Types of Succulents You Need to Know

No matter what time of the year, succulent plants make for great gifts. Whether you need a housewarming present, or Valentine’s Day gift, or forgot about a birthday, indoor succulents brighten up any person’s day. 

You find them in flowering plants and look great in a succulent garden. Yet, if you need a plant for medicinal purposes or want to grow container plants, you can find succulent varieties to suit your needs.

Today, we are going to provide you with a great list of hardy succulents to place in your home or gift someone.

11 Types Of Succulents Plants Available

The trademark of all succulent plants is their fleshy leaves filled with sap that holds moisture. So you find them growing in multiple places like the desert and more. Still, you get different succulent species, as you will see here today, all of them making great indoor plants.

Also, succulent plants are perhaps the easiest to propagate and repot for they’re not finicky and are low-maintenance beauties.

So if you are a plant enthusiast, brace yourself for a beautiful journey in the world of succulents.

Aeoniums Succulent Plants

Now, if you want something exotic to gift your loved one this Valentine’s Day, endow them with this genus. The Aeonium is astonishing and takes the cake compared to the other plants. Botanists refer to it as the tree houseleeks found in North Africa and the Canary Islands.

The color choice is endless as you can pick the Zwartkop as seen above with dark purple-black foliage.

Or, you can invest in the Kiwi with a neon pink and green mix.

Alternatively, mix it up with the Aeonium lindleyi with its fuzzy leaves or choose something weirder like the Aeonium tabulaeforme, as seen in the image below.

As long as you do not live in freezing temperatures, these plants grow well outdoors. The important thing is to provide them with proper drainage, high temperatures, and loads of sun. These plants are also non-toxic to pets and humans.

Aloes Also a Succulent Genus

Who does not know the Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis found in skincare products with outstanding medicinal properties? Yes, you find different types of succulents in the Aloe alone. You might fall in love with the plant to take it home without wanting to give it as a gift. Some favorites we must mention are the following :

• Torch aloe or Aloe arborescens

• Then you have the Aloe aristata or lace Aloe

• Lastly, if you want a tiny succulent to gift a particular person this coming Valentine’s Day, why not pick the Aloe brevifolia.

The fantastic thing is that most succulents in Aloe plants do not need much light but still like the sun. But harsh rays cause damage to the leaves, turning them brown. Most succulents provide good drainage, leave the soil dry before watering, and please no frost.

Cacti Are Not All Prickly

Nothing looks more fantastic than a succulent garden filled with different types of cacti. Furthermore, the cactus comprise many genera. You find them in:

• Opuntia

• Mammillaria

• Echinopsis

• (Echino)cereus

• Holiday cacti

• Echinocactus

• Astrophytum

Senecio Succulent Plants 

Who is not familiar with the string of pearls plant known as Senecio rowleyanus. Still, the genus does not end here as you get the string of dolphins or chalk stick plants. Then you have a succulent with a pop of purples in the Senecio herreianus seen in the image below.

[Senecio herreianus]

The majority of the above-mentioned indoor succulents make for excellent hanging plants. In addition, the plant is drought tolerant, and leaving them to dry between watering will help prevent root rot.

Agaves Scream Southernwestern US 

Yes, these succulents thrive indoors, but you can grow some of them in chillier climates as well. The sky is the limit to selecting a plant in this genus. Here are some you can grow in low-frost regions:

• Agave americana 

• Agave attenuata is known as the elegant foxtail.

• Agave parryi, the spikier succulent plant of the bunch.

• Still, one of the most spectacular of the lot is the Agave victoriaea-reginae, the Queen Victori’s Agave.

Provide these plants with loads of sun, and if you grow indoors, choose a perfect spot with bright light.

Euphorbias Are Not All Succulents 

If you are a houseplant enthusiast, you will love most species in the succulent range. You find them with a wide selection of leaf shapes, colors, and sizes. You can pick and choose from this Euphorbia variety:

• Euphorbia obesa is a red color.

• Euphorbia trigona ‘Royal Red’ (African milk tree)

• The huge Euphorbia ingens (candelabra tree)

• Or choose the very spikey Euphorbia pentagonal

• Lastly, for something weird, why not get your hands on the coral cactus Euphorbia lactea. But it is not a cactus.

Still, these types of succulents cannot go without water for months and need regular watering but still leave the soil to dry between watering.

Crassulas For Ground Cover

Another genus of succulent plants belonging to the stonecrop family is the Crassula. You find them in different shapes and sizes and are low-maintenance plants. An excellent example of these plants are the:

• Jade Plant 

• Silver Dollar Plants

The difference is the succulent grows in medium sunlight with fast-draining soil and watering thoroughly but infrequently.

Echeverias The Rosette Succulent 

No list is complete without the Echeveria succulent plants. It is a knockout with many subspecies and gives you a mind-blowing experience. Some of our favorites are:

• The pastel purple Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’

• Echeveria’ Black Prince’ makes for spectacular outdoor succulents.

• The pointy green-leafed Echeveria agavoides.

These succulents are native to Central America found in desert regions and love the sun. But take care as the harsh sun rays can damage the foliage in certain climates. These plants can grow in arid climates but not in low temperatures.

Portulacaria From Southern Africa

This is a hardy plant known as the Portulacaria afra and many other names. People call it the dwarf jade plant, elephant bush, purslane tree, porkbush, or spekboom.

The succulent plant has small leaves with a reddish stem, and you can find variegated cultivars. It is a frost-hardy succulent. It is drought-tolerant and fire-resistant.

Another exciting thing is that people eat the leaves in soup and salad in Southern Africa.

Kalanchoes With Its Scalloped Leaves 

The succulent has gorgeous leaves as beautiful as the starry flowers that last from winter to spring. Growing succulents in this family need partial sun with deep watering, and the soil needs to dry out in between your watering.

Ice Plants Hardy Succulents 

The Delosperma makes for an excellent ground cover with its fleshy leaves and colorful flowers. The leaves shimmer as if covered with ice crystals. The stage thing is it prefers full sun and is not a hardy plant in frost.

20 Top Famous Succulents We Love To Grow

A fact is that succulent enthusiasts grow in number each day. These plants are not needy houseplants and are time-consuming to care for. Here is a list of succulents we are obsessed with.

Sweetheart Hoya

The Sweetheart Hoya does not get its name for no reason of its heart leaf shape. It is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift known as the Lucky Heart, Hoya Kerrii, or Valentine plant.

Aloe Vera

The Aloe is another fascinating succulent known for its medicinal value in topical ointments. When you keep one of these plants around, you can break the leaves to smear as a gel for irritated skin or sunburn.

Christmas Cactus

The succulent goes by many names; Easter Cactus, Schlumbergera x buckleyi, or Thanksgiving Cactus. It features crab claw-like foliage and has asymmetrical flowers in different shades.

Pincushion Cactus

The Mammillaria grahamii is one of hundred varieties in the genus and naturally resembles the pincushion and has daisy-like flowers.

Snake Plants

Yes, the mother-in-law’s tongue is a popular plant as the leaves are sharp and also goes by the name bedroom plant as it increases the oxygen and filters the air from impurities.

Common Glasswort

It is pretty succulent with green leaves that even look great to eat. The best part is eating it like your veggies, and it is delicious when pickled.

Woolly Senecio

The cacoon plant has white hairs, appearing woolly and producing gorgeous yellow blooms.

Agave Azul

Interestingly enough, its common name is Agave Tequilana Weber Var. Azul. Yes, this variety is the base ingredient found in tequila.

Burro’s Tail

When looking at this cute plant, you must chuckle at its name, the donkey’s tail. It has a whimsical trailing stem and an excellent filler for cascading structures like hanging planters.

Panda Plant

Yes, give another chuckle for the pussy ears or chocolate soldier. It is a small fuzzy genus easy to spot with its red-brownish speckled tips.

Madagascar Ocotillo

The succulent is interestingly known as the African Ocotillo ( Alluaudia procera ). This is because it has spines growing around the symmetrical leaves to protect itself from herbivores. It is a tree-like plant from Madagascar.

Hens and Chicks

A fun fact about mature plants is the hen part refers to the central part of the foliage, and the chicks are the offspring growing as buds. Such a cute name, right?

Chalk Liveforever

The chalk lettuce has a powdery wax coating over the foliage and is a hard-to-kill plant. You find the pebble plant growing in rocks and very drought tolerant with low maintenance.

Butterwort

The Pinguicula moranensis has sticky leaves and is a carnivorous succulent. So be careful with those fingers. Only joking, the leaves with gummy residue capture bugs.

Pincushion Peperomia

The plant makes for a gorgeous desk plant as it is delicate, easy to maintain, and petite. So, what do you think will it make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your loved one?

Zebra Plant 

Scientifically known as Zebra haworthia! This beautiful succulent has white stripes that look more like warts than stripes. But at least you know where the name comes from.

Barrel Cactus

In the barrel cactus genera, you find Echinocactus and Ferocactus. The latter means wild cactus or fierce, while the forerunner is also known as the golden barrel cactus or, yes, the mother-in-law’s cushion.

Jade Plants

Many garden centers sell this plant as the money tree or lucky plant. It is part of the succulent flowering plants with small white or pink flowers.

String of Dolphins

Look a bit closer at the leaves, and you will notice it looks like dolphins swimming on the stalk. They look like they are jumping around, and they cannot tolerate frost. So best grow indoors where they can get enough heat to keep warm.

Black Prince

The black prince is one of the most recognizable succulents with its rosette leaf form. It has dark leaves nearly black.

Succulents Summary Care Guide

Now that you know the different types of succulents available. Here is a short list of how to care for them.

• While you find vast types of succulents, they all need ample sunlight of three to six hours of direct sunlight a day.

• The rule of thumb is to let the soil dry completely between watering.

• Provide your plants with warm temperatures and high humidity, as many are not frost-resistant.

• Lastly, please provide them with porous soil that is free draining to prevent wet feet from leading to root rot.

Final Thought

We hope you found the article interesting and that it helps you decide what succulent plants to gift yourself, your family, and your friends.

Whether you place them in hanging baskets or grow them as office plants, the succulent plants will brighten up any living space or garden.

If you are interested in any of these plants with their waxy leaves, make sure to check out our indoor plant collection to find one.