each other: spiky-leafed succulents like aloe and agave are monocots, just as lilies or palm trees are monocots. Cacti, sedums and jade plants are dicots, the same as sunflowers or rhubarb. Succulence can describe succulent leaves (like an echiveria), succulent stems (like a barrel cactus), or succulent roots (like a phalaenopsis orchid).
Where do succulents come from?
Succulents are not all desert plants! Some are, which explains why they’ve adapted to store water through dry spells. A saguaro cactus, for example, is prepared to take advantage of a late-summer torrential thunderstorm that floods the Sonoran Desert with rain. The cactus will swell rapidly with water, and very slowly draw down those reserves through one or more years of drought.
In contrast, Sempervivums (commonly known as hens-and-chicks) are native to rocky alpine zones, thriving on exposed rock faces or gravely soils where the escape the competition of taller plants. Their succulent leaves allow them to survive where thin soil doesn’t hold much moisture, but they need periodic rain or snowmelt to recharge their small reserves. They continue photosynthesizing happily through winter and can tolerate deep freezes in cold climates. They’re also tolerant of part shade growing in the cracks of rocks, but can bake to death in very high heat.
Other succulents thrive in mild coastal areas, where rain may be scarce but nightly fog or mist is a valuable source of moisture. A large number of popular succulents come from Mediterranean climates, such as South Africa, where winter rain offers a lush growing season, and then the plants hunker down in a semi-dormancy through summer’s dry heat. Finally, there are many tropical rainforest succulents—such as Epiphyllum cacti hybridized from cacti that root in the bark of rain-drenched trees. They enjoy frequent rain, but don’t do well with waterlogged soil.
So you can see that these plants come from diverse conditions. With that in mind, when you bring home a new or unusual succulent it’s best to do some reading on that specific species to avoid the risk of failure. But there are still some general rules you can follow for a diverse collection of succulents.
General succulent needs
Fast-draining soil
Planting succulents in loose, fast-draining soil or potting media helps them oxygenate their roots and maintain a healthy root system. “Succulent potting mix” is high in sand, perlite, chunky organic material or small stones.
Drench-and-dry watering cycle
Succulents survive dry spells by storing water in their tissues. When you do water, you don’t need to be stingy. Give them enough water that they can completely fill their reserves and swell to full size. Saturate the soil until some water drains from the container into the tray; that could mean, in a one-gallon container of gritty soil, that the soil can hold a quart of water or more. (It’s OK to leave standing water in the tray for a short time to make sure the soil is absorbing water, but for most succulents, you’ll want to dump out any remaining water that is still in the tray after a few hours.) For a healthy, vigorous plant growing in warm temperatures, soil moisture can be used up quickly. But don’t water again until the soil’s surface is dry to the touch.
Give your succulents enough sun
It’s inevitable that you’ll occasionally mess up and give plants a little more water than they like, but a healthy plant that is receiving plenty of light can defend itself against rot. Indoors, that often means the plant needs to be directly in window, close to the glass, with at least some direct sun. When plants start to appear pale in the center or “stretch out” on long, soft stems, that means they’re becoming etiolated. Plants do this to try to climb over whatever is blocking the light, and it can indicate poor health. It can be hard to re-adapt a severely etiolated plant to full sun. It’s better to avoid the problem completely by keeping them in a very bright location.
Don’t overfertilize
Succulents typically grow slowly and therefore don’t need a lot of fertilizer. That’s especially true in the winter, or if the plant is indoors, where fertilizer can trigger lanky, weak growth.
Move your succulents carefully and sparingly
Succulents grow slowly and hang on to their leaves and branches for a long time. That means it’s harder for them to adjust to changing light levels, or turn their leaves to face light. They need more time to adapt to new conditions than other plants. Resist the urge to move them around or rotate them often—do so sparingly. If you move plants outdoors, it’s vital to harden them off in shaded areas before exposing them to full sun.
Summary
- Don’t assume that all succulents like to be very dry. Some come from more humid climates and prefer more water—you may need to identify the particular succulent species to know what it likes best.
- In general, succulents resent standing water and will prefer a fast-draining soil mix. A container with drainage is a must.
- Water succulents enough for the tissues to stay plump—wrinkly or withered leaves are a sign of drought stress. Each time you water, do so generously, then let the soil begin to dry before you water the plant again.
- As houseplants, succulents generally need to be kept in brighter areas, close to windows, and especially ones that get direct sun.