Want to buy succulents in summer but afraid of killing them? 24 best choices with care guides

Location / Fujian

Editor / Succulent Plant Hub

I totally understand the feeling of wanting to buy succulents in summer too - what to do when you can't control it? Then just buy some easy-to-grow ones~

I remember in the last article, I really didn't recommend buying succulents in summer, but actually I understand - after all, I'm a variety collector, and it's really hard not being able to buy succulents for such a long time, especially that empty, powerless feeling of having no packages to unwrap. Say no more, I get it.

Yeah, but we're not spending money for nothing, right? Money is really hard to earn these days. So we should avoid varieties that are sure to die in summer and choose varieties that survive summer more easily, like summer-growing types. Some don't go dormant, or aren't afraid of heat.

Among these, the common ones definitely need no introduction. I'll just introduce some varieties that I personally find relatively easy to get through summer, that also have good looks, are fairly classic, and worth collecting, alright?

It is a succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, bred by crossing Echeveria pallida with Echeveria laui. (Introduction from encyclopedia)

First of all, White Phoenix is a summer-growing type, and its surface is quite powdery. Generally, ones with lots of powder get through summer well, and its parents themselves are summer-survival elites, so their child naturally isn't afraid of the test of the blazing sun.

From my own growing experience, White Phoenix gets through summer very well with no big problems. You just need to shelter it from rain and not let water accumulate in the leaf center, and then there's no problem.

As for its looks, it's also quite on point - after all, its parents' looks are also very high. White Phoenix is a large-type succulent and can grow to about 20 cm. When it colors up, it has pink edges, especially ethereal.

As for drawbacks, this guy really loves to spread out flat like a pancake. So it has relatively high sunlight requirements.

Cactaceae family, Mammillaria genus. I only got White Star this year, so without past years' experience to support me, I don't dare to boast.

It's definitely tough, and it's also a summer-growing type. It's also a small succulent and won't grow very big, only about 6-7 cm. It looks even better in clusters.

For watering, I recommend bottom soaking, so as not to damage its fuzz. I recommend this variety mainly because it's very pretty - its fuzz is soft, doesn't prick your hands, and is very cute.

This variety is not recommended for direct open-air growing; it needs rain shelter, as getting rained on may cause rot. My cactus from last year was rotted by rain.

It is a succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Kalanchoe genus

Many varieties in the rabbit ear series get through summer very well, and one of the peaks in looks is Blessed Rabbit Ear.

The fuzzy texture feels great in the hand, and when it colors up it's red. Blessed Rabbit Ear is also very tough. I've grown several myself - when they arrived they had no roots and few leaves, but they still survived.

It's also a summer-growing type, and getting through summer isn't particularly difficult. The only thing to note is that Blessed Rabbit Ear's flowering season is before early summer and at the start of summer, so it's recommended to cut off the flower stalks to avoid excessive consumption.

Because Blessed Rabbit Ear's leaves are relatively small and it doesn't have many leaves to begin with, letting it bloom would make consumption outpace growth, which isn't good for the plant.

The Ji Lian series has no pressure getting through summer, and it also pups like crazy - really suitable for opening a chicken farm!!!

The Ji Lian series succulents include: White Ji Lian, Blue Ji Lian, old version Little Red Coat, Esno, Meini Yuepo, Princess Meini, Encino, Pinwheel, Lloyd, and so on.

Based on my personal experience, Blue and White Ji get through summer most easily. The others, being small types, still have some difficulty getting through summer.

The Ji Lian series succulents all have decent looks, and they cluster super easily. For summer survival, I suggest not cutting water completely, because Ji Lian's leaves are all small, so you should still water a little along the edges. Although Ji Lian isn't a summer-growing type, it still keeps growing in summer.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, with parents E. strictiflora x E. shaviana.

Prince Charming is also a very tough variety. I personally find it especially easy to develop a stem, and it should be the easiest to get through summer among the cabbage series. As for looks, big curls - pretty interesting, isn't it? For summer survival, I think the key point is pest prevention. This guy grows lots of mealybugs in summer, so you must do a good job of pest prevention.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, with parents E. pallida x E. pulidonis.

I was inspired to get this one after reading a master's post on Tieba. The master compiled a whole series of lemon-series succulents. I took a fancy to this one at first glance. And it really didn't disappoint me.

This year I got a lot of Flower Crane - very tough, really no need to fuss over it. Getting through summer is a piece of cake too. In summer I even grew it outdoors for a long time with no problems. Now that I've shaded it, its color and condition haven't dropped at all. It really has won my heart.

When it colors up, it's lemon-colored with red edges, truly delightful to look at. The key point for summer survival is also to shelter it from rain and prevent water from accumulating in the leaf center. This variety also easily develops a stem.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus.

Peach Pride also grows very fast and easily develops a stem. Getting through summer is, you could say, like child's play. Last year I grew several Peach Prides in big Fujian, completely ignoring them - just left them there in the sun without watering, and they not only survived stubbornly but grew into big stems. Especially tough.

For Peach Pride, I relatively recommend controlled growing; its looks will soar. First grow a big thick stem, then move it into a small pot for controlled growing - it'll look amazing. For summer survival, I think as long as you do the four basic elements well, there's no problem.

Thick-leaved Blue Bird Echeveria blue bird

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus. Its parents were earliest considered to be E. cante x E. desmetiana "Subsessilis", but later it was guessed to be E. Colorata x E. desmetiana.

Pink Blue Bird should be one of my favorite varieties. Another succulent that breezes through summer. Last summer I also didn't give it much special care, and it had no problems at all, staying firm through all four seasons.

Although I can't achieve that ultimate condition shown in the picture, its thick powder with a slight pinkish tint already makes my heart flutter. I personally feel Pink Blue Bird's growth rate isn't very fast. As for summer survival key points, there aren't any - just don't be tempted to rub off its powder.

It is a succulent plant of the Agavaceae family, Agave genus. This species is a horticultural variety and a small variant of "Thor."

This is also a summer-growing type. Actually, Agavaceae succulents have no problems getting through summer. We have many native agave plants here, kept outdoors free-range year-round, growing tall and big with no problems at all. As for looks, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - radishes and greens, each to their own.

Key points for summer survival: be careful not to let water accumulate in the pot soil, to prevent root rot. Watering principle: water thoroughly only after the soil dries. Princess Thor must get sufficient light, otherwise it easily becomes leggy, and once leggy it's hard to regain compactness.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, a Moon Shadow series succulent.

Iria tends to get rather plain in summer, and leggy growth is also relatively easy. But its resistance is really good. My own Iria cluster last summer was cut off from water the whole summer with no care; a fragile branch had a bit of black, but after cutting it off there were no problems at all, and it split into many pots.

Iria easily crests and clusters. I'm also fairly satisfied with its looks - the white is very pure. Iria also propagates well from leaves, though the leaves are hard to remove, and the leaves are generally small. Key points for summer survival: lengthen the watering interval, shade, shelter from rain, ventilate - and you're all set.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, one of the classic varieties of the Dongyun series. Some also call it New Holy Rider, Echeveria 'Morgain'=Echeveria 'Victor Reiter'=Echeveria agavoides "Victor Reiter".

Most of the Dongyun series gets through summer quite well, but my top pick for the king of summer survival is Victor Reiter. Summer not only has no effect on it, but it even grows vigorously in summer, growing into a strong hunk.

As for looks, after autumn arrives and it's fully grown outdoors, its condition can be fully red, fiery red, especially imposing.

This variety also easily develops a stem, so its lower leaves are consumed quickly. The key point for summer survival is to diligently clean up its dry leaves, to prevent its leaves from inducing mold or the like.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus.

I originally got Pansy for its looks - when it colors up it's really ethereal. And it's really easy to keep. From my experience last year, I also cut off water and completely ignored it, with no problems at all.

What to note is that this variety shouldn't be completely cut off from water, because its leaves are thin and its roots need to be protected. If the roots dry out and die in summer, it's hard to recover in autumn. My own one took a relatively long time to recover, because the roots weren't good, so it stalled for a while.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, easy to care for, easy to cluster.

Miss Yeomiwol might be a bit of a letdown to its name, because at first glance it isn't that beautiful. But it's the type that grows on you. And Yeomiwol really gets through summer like it's on vacation.

Anyway, my Yeomiwol - no watering, no management - won't pull any tricks on me. If grown into a multi-headed stem, it's quite pretty.

Nicksana Echeveria "nicksana"

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus. The name is a transliteration. It may resemble White Peony but with richer colors, hence it's also called Variegated Peony.

I grow Nicksana outdoors year-round. Our area is rainy with high air humidity, and summers are long and hot, but it doesn't seem to mind. It has condition year-round, light orange.

This guy is a small type, easily develops a stem, and several small stems arranged in a pot look great. For summer survival, I feel there's nothing to note - after all, even when I ignore it, it lives freely and comfortably.

It is a member of the Moon Shadow series. Generally, ordinary Moon Shadow refers to Mexican Snowball, Echeveria elegans=Echeveria elegans 'Grey Ghost'=Mexican Snowball=White Mexican Rose.

Snowball is the one that most resembles Ice Berry, so those who can't grow Ice Berry can grow Snowball as a substitute. Snowball develops seasonal variegation in summer, orange - and I must say, it's quite pretty.

In summer Snowball gets slightly leggy, but once autumn comes and it's grown outdoors, its looks come back. As for summer survival, my Snowball is almost 2 years old, and it hasn't complained to me about any problems so far.

So since it can adapt to the harsh environment of big Fujian, summer is nothing to it. In summer, be careful not to let water accumulate on its leaves, and pay attention to ventilation.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Adromischus genus (water bubble)

Succulents of this family and genus aren't very afraid of summer, as long as you do the four basic elements well, there are basically no problems. Last year I also kept some water bubbles, and they still held up firmly under harsh conditions.

This water bubble propagates well from leaves. As long as the leaf is good, the success rate of leaf propagation is almost 100%. When summer was approaching this year, I bought more than 30 of these leaves. Apart from one that rotted, all the others sprouted and rooted - so satisfying. Summer care should avoid waterlogging; just water a small amount to keep the roots.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, Dongyun series, also called Red Dongyun.

If Victor Reiter is the number one summer-survival brother of the Dongyun world, then Red Dongyun is definitely the number two. Last summer I also planted many Red Dongyun, except for a few I killed with hydroponics.

The rest all successfully transformed into strong hunks. They even clustered - so satisfying. For summer survival, just maintain the four basic elements (ventilation, shade, ventilation, rain shelter). As for looks, I think it's very mighty, a tough-guy style.

Its parents are also obtained by crossing Echeveria cv. "Laulindsayana" and Echeveria colorata.

Oh, little Orange - its looks are naturally on point. What I like is its thick powder and then its fleshy orange texture. Because Orange has powder, it has no problems getting through summer.

My Orange is grown under controlled conditions. Last summer it received scattered light, and its looks didn't regress at all. Apart from being petite and mini, there aren't any problems. In summer there's nothing special to note - just don't rub off its powder and it's OK.

Little Stones are mainly appreciated for their varied colors and patterns. Stones are easy to keep in summer; the main thing is to avoid getting rained on. Stones are silly stones - they drink as much water as you give them, and can literally drink themselves until they burst.

Once you buy Stones and mix the soil well, there's basically nothing to worry about afterward. Also, they grow relatively slowly, making them very suitable for miniature landscape arrangements.

As for soil mixing, I don't have any suggestions, because I haven't studied Stones in depth - please refer to the Stone master's recipe. Last year I subjected my Stones to the baptism of the sun's blazing exposure, and every one of them was full of vigor with no problems.

Most varieties of Haworthia have no pressure getting through summer. Like Lithops, as long as you mix the soil well, everything is OK.

Haworthia's growth rate isn't fast either. I recommend this variety because I really like its patterns - how should I put it, it has a kind of techy feel, and then it's also glutinous and soft, very appealing.

Scattered light is enough for Haworthia, so giving it a semi-shaded environment from the start is basically fine. As for this one, because I'm poor, I bought a tissue-culture seedling. I think at the start, folks can just buy a tissue-culture one to play with.

This variety should be the one most people buy in summer. Roses go dormant in summer, and Pink El Hierro is a common one among roses, so many people buy it.

Pink Mountain Rose, as its name suggests, colors up pink, so it's very girly - very popular with women, and quite a few men like it too.

Based on my experience growing several dozen roses, buying roses in summer is no problem, because almost all my roses were bought in summer.

My personal suggestion is to buy ones that haven't closed up yet - they survive more easily than closed ones. I've also grown other rose varieties, but they all went into a long sleep when they went dormant in summer and never woke up. Only Pink El Hierro stood out alone, so Pink Mountain Rose is worth having. El Hierro should be kept from rain in summer, as it easily gets infected by bacteria and dies.

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Echeveria genus, a Dongyun series succulent.

Last summer when Cuican was on special, I bought two. After planting I didn't fuss over them much, and both survived. Later one died from a bacterial infection after flowering, but it didn't die in summer.

This summer I again propagated many Cuican seedlings. Every one of them is well-behaved - not only did they grow well, they even colored up. In summer! They colored up! If you don't buy this one, who will you buy?

A succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, Dudleya genus, also transliterated as Pufu Wuleng Tower.

It goes dormant in summer and is a large type, able to grow to 40-60 cm, or even bigger. Snow Mountain has thick powder, so getting through summer isn't too much of a problem, but you must buy Snow Mountain with roots - Dudleyas root very slowly, and if you buy one without roots, it's uncertain whether it will survive. Summer care: shade, ventilate, water a small amount, or cut off water, depending on the plant's condition.

Aeoniums are also a big hot series in summer. In summer, as long as you don't buy variegated types, Aeoniums basically have no problems. Among the ones I grew myself, apart from the variegated ones, the rest all survived.

Their condition is also decent. Aeoniums are also a variety that goes dormant in summer. In summer: shade, ventilate, don't get rained on, water an appropriate amount to keep the roots. For Aeonium soil mixing: loose, breathable medium, add more sand.

Alright, that's all the succulents I have to show you this time. If you like them too, you might consider getting some.

Oh~ right~ one important thing~ here's a price reference for you: the small seedlings of the varieties I listed are all around 1-10 yuan.

The most expensive one should be Agave 'Royal Spine' (Wangfei Leishen), with small seedlings around 10 yuan. As for Aeonium (fashi), clustered stems cost a bit more.

Generally, 10-15 cm ones now cost less than 10 yuan. Small clusters are around 30 yuan. Better varieties cost more.

Finally: apart from the last group of Aeonium photos, all other image resources come from the internet.

Click "Read Original Article" to enter the succulent mall right away