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By Arricca Elin SanSone
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Published Nov 23, 2023
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Even if you’re a novice plant parent, we promise: You can grow succulents! For starters, succulents don’t need babied and they come in so many fun sizes and shapes. “Anyone can grow succulents. The plants like the same conditions you do: warmth, sunlight, and dryness,” says Debra Lee Baldwin, author of Designing with Succulents.
There are hundreds of varieties of succulents. Many grow outdoors in warm climates, but some thrive as indoor plants, too. Succulents range in size from tabletop to gigantic specimens. But many of the potentially huge ones can be kept small if planted in pots, says Baldwin.
Even better? Because succulents are plants that store water in their leaves, stems and roots, they can go weeks between waterings. The category also includes cacti, which have spines that may be soft, spiky, conical, curved or barbed. But, interestingly, while all cacti are succulents, not all succulents are cacti, says Baldwin.
The most important thing to understand about these plants is how to water succulents. “The surest way to kill a succulent is to overwater,” says Baldwin. “Once a week is plenty for most succulents.” It may be even less frequently depending on the plant and the environmental conditions.
To figure out when a succulent needs watered, poke your finger in the soil; if soil clings, it’s too soon. Try again in a few days, and water only when the soil feels mostly dry. Also, make sure the pot has drainage holes, and dump out any water remaining in the saucer after watering.
How Many Varieties of Succulent Plants Are There?
There are thousands of succulent varieties, but a precise number is hard to identify because, plant expert atThe Sill tell us: “Succulent is an umbrella term that can be attributed to any plant that has evolved adaptations to survive arid conditions [and] does not refer to any specific family of plants.” What’s more, it’s possible for non-succulent plants to become succulents, or at least more succulent, in response to changes in their climate conditions, so the number of varieties isn’t even fixed. That said, all succulents do share some common characteristics: They hail from hot and dry climates, require less watering than your average houseplant and possess some “physical characteristic that relates to their moisture-storing capacity (be it plump leaves, thick stems or rhizomes).”
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Ahead, here are 22 of our favorite succulents for your indoor or outdoor spaces
22 TYPES OF SUCCULENTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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1. Haworthia
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when top inch or so of soil feels dry
This cute little plant has textured, spiky leaves and tolerates lower light levels than many other succulents on the list. It makes a great tabletop plant for small spaces.
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2. Aloe Vera
- Sunlight: Direct sunlight, though it will tolerate bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when soil feels completely dry
Aloe vera plantshave a handsome, textural form. Some have smoother edges than others, while many have a pretty blue-green cast. Bonus: The gel inside can be used to help soothe minor burns; simply snap off a leaf at the base and apply.
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- Sunlight: Bright, direct sunlight
- Water: Water every few weeks when soil dries out completely
Echeveria grows in a pretty rosette shape and comes in shades of green, blue-green, reddish, and tinged with pink. In USDA Hardiness zones 9 and warmer (find your zone here), you can grow these outdoors. Otherwise, echeveria make pretty tabletop houseplants.
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4. Jade Plant
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when the top few inches of soil feel dry
Jade plants look like miniature trees with a cute, upright form. They can live for decades with the right care.
Amazon
5. Snake Plant
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light but can adapt to medium or low light
- Water: Every few weeks when the soil feels mostly dry
It doesn’t get much easier than snake plant, which seemingly thrives on neglect! The strong, upright form adds architectural interest to any space. Snake plant can live for decades with little care.
The Sill
6. ZZ Plant
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light but can adapt to medium or low light
- Water: Water every few weeks when soil feels mostly dry
With glossy, dark green leaves and an upright form, the Zamioculcas zamiifolia, also known as ZZ plant, is an especially attractive indoor plant. It’s another plant that doesn’t need much TLC to look good.
Plants.com
- Sunlight: Bright light, will tolerate bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when the top inch or so of soil feels dry
This delightful succulent with tiny beads that look like—you guessed it—a string of pearls is a fun houseplant. It looks especially good in a hanging pot or trailing over the edges of end tables or bookshelves.
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8. Hoya
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when soil is completely dry
There are many different varieties of hoya plants, but the one commonly called porcelain or wax plant (Hoya carnosa) is a great choice for beginners. It has thick, waxy vining foliage and sweetly-scented star-shaped flowers, which appear when the plants are two to three years old.
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9. Sempervivum
- Sunlight: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day)
- Water: Every month or so if it hasn’t rained; drought-tolerant once established
This succulent is often called hens and chicks because the mother plant (hens!) quickly produces offsets, or baby plants (chicks!). This rosette-shaped succulent grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. It resembles echeveria but has pointier leaves and is cold-hardy, whereas echeveria grows outdoors only in warm climates. Plant in pots if your soil is heavy cla that doesn’t drain well.
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10. Peperomia
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when top few inches of soil are dry
There are many different types of this succulent. Some are called baby rubber plants, some are variegated and some are called watermelon plants because of their striped foliage. But they’re all easy-care and fun to grow for their cute, rounded leaves.
11.Kalanchoe
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when soil feels mostly dry
This petite succulent has pretty yellow, pink, orange or red flowers that last for weeks and weeks. However, it is very difficult to get it to rebloom next year (you must give it total darkness for 12 or so hours each day starting in fall, such as in a closet or room that’s seldom used at night). If you’re not up for the extra work, enjoy it as a short-term plant and compost when it has faded.
Bloomscape
12. Dracaena
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every every week or so when of soil feels dry
There are many kinds of dracaena, but they’re all easy-care plants. Two favorites: Corn plant is upright and stalky like a tree, while dragon tree has Dr. Seuss-like grassy leaves that come off of several stems.
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13. Moonstone Plant
- Sunlight: Bright, direct light
- Water: Every few weeks when it feels completely dry
At first glance, this plant doesn’t even look real! It’s rounded shapes resemble stones, but it’s actually a fun succulent that makes a great indoor plant, though it can also grow outdoors in warm climates.
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14. Ponytail Palm
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every week or so when soil feels mostly dry
Strappy leaves emerge from a bulbous base, resembling a messy ponytail! This is a fun plant for growing indoors or outdoors in a warm climate.
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15. Holiday Cactus
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Water when top few inches of soil feel dry
These pretty plants can live for decades with the right care! They typically bloom around the holidays and may be labeled as a Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus, though Thanksgiving cactus are much more commonly available. You can tell the difference by looking at the flattened stems: Thanksgiving cactus have sharp, pointy edges, while Christmas cactus have more rounded. They require the exact same care.
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16. Pencil Cactus
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when soil feels mostly dry
This fun and funky cactus has long, pencil-like stems. It is tolerant of neglect, so good news if you forget to water occasionally!
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17. Ric Rac Cactus
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every week or so when the top inch or two of soil dries out
This adorable cactus has crazy ric rac shaped flattened stems. If it gets enough light, it will bloom indoors, though this is rare.
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18. Sedum
- Sunlight: Full sun
- Water: Every week to establish; drought tolerant once established
There are many types of sedum including low-growing types and upright forms that have sturdy blooms that appear late in the growing season. They don’t mind poor or sandy soils, and most are quite cold-hardy, but read the tag to be sure.
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19. Pilea
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every week or so when top inch of soil dries out
Also known as coin plant, UFO plant or money plant, this cute little succulent has rounded leaves. It also can go outdoors in the summertime, but keep it out of direct sunlight or it will get sunburned. It makes “pups” that pop up around the base, which you can pinch off and pot for new plants.
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20. Ice Plant
- Sunlight: Full sun
- Water: Every week to establish; drought tolerant once established
Also known as delosperma, the ice plant is the perfect addition to garden beds, rock gardens and hillsides. It comes in many gorgeous jewel tones and blooms from spring to frost. It shouldn’t be confused with another plant that’s also called ice plant, which is a different and invasive species with the botanical name,Carpobrotus.
Bilal Photos/Getty images
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light
- Water: Every few weeks when soil feels mostly dry
Is anything cuter than this succulent? Yes, it does look like a string of leaping dolphins, so who wouldn’t want to grow it? This plant looks amazing draping out of pots and draping over end tables or book shelves.
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22. Lucky Bamboo
- Sunlight: Bright, indirect light but will tolerate low light
- Water: Water every few weeks when soil is dry; or, if grown in water, change water weekly
Known by its common name, lucky bamboo isn’t actually bamboo! It’s a type of dracaena with the leaves removed so that it resembles bamboo. It may be grown in soil or water.
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How Do I Know What Kind Of Succulent I Have?
Succulents have skyrocketed in popularity, mainly because they’re so easy to grow. But with hundreds ofsucculent varietiesfor sale these days, it can be tough to determine what you have. In addition, some plants may not always be labeled accurately when you pick them up at, say, a big box retailer. If you want to ID one, you can talk to someone at your local nursery or type a physical description of the plant into your search bar. Or try using your phone to take a photo usingGoogle Lens.
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What Is The Most Common Type Of Succulent?
Some of the most popular succulents you can grow include aloe, snake plant, haworthia, holiday cactus, dracaena, sedum, and pilea.
Do Indoor Succulents Like Sun?
Indoor succulents like as much light as you can give them, says Baldwin. But many will adapt just fine to bright, indirect light near an east, west or south-facing window. They also do equally well under grow lights if your room is too dark.
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Arricca Elin SanSone
Freelance Gardening Editor
Arricca Elin SanSone is a gardener with more than 15 years of experience. In addition to PureWow, she writes for Prevention, Country Living, Veranda, The Spruce and many other...
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