31 Types of Succulents Worth Growing

Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf

Many of the more than 10,000 different types of succulents live up to their reputation of being low-maintenance plants, though some succulents need more care and are a bit more finicky to grow than others.

Here are 31 popular types of succulents, both houseplants and outdoor plants, that are easy to care for. Succulents grown as houseplants should be planted in potting mix specially formulated for succulents, or cacti, palms, and citrus trees, or in light, fast-draining indoor potting mix.

Tip

If you are unsure which succulent will do well in your indoor or outdoor space, read more about how much light succulents need, or how to pick out grow lights for succulents. 

Jade Plant

The fleshy, oval leaves and thick, woody stems of this houseplant resemble tiny tree trunks. It grows slowly, about 2 inches per year, but grows between 3 and 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Jade plants are toxic to pets.

• Name: Jade plant (Crassula ovata)

• Light: Bright indirect sunlight

• Water needs: Moderate

Silver Dollar Plant

This Crassula species is a multi-stemmed indoor shrub growing up to 4 feet tall. It has rounded blue-gray leaves with maroon edges. It is toxic to pets.

• Name: Silver dollar plant (Crassula arborescens)

• Light: Bright indirect light

• Water needs: Low

Donkey's Tail

With its rows of fleshy, tear-drop shaped blue-green leaves, this is a good choice for hanging plants indoors. It canreach trailing lengths of up to 4 feet but the average length is around 24 inches.

• Name: Donkey's tail (Sedum morganianum)

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Water needs: Low

Mexican Snowballs

This rosette-shaped succulent with thick, fleshy blue-green to silver-green leaves can be grown as a houseplant or as a garden plant. It grows up to 8 inches tall and 12 inches wide.

• Name: Mexican snowballs (Echeveria elegans)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water needs: Low

Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg'

It’s the striking color change that makes this echeveria hybrid so popular as a houseplant. The solitary rosette of paddle-shaped, pastel leaves has a dusty, muted grayish color in low light that turns bright purple and pink in direct sun.

• Name: Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg'

• Light: Bright light

• Water needs: Low

String of Pearls

For a hanging basket, either indoors or outdoors, consider this trailing Senecio variety with dangling stems of round leaves. It reaches a length of 3 to 5 feet if you let it grow.

• Name: String of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)

• USDA zone: 9-12

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Candelabra Cactus

The name of this plant comes from the dark green, four-lobed stems and a columnar growth structure that branches out as the plant matures. Indoors, it reaches 8 to 10 feet in heigh, outdoors it grows to a towering 40 feet. It is toxic to humans and pets.

• Name: Candelabra cactus (Euphorbia ingens)

• USDA zone: 10-11

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water needs: Low

Crown of Thorns

If you are looking for a succulent with almost year-round bloom, this is it. The plant has thick, bright green leaves and showy bracts in red, orange, pink, yellow, or white but also thorns. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall outdoors, and 2 feet maximum indoors. It is toxic to humans and pets.

• Name: Crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Soil: Well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Aloe Vera

Even though it may take years for it to develop its spiky flowers, the fleshy lance-shape leaves with jagged edges make this an attractive houseplant. Aloe vera grows 12 to 36 inches tall. It is toxic to pets.

• Name: Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller)

• Light: Bright natural light

• Water Needs: Water regularly except during dormancy

Christmas Cactus

In cold climates, Christmas cactus is usually grown as a houseplant, but you can bring it outdoors during the summer. It has fleshy flattened leaves that are slightly serrated on each side. The vibrant flowers of this holiday plant provide a welcome splash of color during the winter.

• Name: Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi)

• USDA zone: 10-12

• Light: Partial shade or diffused light

• Soil: Loamy, moist, well-drained

• Water Needs: Moderate

Chocolate Soldier Plant

The pale-green leaves of this houseplant are covered with grayish-white fuzz and rimmed with chocolate brown spots. It grows up to 2 feet tall. The plant is toxic to pets.

• Name: Chocolate soldier plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)

• Light: Bright indirect light

• Water Needs: Low

Flapjack

Because of the paddle- or clam-like shape of its leaves, this plant is also known as the paddle plant. It can be grown as a houseplant or outdoors, growing 1 to 2 feet tall and spreading in wide rosette clusters of 2 to 3 feet. It is toxic to pets.

• Name: Flapjack (Kalanchoe luciae)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Soil: Loamy, sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Flaming Katy

Its repeated bloom is one of the reasons why this is a popular houseplant, which is on the smaller size with 6 to 18 inches in height and width. The flower clusters extend above the scallop-shaped leaves. It is toxic to pets.

• Name: Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)

• Light: Bright natural light

• Water Needs: Low

Ponytail Palm

The tuft of strappy green leaves emerging from a bulbous stem makes this look like a palm but it’s a succulent that can be grown outdoors or indoors, where is stays much smaller, about 6 to 8 feet in height.

• Name: Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

• USDA zone: 10-11

• Light: Full sun, bright indirect light indoors

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Snake Plant

Nearly indestructible is a common description used for this houseplant with stiff, sword-like leaves. It may reach up to 8 feet in height but it’s a slow grower. The plant is toxic to pets.

• Name: Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata)

• Light: Indirect light with some direct sun

• Water Needs: Low

Zebra Haworthia

The thick dark green leaves with horizontal white stripes gave this houseplant plant its name. Like most Haworthias, this is a small plant, reaching only 5 to 8 inches in height.

• Name: Zebra haworthia (Haworthia fasciata)

• Light: Bright light near an east- or west-facing window

• Water Needs: Low

Mother of Thousands

If you grow this plant, which got its name from the many baby plantlets that grow along the edges of its serrated leaves, as a houseplant, you might not see it bloom. Outdoors, it develops dangling pinkish-gray flowers after a few years. The mature size is 3 feet. The plant is toxic to pets.

• Name: Mother of thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full sun, partial shade outdoors, indirect light indoors

• Soil: Well-drained

• Water Needs: Needs regular watering

Pink Quill

This small houseplant—it only grows 10 inches tall—can be grown in a pot or as an air plant. Its large, long-lasting, showy pink bracts resemble ink quills. They start out pink and turn green over time.

• Name: Pink quill (Tillandsia cyanea)

• Light: Partial sun in east or west-facing window

• Water Needs: Low

Ghost Plant

In a warm climate, you can grow this low-growing succulent outdoors, otherwise as a potted houseplant. It has whiteish-grey pointed leaves and trailing rosette form, 6 to 12 inches tall. The rosettes take a blue-gray hue in partial shade or a pinkish-yellow tone in full sun.

• Name: Ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full to partial sun, south- or east-facing window

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Jelly Bean Succulents

When grown as a potted houseplant, this cute low-growing sedum that is native to Mexico is more contained than outdoors where it sprawls so it can be planted as a groundcover.

• Name: Jelly bean succulents (Sedum rubrotinctum)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Living Stones

In warm climates, these ground-hugging succulents from Africa can be grown outdoors. In cold climates, plant them in pots so you bring them indoors for the winter. There are many different types of living stones, which all grow extremely slowly.

• Name: Living stones (Lithops spp.)

• USDA zone: 10-11

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Hens and Chicks

One of the hardiest succulents, hens and chicks can be planted outdoors in a wide climate range. They also make good potting plants, but there is no need to bring them indoors for the winter.

• Name: Hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)

• USDA zone: 3-11

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Parry’s Agave

This handsome agave for outdoor settings has slate gray-bluish rosettes. It has a clump-forming growth habit and grows up to 3 feet in height. The flower stalk reaches up to 20 feet in height.

• Name: Parry’s agave (Agave parryi)

• USDA zone: 7-10

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, loamy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Moderate

Propeller Plant

While other Senecio varieties are not cold-hardy, this type is able to handle some frost. It has bluish, flattened leaves on an upright plant that grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide.

• Name: Propeller plant (Senecio crassissimus)

• USDA zone: 10-11

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Autumn Joy Stonecrop

One of the most popular sedums for landscaping, this stonecrop (which was previously classified as a sedum) has gray-green, rounded, succulent-like leaves. The plant, which grows up to 2 feet tall, blooms in the late summer to fall with tiny, pink, star-shaped flowers.

• Name: Autumn Joy stonecrop (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’)

• USDA zone: 3-9

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Angelina Stonecrop

This groundcover sedum forms a low-growing mat with tiny yellow flowers throughout the summer. In the fall, the foliage turns an orange rust color. It can be grown in containers but it does not need to be overwintered indoors.

• Name: Angelina stonecrop (Sedum rupestre 'Angelina')

• USDA zone: 5-9

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Soil: Well-drained

• Water Needs: Moderate

Hardy Ice Plant

The name is a bit misleading—most ice plants are warm-climate perennials. Hardy ice plant is a species at the more cold-hardy end of the spectrum. It grows only 3 to 6 inches tall and has magenta flowers.

• Name: Hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi)

• USDA zone: 6-10

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Eastern Prickly Pear

One of the most popular prickly pear species for outdoors is also one of the hardiest. Eastern prickly pear is a sprawling, ground-hugging cactus that grows up to 12 inches tall and wide. It produces yellow flowers with an orange or red center from May through July.

• Name: Eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa)

• USDA zone: 4-9

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Giant Chalk Dudleya

The 12- to 18-inch wide, whitish blue-green rosette is an eye catcher in any landscape. This is a non-branching Dudleya variety that produces a tall, vibrant red stalk and bright yellow flowers when in bloom.

• Name: Giant chalk dudleya (Dudleya brittonii)

• USDA zone: 9-10

• Light: Full sun

• Soil: Sandy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Tree Aeonium

With its bright green rosettes on a branching stem, the growth habit of this tall succulent is more like a shrub than a tree. In a warm climate, you can plant it outdoors where it will grow to about 6 feet. In colder climate, plant it in a container and overwinter it indoors. Potted plants max out at a height of about 3 feet.

• Name: Tree aeonium (Aeonium arboretum)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Full sun to part shade

• Soil: Sandy loam, well-drained

• Water Needs: Moderate

African Milk Tree

Although you can grow it as a houseplant, due to its vigorous growth (1 to 2 feet per year), an outdoor setting works better for this lush plant. It is toxic to humans and pets.

• Name: African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona)

• USDA zone: 9-11

• Light: Partial sun

• Soil: Loamy, well-drained

• Water Needs: Low

Read Next: How to Repot Succulents in 6 Easy Steps, Plus When to Do It

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common succulents?

Succulents are very popular plants to start with because of their undemanding care. The most common types of succulents for indoors are aloe vera, snake plant, mother of thousands, jade plant, string of pearls, and agave. Common outdoor succulents in the landscape include agave, stonecrop (Sedum), hens and chicks, echeveria, and kalanchoe.

How often do I need to water a succulent?

The frequency of watering depends on the type of succulent, the sun exposure, whether it’s an indoor or outdoor plant, and other factors. It is unfortunately tempting to overwater a succulent. To avoid this, follow the rule of thumb for watering succulents and let the soil dry out to a certain degree between waterings. Learn how to read the signs when your succulent needs water.

Which succulents are the easiest to take care of?

Aloe vera, jade plant, hens and chicks, and the snake plant have a reputation for being especially easy to care for but there are many other no-fuss succulents. Generally, succulents that are grown for their foliage are easier to care for than succulents that are grown for their flowers.

Is it difficult to take care of succulents?

Succulents are so popular just because they require minimal care. They are very forgiving if you forget to water them. they need very little fertilizer and infrequent repotting, and they tolerate dry indoor environments in which the leaves of other plants turn brown. And even if a succulent shows signs of stress, it can often be revived.

Read the original article on The Spruce.