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How Do Succulents Get Pollinated? Master These Steps and It's Easy

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Succulents are deeply loved for their strong vitality, ease of care, and cute green appearance. When they bloom, their green fleshy leaves cluster around the flowers, so have you ever wondered how they get pollinated? It is actually not difficult; we just need to find the stamens and rub one on the stigma of another flower.

1. Preparation Before Pollination

First, select two flower buds that are blooming at almost the same time, and be careful to distinguish the stamens from the pistils. The part where small dewdrops appear is the stigma of the pistil, and pollen travels through here to the ovary to complete the pollination process.

On the second or third day after the flower bud has fully opened, the stigma will produce small dewdrops, just like bursting with juice, and it is best to pollinate at this time; pollinating too early or too late will cause pollination to fail. The yellow, frizzy-looking parts on the outer ring of the flower are the stamens, and you must wait until they burst open before collecting pollen.

2. Pollination Steps

Some flowers have relatively small openings, so to make pollination easier, you need to cut off the sepals and petals on the outer part of the flower. At the same time, to prevent its own pollen from being deposited on its own stigma, the stamens should also be cut off and set aside for later use. With the sepals and other parts no longer blocking the way, the success rate of pollination is greatly improved, and impurities on the sepals will not affect seed collection.

Most succulents cannot self-pollinate, so the stamens cut from the two flowers should be numbered to avoid confusion: stamen No. 1 pollinates the stigma of flower No. 2, and stamen No. 2 pollinates the stigma of flower No. 1. Rub the cut stamen No. 1 onto the stigma of flower No. 2 so that its pollen evenly covers it until the pollen is clearly visible. If there is honey on the stigma, remove it completely before pollinating. Once these steps are done, the pollination process is basically complete.

3. Wait for the Seeds to Mature

After pollination is finished, all you can do is slowly wait for the seeds to mature. After successful pollination, the seed pod will gradually split open as it matures, the seeds will be partly exposed, and when the time comes they will naturally fall out. You can place a box under the seed pod to collect the fallen seeds.

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