Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Newly planted succulents can scorch in direct sunlight, so you may need to gradually introduce them to full sun exposure or provide shade with a sheer curtain.

ANNE: Succulents are indigenous to many parts of the world and are seen under many different conditions. Typically, they come from Africa, Central America, the European Alps, South America and South Africa. One native succulent frequently sold in local nurseries is the Dudleya (common name Sea Lettuce).

They make great houseplants and grow best in bright indirect light. They require soil that drains well and need to be watered about once a week. Outdoors, they like to be grown in a sunny location but avoid intense afternoon sun in hot climates. Move indoors before the first frost in the fall.

Although succulents are indigenous plants to many parts of the world, they tend to be dominant in Africa, Central America, and South Africa. These places offer different conditions for their growth and produce different species.

Depending on the type of succulent, temperature, and sunlight, your plants may take anywhere from three days to a few weeks to begin growing. (Some may even take several months to a year to germinate, so it’s important to do your research when buying your seeds in order to anticipate growing time.)

Many popular garden succulents will tolerate mild freezes, even teens and lower, including certain Aloes and Senecios, golden barrel cactus, (Echinocereus), cholla (Cylindropuntia), pincushion cactus (Mammillaria). Echeveria, and Graptopetalum.

Succulents for Full Sun

• Cotyledons,
• Graptopetalum.
• Pachyphytum.
• Sedum copperstone.
• Lampranthus- Vygies.
• small aloes.
• Agave Parryi.
• Echeveria Agavoides.

Rooting Leggy Succulent Plants Let the part you cut off callus on the end for a couple of days. If the cutting is very tall – more than 5 inches (1.27 cm.) – you can cut it again into a more manageable size. Let each cut end dry out before planting.

Once you remove the top of your succulent, you can replant it in the soil and it won’t look so stretched out and leggy anymore. Grab a sharp pair of shears or a gardening knife. You should also wear a pair of gloves—some succulents have thorns and others have milky sap that can be irritating to your skin.

Succulents stretch out when they aren’t getting enough sunlight. You’ll first notice the succulent start to turn and bend toward the light source. Then as it continues to grow it will get taller with more space between the leaves. Most of the time the leaves will be smaller and lighter in color than normal.

Allow your propagated succulents to take root, then they can be replanted as desired. Over time, the cutting will sprout roots that reach toward the water. Once roots have developed, your new succulent can continue to live in the water (as shown above) or be replanted in succulent potting soil.

Succulent Growth Succulent plants often need pruning just like any other kind of garden favorites, for size control, to shape them better, or to propagate them for more plants. Because new growth typically sprouts near the end of cut ends, simply prune stems to where you want new growth to emerge.

Most succulents will grow “leggy” if they don’t get enough light. But those succulents that change colors when stressed are usually more light sensitive than others. Their reaction can be quick, putting out etiolated “growth” in a mere few days.

African Baobab

Discocactus subterraneo-proliferans

10 Most Beautiful Cacti and Succulents

• Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
• Zebra plant (Haworthia fasciata)
• Burro’s tail (Sedum morganianum)
• Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x Buckleyi or Schlumbergera truncata)
• Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)
• Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
• Silver torch (Cleistocactus strausii)

Here are some of the most colorful varieties of succulents.

1. Echeveria “afterglow” Echeveria “afterglow”
2. Echeveria subrigida ‘Fire and Ice’
3. Crassula capitella thyrsiflora ‘Campfire’
4. Euphorbia tirucallii.
5. Haworthia attenuata.
6. Kalanchoe luciae.
7. Sedum nussbaumerianum.
8. Echeveria agavoides ‘Lipstick’

Do Succulents Die After Flowering? Fortunately, most succulent plants do not die after flowering, although some do. Monocarpic plants are plants that die after they flower. The plant dies after it’s done blooming which is why it is also called the bloom of death.

Monocarpic succulents bloom once and then die in the most dramatic way. This isn’t your fault, so don’t panic. It is a way for the plant to keep its plant lineage alive as many times they’ll produce many pups before and during flowering.

Many succulents, like Echeveria, bloom once a year, at the same time. This depends on the species and variety, but lots of them choose the late summer into fall to give us a show. Kalanchoe of all kinds are another seasonal bloomer. If the climate is dry, this helps the flowers stay in good shape for longer.