Types of Succulents
We all know and love succulents. They are small, cute, compact and easy to care for! We often hear that people can struggle to care for succulents, so we’d love to help you care for them successfully! Today’s blog is digging into the details a bit more, especially when it comes to what type of succulent you have at home. Is it rosette shaped? Star? Spindled? Keep reading to find out.
Now, let’s jump into the five most common types of succulents, so you can feel like an expert when it comes to succulent plant identification.
Rosette: These succulents resemble a rose. The leaves grow and overlap from the center and look like rose petals. There are a few succulents that fall into this shape category, like aeonium, crassula, echeveria, sedum and sempervivum.
Star: This shape also resembles its name. The leaves are more triangle-shaped than its friends in the Rosette category. When it grows upright, the fully grown plant will look like a star. Varieties that fall into this group include aloe, agave, gasteria and haworthia.
Spindle: This category is a bit broader than the earlier two but has a few varieties that live within it. The spindle-shaped plant has succulents like senecio and crassula, and they grow a bit more vertically with wiry and skinnier leaves.
Branching: These succulents feel a bit more like plants and less like succulents. Each leaf resembles its own little, small branch. There are several crassulas in this category, as well as strings of pearls.
Stacked: This is another self-explanatory name. The leaves grow off the stem and look as if they are stacked on top of each other. There are also several types of crassulas in this group.
Succulent plant care: When it comes to care, all succulents have the same care: medium to bright indirect light, infrequent waterings and temperatures from 65 - 85 degrees. The most important rule for succulents– don’t overwater! They like to dry out between waterings, and they hold their water for a while, so don’t overwater them.
Regardless of the leaf shape, just keep an eye on your leaves. If one looks off color, mushy or dry, go ahead and remove it to help your plant stay healthy.
A few more commonly asked questions about succulents: Do they need water? Even though succulents and cacti are in the same family, succulents do need water, but not often! So, you may wonder, when to water succulents? Once a month should be plenty.
Another common question that somewhat falls into the care category is “How can I propagate my succulent?” First, make sure your plant is healthy, so, remove dead leaves and make sure you safely remove a leaf and its base. Next, allow it to dry out a bit and then place it on top of some healthy soil until it sprouts. As the new plant grows, that mother leaf will eventually die off. Then, you have your new plant!
Since we know many of you are wondering, are succulents pet safe? Most types of succulents are safe for cats and dogs. However, we always recommend you watch your animals around your plants and don’t let them ingest any if you can avoid it.
Hopefully, all your succulent questions are now answered, and you’re inspired to pick up a new succulent next time you’re plant shopping!