Succulents & Cacti

Succulents & Cacti care & growing guides

Low-water care for echeveria, jade, haworthia, cacti and the rest of the collection.

Aeonium

Aeonium spp.

The tree-like succulent that holds its glossy rosettes aloft on bare, branching stems rather than…

Full sun to bright lightEvery 1–2 weeks (winter)Beginner-friendly

Agave

Agave spp.

The bold architectural rosette of the dry Americas — thick, fibrous leaves arranged in a…

Full sunEvery 2–4 weeksBeginner-friendly

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera

A classic windowsill succulent — a rosette of thick, pointed, gel-filled leaves edged with soft…

Bright direct to bright indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Bear Paw

Cotyledon tomentosa

A charming South African succulent named for its plump, fuzzy green leaves tipped with…

Bright light to some sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Blue Chalk Sticks

Senecio serpens

A low, spreading succulent grown for its powdery, chalk-blue finger-like leaves that point skyward…

Full sun to bright lightEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Bunny Ears Cactus

Opuntia microdasys

A charming little prickly pear named for the way its flat, oval pads sprout in pairs like a…

Full sun to bright directEvery 2–4 weeksBeginner-friendly

Burro's Tail

Sedum morganianum

A trailing Mexican succulent grown for its long, ropy stems packed with plump, blue-green leaves…

Bright light to some sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Easter Cactus

Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri

A Brazilian forest cactus that blooms in spring with star-shaped flowers in coral, pink, and…

Bright indirectEvery 1–2 weeksBeginner-friendly

Echeveria

Echeveria spp.

The quintessential rosette succulent — tight, symmetrical whorls of fleshy leaves in chalky blues…

Bright direct to indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Flaming Katy

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

A compact succulent grown for its long-lasting clusters of tiny, jewel-bright flowers in red…

Bright, some direct sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Gasteria

Gasteria spp.

Slow-growing South African succulents named for their stomach-shaped (gaster) flowers — arching…

Bright indirect to gentle sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Ghost Plant

Graptopetalum paraguayense

A trailing Mexican succulent whose loose rosettes of thick, pointed leaves shift from chalky…

Full sun to brightWhen soil is fully dryBeginner-friendly

Golden Barrel Cactus

Echinocactus grusonii

A slow-growing globe of a cactus armored in golden-yellow spines along its crisp vertical ribs…

Full sunEvery 2–4 weeksBeginner-friendly

Graptopetalum

Graptopetalum spp.

A loosely-rosetted succulent with thick, pointed leaves in chalky pastels — silvery lavender…

Bright direct to indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Haworthia

Haworthia spp.

Small, slow-growing rosette succulents from South Africa, prized for tidy clusters of thick…

Bright indirect to gentle sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

A long-lived succulent shrub with thick, glossy, oval leaves on sturdy woody stems, often grown as…

Bright direct to bright indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

A compact, low-water succulent grown for its long-lasting clusters of tiny four-petaled flowers in…

Bright direct to indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Lithops

Lithops spp.

Living stones — tiny South African succulents that mimic the pebbles of their native desert, each…

Full sun / very brightRarely; seasonal cycleIntermediate

Mistletoe Cactus

Rhipsalis baccifera

A jungle cactus that breaks every cactus rule — an epiphyte from rainforest canopies with soft…

Bright indirect to part shadeEvery 7–10 daysBeginner-friendly

Moon Cactus

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii (grafted)

A novelty grafted cactus crowned with a vivid red, orange, yellow, or pink top that lacks…

Bright indirect, no harsh sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Panda Plant

Kalanchoe tomentosa

A slow-growing Madagascan succulent loved for its plump, fuzzy leaves coated in soft silver-grey…

Bright light to some sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Pencil Cactus

Euphorbia tirucalli

Not a true cactus at all, but a branching African euphorbia built from slender, pencil-thick green…

Bright direct to bright indirectEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

Pincushion Cactus

Mammillaria

A compact, globe-shaped desert cactus studded with neat spirals of spines and, in season, a crown…

Bright direct sunEvery 2–4 weeks (growing season)Beginner-friendly

Prickly Pear

Opuntia spp.

A bold, flat-padded desert cactus with paddle-shaped segments and showy spring blooms that ripen…

Full sunEvery 2–4 weeksBeginner-friendly

Sedum (Stonecrop)

Sedum spp.

A huge, easygoing genus of fleshy-leaved succulents ranging from low creeping ground covers to…

Full sunWhen soil is fully dryBeginner-friendly

Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks)

Sempervivum spp.

The hardy alpine rosette known as hens and chicks — a single 'hen' rosette that endlessly throws…

Full sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

String Of Bananas

Curio radicans (syn. Senecio radicans)

A fast-growing trailing succulent with glossy, banana-shaped leaves strung along slender stems…

Bright indirect to some directEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

String Of Hearts

Ceropegia woodii

A delicate trailing succulent with paired, heart-shaped leaves marbled silver over green and…

Bright indirect to some sunEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

String Of Pearls

Curio rowleyanus (syn. Senecio rowleyanus)

A trailing succulent whose slender stems are strung with dozens of plump, pea-sized 'pearls,' each…

Bright indirect to some directEvery 2–3 weeksIntermediate

Zebra Haworthia

Haworthiopsis fasciata

A small, slow-growing succulent with stiff, upright dark-green leaves banded in raised white…

Bright indirect to some directEvery 2–3 weeksBeginner-friendly

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