Aven Gardening

Cacti are the perfect plant for the novice gardener. They are also the perfect specimen for a neglectful gardener. A cactus is a common houseplant that can thrive in the right indoor conditions. There are actually two varieties of cacti grown as houseplants. Both are popular and readily familiar. The desert cacti are the more “traditional” cacti, usually covered with spines or hair and often growing in paddles, balls, or obelisks.

1. Acanthocalycium Thionanthum

This is a very variable taxon that has several forms. They have many flower colors and spine sizes. The specific name ”thionanthum” means ”sulfur yellow flowers” and it was originally applied to the yellow flowering form of this very variable taxon, but now – with the name ”Acanthocalycium (Echinopsis) thionantum” – the botanists identify a very variable, polyformic complex of plant (previously classified as separate, species, variety and forms) with variable colour of flowers and spines sizes. Full sun exposure is indispensable to keep plant compact with strong and colorful spines. Without the sun the stems elongate, remain green and don’t form the characteristic powdery-grey coating.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera, sometimes described as a “wonder plant,” is a short-stemmed shrub. Aloe is a genus that contains more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The leaves of Aloe vera are succulent, erect, and form a dense rosette. Many uses are made of the gel obtained from the plant’s leaves. It is best known for treating skin injuries, but also has several other beneficial effects on health.

3. Armatocereus Godingianus

This is a tree-like cactus common to South America. Usually, it has white flowers with a specific spiny ovary and fruits. The name comes from the Latin word “inchesarmatus,” which means “armed.” In summer, Armatocereus Godingianus blooms at night with beautiful white flowers. Its 6-13 long fruits are green and oblong covered with yellow spines and its seeds are large and black.

4. Bishop’s Cap

Astrophytum myriostigma, commonly known as Bishop’s Cap, is probably the most popular species of Astrophytum. It is an ideal windowsill cactus because it is thankfully spineless or nearly so. This tiny, rock hard gem of a plant does not demand high-intensity light and will thrive in any south-facing exposure as a houseplant. This plant has some different characteristics from similar plants of this type – the A. myriostigma. Five ribs bishop’s Cap plant looks like A. myriostigma. But it has different fruits, seeds, embryos, and flowers. The differences are permanent and constant, so you’ll be able to distinguish it easily.

5. Blue Barrel (Ferocactus glaucescens)

This Ferocactus stands out from the other species. The spines are rather neatly distributed, and the unusual-looking white fruits are unmistakable. Though it can reach over 45 cm in diameter, it will nonetheless flower perfectly well in a 20 cm pot. It can be a very neat, compact and attractive addition to any collection. This is a barrel-shaped cactus that has a medium size, green-blue skin, and is usually solitary. When the plant ages, it produces a couple of heads. It can form a large mound.

6. Ball Cactus

The Parodia genus includes a multitude of showy and easy-to-grow small ball cacti. After a reorganization of the genus, the Parodia genus now includes plants that were formerly known as notocactus, eriocactus, and brasilicactus. This cactus usually develops a depression on the crown. This might cause a distortion when it ages. It has pale yellow spines. You can also find wavy-edged forms, but those are usually grafted.

7. Beaver Tail (Opuntia basilaris)

This plant branches up to 30 centimeters, sometimes even 60 centimeters in clumps of height and up to 1.2 meters in diameter. It is also a small prickly pear. The stems grow in clumps with flowers from the top edge of the joints. Flowers are followed by a brownish-gray, oval fruit more than an inch long with many seeds.

8. Living Rock (Ariocarpus confuses)

This plant generally develops deep magenta flowers, but pink or white colors and sometimes multicolored flowers can grow.

9. Monk’s Hood Astrophytum myriostigma

This is a spineless cactus plant. It is almost always solitary, but sometimes it has very few branches. A section of the body reveals a form of a perfectly shaped star. This succulent could be your best friend if you travel. It is simple to care for with diminutive appeal that blends well with other succulents or all by itself.

10. Burro’s Tail

Sedum morganianum aka Burro’s Tail or Donkey Tail Plant is very easy to care for & propagate. Burro’s tail cactus (Sedum morganianum) is not technically a cactus but a succulent. Although all cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cactus. Both do have similar requirements such as gritty soil, good drainage, sunshine and protection from extremely cold temperatures. Growing burro’s tail provides fascinating texture as a graceful houseplant or lush green exterior plant in many landscape situations.

11. Brain Cactus

Stenocactus multicostatus is a low-growing cactus with a lot of narrow, very acute and straight or wavy ribs, densely pleated together, giving a wrinkled look to its near globular shape, with short, 6 to 18, soft, flattened, brownish spines, arranged crosswise. The flowers are up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, white, pinkish purple or violet and with a darker violet to purple midvein. It is an easy to grow cactus which often produces lovely little blooms and makes a great houseplant or outdoor specimen in warmer climates.

12. Flaming Katy

The flaming Katy is a succulent plant that blooms small tubular flowers (up to 50) within a flower head, originally grown as a gift plant. Flowers bloom in various colors including red, yellow, lilac and orange while the leaves have a fleshy look and feel, much like other succulents. A really popular houseplant due to their wide variety of flower colors, long-lasting blooms, low water requirements and ease of propagation.

13. Bunny Cactus

Bunny ears cactus plant, also called angel’s wings, has ease of care combined with an original appearance. The thick pads of this plant are adorned with fuzzy glochids, or short bristles, that resemble the fur of rabbits and grow in earlike pairs. Usually, this plant grows very low to the ground. It has a lot of branches and can sometimes grow up to 1 meter in height. The pads don’t have any spines but are covered with yellow glochids.

14. Button Cactus

Bunny ears cactus plant, also called angel’s wings, has ease of care combined with an original appearance. The thick pads of this plant are adorned with fuzzy glochids, or short bristles, that resemble the fur of rabbits and grow in earlike pairs. Usually, this plant grows very low to the ground. It has a lot of branches and can sometimes grow up to 1 meter in height. The pads don’t have any spines but are covered with yellow glochids.

15. Strawberry Hedgehog

Englemanns is one of the most common hedgehog cacti found in the southwestern deserts. Its purple to magenta flowers and four well-armed central spines help to identify it. Nine varieties are recognized, based on stem size, central spine characteristics, and flower size. One of the most conspicuous and exceptional varieties is var. nicholii, which has golden-yellow spines and tall slender stems. Echinocereus engelmanii blooms in April and May

16. Candelabra Myrtillocactus cohal

The large, sprawling cactus is admired for its funnel-shaped, ivory flowers, and reaches heights of eight to ten feet tall and wide. It has multiple, dark green branches with a very woody trunk. The branches have six to eight ribs, with a central spine along the middle, and shorter radial spines on each areola. The plant produces stunning, white, cupped flowers in late spring through early summer. They open during the day and stay open through the night. After flowering, edible, slightly acidic, globular, red-purplish fruit appears.

17. Carmine Cob Echinopsis backebergii

Echinopsis backebergii is a small cactus species, with conspicuous bright coloured blooms. Due to its flower structure typical of the Lobivias it is commonly known as Lobivia backebergii. It is very variable and has received lots of names (like most Lobivias) with several controversial varieties and subspecies.

18. Catclaws

Also called Anstricocactus uncinatus. This is a cylindrical, solitary cactus. There are three subspecies recognized. They include the nominate, crassihamatus, and wrightii. For planting this cactus, you need open mineral or sand-gritty soil

19. Dwarf Chin

Gymnocalycium baldianum ‘Dwarf Chin Cactus’ is native to the mountainous and grassy regions of Argentina. Also known as Echinocactus badianus and Gymnocalycium platense var. baldianum, it is a bulb-shaped, semi-flatted cactus, 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13cm) in diameter.  This plant is a solitary and very small cactus with radial spines. It is a highly variable species. The polymorphism makes some people think that there are too many unnecessary varieties.

20. Linkleaf Schlumbergera truncata

Schlumbergera truncata is endemic to a small area of the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist forests. In its native environment it is an epiphyte (occasionally lithophytic). In other words, these are cacti that grow in trees! They grow their roots into the bark of their host tree.  Schlumbergera truncata is a cactus with stems composed of strongly flattened segments, which have two or three “teeth” of varying shapes along their edges and at the ends. The ends of the stems are “cut off” rather than pointed. 

21. Jade Plant

Jade plants are succulent houseplants, which makes them fairly resilient and easy to grow indoors—plus, they’re long-lived.  Jade plant care is easy and simple. Many people enjoy growing jade plants in their homes and offices, and they are considered to be symbols of good luck.

22. Panda Plant

The indoor panda plant is a hardy succulent that makes an interesting addition to the houseplants you grow indoors. Often a favorite of children, growing Kalanchoe panda plants are a good specimen to locate in a child’s room as part of the décor.  The panda plant (botanical name: kalanchoe tomentosa) is a fairly easy succulent plant species to care for and maintain

Panda plant species are grown for its interesting furry and velvet-like leaves that kind of look like cats ears (pussy ears is another name for this plant).

23. Claret Cup Hedgehog

Echinocerens is from the Greek echinos, meaning “a hedgehog,” and cereus meaning “a wax taper.” These names refer to the plant’s spiny resemblance to a hedgehog (or so the early Europeans thought) and the plant’s shape, respectively. Triglochidialus means “three barbed bristles” and refers to the straight spines arranged in clusters of three. Also called claret cup cactus, after the reddish, cup-shaped flowers.  The bright red-orange flowers often cover the whole plant, which is cylindrical and low-growing, often hugging up against some larger plant. The numerous flowers grow at the top of the stems, all about the same height, giving a full view of all the flowers at one glance. They last for several days. The flowers vary slightly in color as a result of soil type or genetic differences.

24. Cleistocactus

Cleistocactus is a genus of columnar cacti native to mountainous areas of Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Argentina and can be found growing in large shrubby clumps mixed in with other vegetation or clamoring over boulders. This shrubby cactus has branching stems that crawl on the ground. They can be up to 1.5 meters tall and 6 meters wide. The spines are usually dark and short. The flowers have an emerald green color.

25. Mistletoe cactus Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides

Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides is an epiphytic cactus with strong stems covered by tiny branchlets. Initially, this plant grows erect, later it is pendent. They are typically known as Mistletoe cacti and most occur in Brazil. The scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek term for wickerwork, referring to the plants’ habitus.

26. Consolea falcata

Consolea falcata is tree-like, with a stout, straight, spiny brown trunk when older, and a heavy crown of thick-fleshy, oblong flat pads. The pads grow on main stems that can reach 2.5m. tall. If left untrimmed Consolea Falcata in its natural form can be a tall bushy plant, but it can also be trained into an umbrella type tree form over time by removing lower stems or pads.

27. Old Man Opuntia

This is usually very furry cactus. The plant forms branches both near the top and base of the stems The name refers to plants’ vestments. Austrocylindropuntia vestita is a slender columnar cactus, up to 25 inches (60 cm) tall. The stem is cylindrical, up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter, covered densely with long white hairs, branched basally and near the top.

28. Creeping Devil

Stenocereus eruca, commonly known as the creeping devil, is a member of the family Cactaceae. It is one of the most distinctive cacti, a member of the relatively small genus Stenocereus. The Creeping Devil is a rare and fascinating species of cactus that is not only capable of cloning itself to survive but also of detaching from its major shoot to move through the desert over time. The cactus is covered with large, dagger-like spines and a set of smaller spines that cover the green stem. Walking among a thick patch is very difficult.

29. Moon Cactus (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii)

The plant is considered to be a miniature cactus. It only grows to be 4 cm high and has a 5-6 cm diameter. The not fully opening flowers of this species have a silky appearance and range from pale green to brownish-yellow. It has wider, lower ribs, in juvenile plants divided into separate chins, in maturity every rib have a flat surface and a pleat above each areole. Very variable plant in both supination and flower color. The silky flowers range from white, yellowish-white, greenish to pink in color.

30. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)

This cactus produces small, flat stem segments that are roundish in nature, with minor serrations on both sides. They flower from the end of these segments. The Christmas cactus does well indoors, in moderate home conditions. Avoid watering too much because this will cause the roots to rot. This plant can adapt to low light environments, but blooms excel with more light.

A live succulent plant is a simple, low-maintenance decorative choice that brightens your living space. Keep in mind, though, that more vividly colored succulents don’t tend to fare well inside because they need direct sunlight. Featured here are a variety of purple succulent plants that are available in an array of sizes, shades, and shapes.

1. Graptoveria Bashful

The “Bashful” variety of succulent blends well-fleshed leaves with complementary mint-green rosettes, gracefully kissed by a graduated pink to a red pattern.  Cooler temperatures of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit prompt a red blush of the plant. Expect small white to light yellow buds to blossom in the beginning of the spring with this plant and for rose-colored buds to emerge in the early to the middle part of summer.  Without much maintenance, rose-colored buds should appear in the first to the central part of summer, enhancing this breathtaking plant further.

2. Graptoveria Debbi

This hybrid flourishes with ease in an outside planter. The “Debbi” succulent exhibits a dazzling rose shape, which hangs lazily in peach clusters that bloom in the spring. It’s leaf tips are a fantastic shade of violet that turns pink when the succulent is distressed. In colder temperatures, the Graptoveria Debbi exhibits a more vibrant color.

3. Echeveria Taurus

The “Taurus” breed thrives in heavy sunlight and bears rich, red-green, triangular leaves amid tight rosettes. During the summer this whimsical plant should spend outside soaking in direct sunlight, showcasing its tall stems of red and yellow flowers. In chilly weather, this plant should live indoors.

4. Pachyweria Powder Puff

The “Powder Puff” succulent hybrid can grow to as tall as 15 centimeters (6 inches).  It’s powdery leaves shine with silvery-blue sheen and turn violet in extreme heat or cold. In the summer, the plant grows peach, bell-shaped flowers.  These versatile plants are a welcome addition to a rock garden or even a hanging flower basket.

5. Sempervivum Raspberry Ice

This dense, perennial succulent grows tall stalks of tight, petite rosettes, supported by berry-red, symmetrical leaves that when fully-grown become a reddish-purple hue.  This succulent needs much direct sunlight to generate optimal colors as well as to keep its rosettes tightly clustered. The “Raspberry Ice” fares best in grainy soils that drain well and in removing flower pots.

6. Sedum dasyphyllum

The Sedum Dasyphyllum’s, which is also known as the Blue Tears Sedum or the Corsican Stone Crop, thrives best and grows quickest in a dry, rocky environment. This blue-green plant reveals a spreading purple color once it is exposed to the sun. Its leaves oppose one another amid roaming steam, which forms shrubs. This succulent’s cuttings can be used to generate a thick mat of new plants once they are replanted.

7. Echeveria Perle Von Nürnberg

The Echeveria Perle Von Nürnberg is one of the most common and the most attractive succulents. It grows well both outside and in container gardens.  This cobalt, red-hued, or silvery-grey plant has a dusting of white powder over its leaves, edged with a pleasant purple hue that overlaps wide rosettes.  This classic hybrid has long been admired for its shimmering purple and pink pastel tones as an elegant part of any rock garden, wedding bouquet, floral arrangement, or succulent dish garden.

8. Echeveria lilacina

This species of succulent with its pink, red, or coral flowers and spoon-like, well-fleshed leaves, grows slowly, but it doesn’t need much watering to flourish. Its leaves appear as a silvery grey that can exhibit a soft lavender appearance when autumn’s cooler weather commences. Additionally, high sun exposure will deepen the purple hues of the succulent’s leaves, which grow in a uniform rosette shape. Its flowering period begins from late winter and continues into early spring.

9. Echeveria Black Prince

The “Black Prince” be grown indoors, it is color vibrancy will wane without adequate sunlight. Expect red flowers to bloom during late fall to early winter. This succulent’s leaves will take on a green hue initially but will deepen to a lavender brown over time. You’ll treasure the low-maintenance “Black Prince” as a unique addition to your container garden or landscape.

10. Sedeveria Lilac Mist

The Sedeveria Lilac Mist is a new hybrid in a delicate lilac blush color with robust leaves.  This lovely succulent is a fantastic addition to containers of a variety of plants. However, it can stand beautifully on its own. In the appropriate climate, it can be grown outside in a desert-style bed or a rock garden. 

11. Anacampseros Purple Giant

The Anacampseros Purple Giant is a tiny perennial succulent that grows up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) high with thin, pointy, pea-green leaves that complement its swirling rosettes. Its leaves can be either hairy or smooth. This succulent breed flourishes in partial sunlight, which enhances its vibrant colors.

12. Tradescantia Pallida

The Tradescantia Padilla, which is also known as the purple heart or purple queen plant, should be watered regularly to attain a moderate level of moisture, especially when growing in a container. Not only are these plants sure to attract attention with its vibrant purple leaves contrasting its bright green stems, but they are among the best plants for a novice at growing. Native to Northeast Mexico, this evergreen perennial is built to showcase its striking purple shade.

13. Pincushion Cactus

For a beginner, a Pincushion Cactus is an ideal choice to grow since, like an actual cactus, these succulents require little watering due to the plant being native to the dry, Upper Sonoran Desert. This succulent grows tiny flowers and long, red berries in the appropriate conditions. Take care to prune the plant immediately when you spot any signs of decay and separate and repot pups when the plant becomes overly dense.

14. Rock Purslane

This season-wide shrubby perennial with leaves in light to the moderate shade of green in color with a diamond-like shape with bluish-green rosettes grows large, pink-lavender flowers with a silky feel amid purple-spotted outer husks. This succulent should be exposed to full sunlight, but during the hot summer months, these plants should be moved to the comfort of the shade during the great afternoon. This plant replicates quickly when cuttings of an established plant are sown, which is a wise way to replace old, decaying plants.

15. Echeveria Afterglow

For low-moisture landscapes and containers, the Afterglow is a striking accent to your garden with its ample, powdery leaves in a soft pink-lavender hue that nearly casts a glow over the whole garden. Red-orange flowers often blossom under the leaves of the plant near the flower’s stem.  Take care not to allow water to fester in the plant’s rosettes, because this plant is susceptible to fungal diseases, which can rot the plant, killing it. Also, be sure to pick decayed leaves from the base of the plant during its growth.

16. Aeonium Arboreum Zwartkop (Black Rose)

The “Black Rose” shines with its exquisitely large and deep purple rosettes amid nearly ebony leaves. During the winter, the stark foliage of this plant is brightly contrasted by yellow buds. This plant can offer a vibrant garden exhibition or is sure to dress up any sunny window.

17. Purple Ice Plant

The Purple Ice Plant requires minimal watering as it is native to the dry climate of South Africa. This succulent has hairy, cylindrical, needle-like leaves and grows daisy-like flowers in pink to purple shades, such as magenta. Its robust leaves transition to a darker color as temperatures fall.

18. Emily Cobweb Houseleek

The Emily Cobweb Houseleek is easily adaptable to various weather conditions and can reproduce on its own. These succulents are an ideal enhancement to ground cover, containers, in rock gardens, and in any other place, you can envision a plant to grow. This versatile plant has distinctive leave tips that are bound together by a thin web-like structure in shades of green or even light to deep red hues, often exhibiting a mild to thick fur-like texture among its star-shaped blossoms.

19. Echeveria Cubic Frost

The Cubic Frost succulent injects a unique flare into patios that are decorated with container specimens as well as to dish gardens with its typical soft lilac shade that can sometimes blossom into a pale pink or peach color if it is showered in optimal sunlight. Though succulents usually have a white, dusty powder that coats their leaves, this one glitters with a frosty finish that shines brightly when sprinkled with sunshine as if it’s been dusted with a thin, uniform layer of powdered sugar. This classic succulent breed blooms quickly under ideal conditions.

20. Echeveria Black Knight

As one of the darkest shades of Echeveria plants, this striking breed of succulent offers a bold contrast with its deep purple, cylinder-shaped leaves that are contrasted by its bright green markings inside its tightly bound rosettes. During the autumn, its best to bring the Echeveria Black Knight plant inside, but during the spring, introducing the succulent gradually to the outdoors is ideal. To achieve this, bring the plant outside in the morning and slowly transition the plant into the direct sun over the course of the day due to its negative response to dramatic temperature shifts and sunlight levels.

Succulents are normally known for their rich green color, but did you know that there are a wide variety of colorful succulents? You can find vibrant red succulents, muted blue succulents and many colors in between. Succulents change color based on a few factors: sun, water, and temperature. The right amount of each can drastically change the appearance of your plant. These Colorful Succulents are low maintenance and can pretty up your gardens and container arrangements like no other plants.

1. Zebra Cactus (Haworthia fasciata)

Zebra Cactus (Haworthia attenuata), also known as zebra plants, are succulents with shapes similar to that of aloe plants. They have clusters of thick, pointed green leaves with bumpy white lines in stripes around each leaf. They don’t need much fuss or care and can even go for many weeks without water if required. They also tend to look brilliant in unusual containers or interesting soil mixes. Primarily they are grown in gardens. However, they are also grown in greenhouses, conservatories and within homes.

2. Copper Pinwheel

Aeonium succulents grow in long stems with brightly colored rosettes that resemble flowers. Copper Pinwheel is a branching succulent that has variegated yellow and green leaves tipped with pink and red. Succulent arrives in a 4″ growers pot ready for potting.  They are edged in bright coppery red and stand up on stalks up to 16 inches (40 cm) tall. The white flowers bloom in summer on mature plants. Aeoniums do not like really hot or dry weather. They may go dormant in summer and do not require any water, except in very dry conditions.  If you are growing them in containers, repot every 2 to 3 years with fresh potting soil.

3. Perle von Nürnberg

Beautiful rosettes of soft grey-brown leaves with deep pink highlights are dusted in powdery white. Bright coral flowers emerge in summer on foot-long reddish stems. Adds beauty to rock gardens and succulent collections. Tolerant of heat and drought. A frost-tender evergreen. There are many varieties and cultivars to choose from within the genus, from compact plants ideal for windowsill displays to larger specimens better suited to growing in the conservatory or greenhouse. Echeverias flower in summer, but they are mostly grown for their foliage.

4. Purple Beauty (Sempervivum tectorum var. purple beauty)

These old-fashioned unique succulent plants form a low clump of fleshy leaves, tiny new plants appearing in a circle around the mother in the middle. Excellent ground-cover or accent addition to rock gardens. This selection produces rosettes of frosty blue-green leaves, tipped with bronzy-purple during the colder months. Short spikes of pastel-pink flowers in summer.

5. California Sunset

Echeveria-like rosettes with a unique, orangish-pink color. The rosettes are at the tips of eventually decumbent stems, which can simply be cut back and restarted to maintain a more compact plant. Find a spot where this plant gets the appropriate amount of sun. That would ideally be a morning sunspot. If you’re acclimating the plant to full sun for the first time, start with an hour or two, depending on the season and the intensity of the light where you are. Any rosette that breaks off has the potential to root and start a new plant. Even a leaf that drops off will root below the parent plant and produce a new rosette quickly. The new plant feeds off the leaf until it shrivels up and falls off. By then the new little plant has rooted and sprouted new leaves.

6. Santa Rita Prickly Pear

This low-growing prickly pear cactus forms large clumps and has a short trunk growing to heights of two to five feet with an equal spread. It produces flat, round, reddish-purple pads that grow to eight inches. The color of the pads intensifies when the plant is stressed by cold weather or drought conditions. Large, beautiful yellow flowers rest on the outer edges of spine-covered, fleshy succulent pads. In winter the pads turn to a rich purple color and return to a soft blue-gray with warmer weather. Although they are incredibly drought-tolerant, watering once a month during the hot summer months, in the absence of rain, will be appreciated and will improve the appearance of your prickly pear.

7. Blue Glow “Agave”

Smooth, blue-green leaves with yellow-edged, red margins form a single, symmetrical rosette. Each leaf tip bears a short red spine. Outdoor plants typically bloom between the 10th and 15th years. Indoor plants may never flower. When an outdoor plant blooms, it sends up a single, stout, erect, up to 10 feet (3 m) tall flowering stalk from the center of the basal rosette of leaves. Agave “Blue Glow” is a slow-growing evergreen succulent which produces elegant rosettes of blue-green, chalky leaves with finely toothed margins adorned with a golden and red ribbon. A striking beauty which is particularly stunning when backlit by the sun with its glowing red and golden margin.

8. Campfire Plant

This fast-growing succulent has green, propeller-shaped leaves that can turn bright red in full sun or cool weather. Its flowers attract bees and butterflies. Easy-to-grow, branching succulent displays dramatic, fleshy, propeller-like leaves that mature from light green to bright red. Forms spreading mats, useful in rock gardens and containers. Clusters of lightly fragrant white flowers rest on the leaves in the summer. These succulents are generally started by division, offsets or leaf cuttings. Crassulas can be easily propagated from a single leaf. Sprout leaves by placing them into a potting mix for succulents, then covering the dish until they sprout.

9. Echeveria ‘Wine Red’

They come in a rosette shape and reproduce themselves by way of little offsets – miniature versions of the mother plant – that emerge on all sides. Tiny little blossoms appear in summer, which resembles asters. Their exotic form is best viewed close up, such as in a rock garden or planter. They prefer cooler coastal conditions to hot, dry inland ones. New plants from offsets and leaves rooted in pumice or perlite eventually need transplanting to a succulent potting mix or loose garden soil. Not just the tips but the whole plant can turn into this beautiful red wine color. It’s a rare variety!

10. Blue Chalksticks

This succulent is perfect for container gardens. If you live in an area that doesn’t experience freezing temperatures, this makes a great ground cover. When exposed to lots of sun and heat, the tips of this plant turn purple. Blue Chalk Sticks has two unbeatable design features going for it: color and texture. The dense sprawling mat of cool, grayish-blue creates a solid field of this soothing and subtle color, while up to 4 inches (10 cm) long leaves jut up from the ground like fleshy oceanic spikes.

11. Chroma

Echeveria ‘Chroma’ is a new Echeveria with great potential due to its exciting color and form. Looks best during the winter months. The rosette is up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. The shiny, fleshy leaves are beautiful deep rose to maroon in color. When growing Chroma echeveria, use a succulent/cactus potting soil that is porous and well-draining. Be sure that the container has adequate drainage holes. Situate the succulent in an area with plenty of light. Chroma is an exciting variety with shiny, dark purple-bronze leaves that look almost metallic. It has the best coloring during the winter. During the summer grow it in partial shade and water regularly to keep it looking its best.

12. Wooly Senecio

This fuzzy succulent can be hard to find, but is wonderful in any arrangement! It has cylindrical, white leaves that look like cocoons. Its leaves grow from woody stems and form little shrubs. The fuzzy coverage makes Woolly Senecio an extremely intriguing plant and definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing in its genus. Senecio can be grown from either seed or cuttings. Seeds prefer warm temperatures, around 55˚F (13˚C). And constant moisture to germinate. Cuttings are easier and faster. Cut during the growing season, early spring to fall. Root in sandy soil, in containers.

13. Graptosedum ‘Bronze’

Striking intergeneric hybrid to 4-5″ and spreading with round pinky-purple leaves, the color becoming more intense in winter. Full sun for best coloration; also best with some summer water. Otherwise, good drainage. They whorl around the stem with leaves at the tip arranged in a rosette. The leaves remain somewhat persistent on the stem so that the rosette is usually subtended by several inches of older leaves. Any rosette that breaks off has the potential to root and start a new plant. Even a leaf that drops off will root below the parent plant and produce a new rosette quickly. The new plant feeds off the leaf until it shrivels up and falls off. By then the new little plant has rooted and sprouted new leaves.

14. Moon Cactus

It’s hard to mistake a moon cactus; you’ll always recognize them by their bright pink, yellow, or orange colors. The bright neon colors are usually in the shape of round looking balls, with thorns, and they’re sitting on top of another green colored cactus. Strangely, the plant is something of a mutant and lacks the ability to produce chlorophyll, which means they must be grafted onto a rootstock with that ability. Growing and taking care of these unique little cacti plants is not very difficult at all. They’re extremely low maintenance plants and caring for multiple moon cactus plants at the same time is not much harder than caring for one.

15. Lavender Scallops

Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi is a small succulent that grows shrubs of up to 2 feet (60 cm) tall. Its stems spread out and root along the ground to form large colonies with fleshy gray-green leaves with a cream color along the scalloped leaf margins. These thick leaves also have lavender-tinged edges. The flowering varieties are highly rewarding for their colorful and long-lasting flowers. They prefer bright, sunny locations, especially in the summer growing season. During the winter, consider a south-facing window. Water moderately throughout the summer and reduce watering in the winter.

Succulents are plants, both large and small, tropical and cold hardy, that have adapted to harsh, often-dry conditions by storing moisture in their fleshy, plump leaves and stems. Plant them in well-drained soil and give them a few hours of sunlight, and they will light up your garden, indoors or out.