Succulents, with their thick fleshy leaves and stems, used to be the neglected stepchild of the Southern California home garden.
“People were just more interested in other kinds of plants for their yards,” says Suzanne Hetrick, a succulent specialist who works for Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach.
Many succulents are indigenous or easily adaptable to the Southern California climate, so they thrive in less-than-flattering spots — populating the borders around commercial properties, springing up in vacant lots, wildly taking over unattended pots. Jade, aloe vera and hens and chicks propagate as easily as weeds in this part of the world.
Succulents are also misunderstood. “A lot of people think that all succulents are cactus and dry-climate plants, but they’re not,” Hetrick says. “Some of them come from tropical areas or cool areas. There’s incredible variety.”
Times change. California’s perennial water challenges, combined with a renewed appreciation for sustainable plants, have made succulents a popular choice for small decorative gardens, verges, walkway borders and green walls in our semi-arid climate zone. Hybridizing has produced many attractive and unusual variations of long-familiar succulents. And there’s no denying the appeal of a plant that requires little care, maintenance or irrigation.
Many gardeners, though, haven’t given much thought to succulent garden design. Perhaps it’s difficult to get imaginative about plants that we regularly see on hiking trails and in mall parking lots. But since not all succulents being sold locally are from our climate zone, it’s important to know how and where to plant them and when to water them.
“Not every (succulent) likes to have a lot of sun,” Hetrick says, as we stroll the expansive grounds of Roger’s Gardens. She points to a small, delicate plant, almost lime green in color. “For example, this one right here is called Little Missy. It’s a great succulent, but if it gets too much sun, it’ll burn. As you can see, it’s very pale, and much like pale people, it needs to avoid the afternoon sun. Morning sun is great.”
You need to be careful about combining less sun-tolerant plants like Little Missy with some other succulents, Hetrick warns. “Agaves and other true cacti can take the sun and the heat all day long. They prefer that hot afternoon exposure.”
Proximity to the Pacific Ocean also plays an important part in succulent planting choices, Hetrick notes. The farther you live from the moderating coastal influence, the more you need to pay attention to mixing and matching succulents in your garden. “At the coast, you can kind of do what you like, but as you move farther inland, it’s better to protect (more delicate succulents) from the brutal heat of summer.”
Irrigation is just as important in a succulent garden as any other kind of garden, Hetrick says. “I remind people to think of the word ‘succulent.’ If you imagine a succulent piece of fruit, it’s juicy; it has a lot of water in it. Succulents will live off themselves if you’re not watering them, but they won’t look as beautiful after a while. They like to be watered regularly but sparingly.”
A drip irrigation system is best, but most succulents should be watered only when the soil has dried out completely. That said, there’s no universal watering schedule that works for all succulents; learn by watching the health of the plant. Under-irrigated succulents become shriveled; over-irrigated succulents can lose their structure and rot.
Soil is another important consideration.
“Succulents have to be in soil that drains well. You don’t want them sitting in water,” Hetrick says.
The best succulent soil is porous, with a lower percentage of organic matter than traditional soil mixes. A loose and large-grained mixture that includes sand and perlite or pumice is best.
Hetrick recommends following the usual rules of garden design when arranging your succulents. Combine plants of different sizes, shapes, textures and colors in a way that’s pleasing, structured and harmonious, with some variety but not too much. Create rhythm through repetition and symmetrical placement.
“A lot of people come in and buy a whole lot of different succulents for a fairly small garden. Instead of having 20 different kinds, maybe focus on three to five and repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat,” Hetrick says.
Make sure you know how large each succulent can get and how quickly each variety matures. You don’t want your tall showcase succulent in the center to be overtaken by the faster-growing plants on the edges.
Here are some of Hetrick’s favorite succulents for home gardens:
- Furcraea macdougalii (MacDougall’s Century Plant): A large rosette-forming succulent, this showy beauty sprouts long, upright leaves that can easily grow to 6 feet or more. It can top out at 20 feet in the right spot. “They’re super big,” Hetrick says. “Even if you get them small, they will turn into a very impressive specimen piece for your garden.”
- Agave ovatifolia (Whale’s Tongue Agave): Dramatic and cold-hardy, with a single rounded rosette surrounded by thick, cupped, powder-blue to gray leaves. “They’re big and impressive, with a wonderful color,” Hetrick says.
- Calandrinia spectabilis: A robust succulent that produces a continuous and verdant bloom of small, pink, rose-like flowers. “You don’t usually get succulents for their flowers, but this one is a champion,” Hetrick says. “They’re almost like orchids in the way they bloom. They send out a big spike and then one will bloom, and then the next one and the next one and the next one. And they’ll bloom for a really long time.”
- Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns): Recently developed hybrids have given this garden favorite fresh possibilities, Hetrick says. “There are newer varieties of the Crown of Thorns that have bigger stems, white and yellow flowers, and the plant stays a little bit smaller. There’s also a whole group that has bigger flowers. You can pot them or put them in the garden. They make a good hedge, too, and help keep out bunnies and other nuisances.”
- Sedum Autumn Joy: A reliable bloomer, the flower shifts colors as it matures, from pink to bronze rose to brick red. This classic garden succulent has also benefited from hybridizing, Hetrick says. She points to a healthy purple specimen. “This one’s called ‘Conga Line.’ It has a little bit more of a burgundy color. They’re usually at their best around August or September.”
- Adenium: Often called the desert rose, the adenium’s trumpet-shaped pink flowers make this succulent a standout even in a garden full of blooming plants. It comes in five varieties, all with oval, grayish-green leaves that aren’t thick like most succulent leaves. A big sun lover, it blooms in early spring and early fall.
- Echeveria runyonii (Topsy Turvy): Also known as Mexican hens and chicks, its squarish, blue-green leaves, sometimes tipped with red, add unusual color to a succulent garden. It sprouts orange and yellow flowers in the autumn. Plant Topsy Turvy in a garden with full sun to partial shade.
- Haworthia: These small, slow-growing succulents, native to South Africa, are sometimes called zebra cactus, pearl, star window and cushion aloe. They have rosettes of fleshy green leaves covered with white pearly warts or bands. They shouldn’t get full sun all day, and they don’t like extremely hot weather.
- Hoya Carnosa “Compacta”: Sometimes called the Hindu rope plant, Krinkle Kurl, porcelain flower or wax plant, its fleshy, curled, waxy leaves can vary from dark green to variegated green and white. Adaptable to different lighting conditions, it’s perfect for draping over garden walls or in hanging baskets, and it grows slowly.
- Lithops: These little beauties can make you do a double take. Small and often colorful, they look like brightly colored pebbles. Lithops don’t produce any leaves, but they often split during the reproductive cycle. Lithops prefer morning light and partial shade in the afternoon.
- Pedilanthus Bracteatus: Tall, hardy, willowy and showy, this eye-popper is turning into a home garden star. Its long, tapering stalk, almond-shaped leaves and soft peach single-petal blossoms make it a perfect garden centerpiece. Commonly called “tall slipper plant,” it can grow to 7 feet or more.
Looking for garden stores that specialize in succulents? Consider these:
Calwest Nursery, 2361 Adams St., Riverside, 951-354-9378
E Street Garden Center (e.streetgardencenter on Instagram), 3293 N. E St., San Bernardino, 909-804-0346
LA Succulents, 11226 Christy Ave., Lake View Terrace, 818-732-0611
OC Succulents, 3350 Warner Ave., Irvine, 949-552-9619
