Succulents

Succulents are enjoying their day in the sun. For the past ten years, gardeners have been having a love affair with this diverse group of plants, appreciating their sophistication of shape and geometry. Succulents’ assets are many. They are good for fire retardation in regions where risk of wildfires is high. They are drought tolerant and low maintenance. They grow well in pots but can also grow in tough places where most plants won’t. And succulents produce eye-catching blooms and come in a rainbow of foliage colors. What’s not to love?

The enthusiasm for this wondrous plant group is in large part due to the work of Debra Lee Baldwin, author of three books on the topic. Long before she wrote her first book, Designing with Succulents (Timber Press, 2007), she was growing these plants in her Southern California garden, and writing about them for magazines such as Sunset and Better Homes and Gardens.

Succulents are the camels of the plant world. They store water in their fleshy leaves and live off that moisture through rainless months of dry heat. Their shallow roots may wither away during extreme periods of drought. But when rains return, usually in winter, roots regrow and fuel new growth in spring.

Knowing their natural inclinations is essential to growing them successfully. “One of the worst things you can do to a succulent is over water it,” says Baldwin. “Often people over water their plants without even realizing it. It can take weeks for a dying succulent to look dead, then all of a sudden it turns to mush.” If you’ve found yourself in a similar dilemma, heed Baldwin’s advice. “Water them about once a week spring through fall, but don’t worry if you skip a time or two,” she says. “They won’t miss you when you’re away. They look better with regular water, but they can get by without.”

Whether planted in the ground or in containers, make sure the setups have good drainage and good air circulation. Most of the succulent genera are adapted to arid climates and have no natural defenses against pests such as mealybugs, mold, and mildew.

Succulents, for the most part, are light-loving plants, needing at least six hours of sun exposure daily. If you overwinter them indoors, make sure they are in a bright window or keep them under grow lights for at least six hours daily.

While winter-hardy succulents do exist, most of this diverse group of plants is frost-tender. “Succulents from the New World and northern climes, such as sempervivums and some sedums, agaves, cacti, and echeverias, have inbuilt antifreeze so they can tolerate low temperatures,” says Baldwin. “But most from South Africa and Madagascar don’t have that protection. If the water in their leaves freezes, the moisture expands and bursts through cell walls, which can kill them.”

Tender plants will overwinter indoors as long as they have enough light, but Baldwin also suggests that there’s nothing wrong with growing succulents as annuals. “Enjoy them in the warm months as you would pansies and petunias, and then throw them away,” she says.

Given the right environment and care, succulents can thrive. And it’s simple, according to Baldwin’s summation: Grow them in well-draining soil, water infrequently and mainly during the growing season, protect tender varieties from freezing, and grow them in a sunny location with good air circulation. Written by Catriona Tudor Erler. Photography provided by (from left) ©iStockphoto.com/ pullia, ©iStockphoto.com/hudiemm, ©iStockphoto.com/ kittimage, ©iStockphoto.com/hudiemm.