8 reasons succulents are so endearing, and how to grow charming potted plants

I really enjoy looking at all kinds of interesting and cute succulents. Their leaves can grow to look like flowers, even like lotuses, Chinese roses, peonies and so on. They can be propagated from both leaves and stems, and they can survive even if you often forget to water them. All of this makes them very lovable.

Like the succulent miniature landscape above, with the very tall aloe, the large patch of red Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood', plus the powdery white Graptopetalum paraguayense and the black Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and other succulents.

Succulents are also great as landscaping plants. Paired with some rusty or plain containers, they look especially fresh and lovely. In northern regions you can grow cold-hardy succulents such as Sempervivum, Graptopetalum paraguayense or Hylotelephium spectabile 'Autumn Joy'.

1. Succulents do not need frequent care

Succulents like well-drained sandy soil. You can mix peat soil and granular stone (perlite) at a 1:1 ratio, keeping it loose and airy, which is best for growing succulents.

Sedum album

Succulents grow in desert or semi-desert regions. Caring for succulents requires very little water, and in places with plenty of summer rain they basically need no watering at all.

Succulents can also grow well in some arid places. Growing succulents in pots is the choice of most gardening enthusiasts, and choosing a container with larger drainage holes is key.

Sedum acre and blue sedge

What is shown in the photo above is a succulent landscape arranged in a larger container, with some creeping succulents beside it, such as the common sedum.

It also looks good from a distance. Planted in this spot it has good drainage and basically needs no management.

When watering, do not sprinkle it directly on top. In summer you should especially control watering, in winter reduce the watering frequency even more, and stop watering when it is cold.

Overwatering easily causes yellow leaves, rotting stems, leaf spots, leaf drop and other problems.

If beginners are not sure when to water succulents, they can wait until the leaves look a little wrinkled or shrunken, then water. This keeps the succulents alive, and after caring for them for a while it becomes easy to master the watering frequency.

2. Succulents love sunshine

As long as you make sure the potting soil for succulents has good drainage, mixing peat soil with sand or perlite in roughly equal parts is enough to grow succulents well.

Succulents especially love light. In a spot with plenty of light they grow even better. Ample sunlight plus a suitable temperature difference makes succulents show all kinds of beautiful colors, such as the common green, pink, red and black.

Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood', Graptopetalum paraguayense and aloe growing on a wheelbarrow

4. Succulents come in rich forms

Succulents have a great many forms, sizes and colors. They can be planted in all kinds of environments and grown in all kinds of containers; the most important thing is to keep the container well drained.

There are especially many varieties of succulents. If you like collecting succulents of various forms, you can choose different forms and combine them. Below is a succulent landscape made from a discarded stone mill.

With proper care, succulents can also produce beautiful flowers. Most succulents can bloom beautifully; it is only a question of how difficult they are to care for. The Sempervivum arachnoideum below is very popular and produces truly wonderful flowers.

A discarded mop basket paired with a small bucket becomes a charming succulent landscape.

4. Succulents are cheap

As long as you do not buy particularly rare or uncommon succulents, the vast majority of succulents are very cheap. You can even buy a few small ones for just a few yuan. The most important thing is that succulents can be propagated from leaves, so buying leaves to propagate yourself is also a good choice.

For growing succulents you can choose well-drained, loose and airy terracotta pots, which are also very inexpensive. Once you have more succulents you can keep propagating them, and you can give the extra potted plants to friends.

5. Rich variety

When you first start growing succulents, it is especially easy to become obsessed. There are so many varieties that after growing a few you want to buy other varieties you do not have. The key is that they are all cheap, but at the beginning it is hard to grow them well, succulents struggle to overwinter, and they easily die in summer.

In summer, succulents should avoid harsh sun exposure, get appropriate shade, and avoid waterlogging, so keeping the soil well drained is key.

Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' paired with a cup

In the usual warm, dry conditions, you can plant succulents freely in the yard, but you must do the drainage work well and choose loose, airy soil. In places with little soil you can even plant them in rock crevices, choosing varieties with especially strong adaptability to the environment, such as Sempervivum.

Graptopetalum paraguayense growing on a stone mill, growing very vigorously.

6. Succulents can be indoor potted plants

Some succulents can also grow in places with less sunlight, but most like ample light. In places with less light you should reduce watering. They can also be grown on a windowsill with suitable light, and they do not need frequent watering.

7. Succulents are especially drought tolerant

As long as you avoid frequent watering and keep the environment well ventilated with plenty of sunlight, they can survive without frequent care, making them perfect for lazy people or those who often travel for work or trips.

Succulents are very tough perennial plants. Beginners can choose varieties that are hard to kill, such as the common Graptopetalum paraguayense, Sempervivum, Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' and so on.

Sempervivum (top) and Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (bottom) are both especially cold-hardy varieties that can survive in ice and snow, and their leaf colors also become very charming.

8. They can be propagated continuously

Succulents can be continuously propagated by leaf and stem cuttings, which is very interesting. Sometimes a leaf accidentally knocked off can sprout on its own in the soil.

Cut stems about 4~6 cm long and insert them in soil and they will take root and sprout. Right after cuttings are taken you cannot water them yet; they must be kept in a ventilated spot with bright light for 5~7 days before you can water them.

Besides being very drought tolerant, succulents also include relatively cold-hardy varieties, such as the common Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood', blue spruce stonecrop, Sempervivum, succulent snow mountain, Graptopetalum paraguayense, Echeveria 'Topsy Turvy' and so on.