Types of Succulents

Home / Guides

Why succulents vary so much

Succulents are not a single botanical family but a functional category: plants from many different families that store water in their leaves, stems, or roots as an adaptation to drought. Echeveria, haworthia, aloe, and crassula are only distantly related but grouped together because they share this water-storage trait and similar general care requirements. The differences between genera matter most when it comes to light tolerance, cold hardiness, and growth habit.

The universal rule across all succulents: they need excellent drainage, should be watered infrequently (allowing the soil to dry out between waterings), and should never sit in standing water. Beyond that, needs vary considerably.

Echeveria

Echeveria is the genus most people picture when they think of succulents: tight rosettes of fleshy leaves in shades of green, blue-grey, purple, pink, orange, and near-black, often with contrasting leaf tips. Species include E. elegans (Mexican snowball, pale blue-green rosettes), E. 'Lola' (silvery lavender), E. 'Black Prince' (very dark purple, almost black), and hundreds of named cultivars.

Echeveria need significant light to stay compact and colorful. Without adequate light they etiolate, stretching toward the light source with wider gaps between leaves and losing their tight rosette form. In most home conditions they need a south-facing window with direct sun or a grow light positioned close to the plant. They are not good candidates for a bookshelf or a dim corner.

Haworthia

Haworthia are small, compact rosette plants with thick, often patterned leaves. Unlike most succulents, they grow naturally in the shade of rocks and larger plants in their native South Africa, making them one of the few succulents that genuinely tolerate moderate indirect light. H. fasciata and H. attenuata (zebra haworthia) have distinctive white bumpy bands across dark green leaves. H. cooperi has translucent windowed tips that glow when backlit.

Haworthia is the best succulent for indoor growing without a grow light. It stays healthy in bright indirect light, grows slowly, rarely has problems, and is nearly impossible to kill as long as you avoid overwatering and freezing temperatures. An excellent choice for a well-lit windowsill or a bright desk.

Aloe

Aloe vera is the most widely recognized aloe, grown for its gel-filled leaves used to soothe burns. It forms rosettes of thick, fleshy, pale green leaves with toothed edges and thrives with plenty of light, including some direct sun. Many other aloe species make attractive houseplants: A. aristata (lace aloe, more shade-tolerant), A. variegata (tiger aloe), and tree aloes that grow into tall, branching specimens outdoors in warm climates.

Most aloes need bright indirect light to direct sun for best growth, though they are more tolerant of indoor conditions than echeveria. Overwatering is the most common cause of aloe failure; the leaves become mushy and translucent. Allow the soil to dry fully between waterings.

Crassula

Crassula is a large genus that includes the ubiquitous jade plant (C. ovata), one of the most popular and long-lived houseplants available. Jade develops a thick, woody trunk over years and can live for decades. C. perforata (string of buttons) has geometric, stacked triangular leaves along upright stems. C. ovata 'Hobbit' and 'Gollum' have tubular, finger-like leaves instead of the typical oval shape. C. muscosa (watch chain or rattail crassula) has tiny leaves pressed flat along thin stems, giving it an unusual texture.

Jade plant is one of the most forgiving succulents for indoor growing: it tolerates moderate light (preferring bright indirect), handles drought extremely well, and lives for many years with minimal care. The more unusual crassula species need similar conditions but may be harder to find in typical garden centers.

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is the brightly flowering succulent sold in nearly every grocery store and garden center, with clusters of small red, orange, yellow, pink, or white flowers above flat green leaves. It blooms for weeks and is one of the easiest succulent flowering plants for indoors. After flowering it can be kept as a foliage plant and will rebloom if given a period of longer dark nights to trigger flowering.

K. tomentosa (panda plant) has thick leaves densely covered in soft silver hairs with brown-tipped margins. K. daigremontiana (mother of thousands) is notable for producing tiny plantlets along its leaf edges that drop and root readily. All kalanchoe need bright indirect light to maintain compact growth and flower well.

Aeonium

Aeonium are rosette-forming succulents from the Canary Islands and Mediterranean, grown for their dramatic form. Many cultivars have very dark, nearly black foliage: A. arboreum 'Zwartkop' (black rose aeonium) is a striking plant with deep purple-black rosettes on branching woody stems. Unlike most succulents, aeonium is winter-growing and summer-dormant, going semi-dormant when temperatures are high and dry. They prefer mild temperatures and struggle in hot, dry summer conditions indoors.

Aeonium are popular in gardens in mild climates (coastal California, Mediterranean regions) but less common as houseplants because their seasonality is counterintuitive and they need cool conditions to thrive.

Sedum

Sedum is a very large genus with species ranging from tiny groundcovers to upright perennials. Many sedums are cold-hardy outdoor plants. The most popular trailing form is S. morganianum (burro's tail or donkey's tail): long trailing stems densely packed with plump blue-green teardrop leaves. It is dramatic in a hanging basket but requires careful handling because the leaves detach at the slightest touch. Ice plant (Delosperma) and stonecrops are also in this family.

Most sedums need significant sun and are better suited to outdoor containers or rock gardens than to typical indoor conditions. Burro's tail is the exception most commonly grown indoors.

Sempervivum (hens and chicks)

Sempervivum are some of the most cold-tolerant plants in existence, surviving temperatures down to -30F (-34C). They form rosettes (hens) that produce smaller offsets (chicks) around their base, spreading into dense colonies over time. There are hundreds of named cultivars in green, red, purple, and silver tones, often with cobwebby threads between leaf tips.

Sempervivum are primarily outdoor plants. They do not thrive indoors and are not recommended as houseplants. Their cold-hardiness, which is their defining advantage, is irrelevant indoors, and they need more sun and air circulation than a typical home provides. Plant them in outdoor containers, rock gardens, or between paving stones.