What is a succulent?
Succulents get their name from the term succulence, which, in botany, describes a plant that has some type of specialized organ or tissue that is used to absorb and hold water. This phenomenon is found in a large variety of plants; from orchids to the rosette-shaped succulents we keep in our homes, having a large variety of forms and colors they can come in. The ones we will be specifying on are those that grow in semi-arid environments.
Many of these succulents are easily accessible that you can find in your local garden stores, including but not limited to, echiveria, aeonium, sedum, and crassula (also known as jade plants). These types of plants mostly like to live in semi-arid environments in the wild, where either it has inconsistent periods of water or where fog or mist persists allowing the plants to absorb and hold onto water for later use. We can see behavior like this in the Bay Area of California, where some succulents thrive due to the higher humidity and fog from the nearby ocean, allowing for them to have consistent but not too much moisture. They also thrive in warmer environments and, besides a few species, most do not do well in freezing temperatures. Because of this, some succulents have evolved to be able to hold up to 90-95% of their leaves of water, saving it for dry periods. They are very hardy plants that with a little reading, and a lot of love, can grow for years striking unique growth and beautiful colors.
What are some common varieties?
Understanding what type of plant you have or wish to have, it is important to understand how to care for, propagate, and how to give it the best life you can, especially when you purchase a plant in a garden section and it's labeled broadly. In this section, we will include some key identifiers that may help you zone in on what plant you just bought. When trying to identify between succulents some of these key identifiers include: their leaf shape, color, hairs, how it grows, flowers, and the stem of the plant.
Below we will include some common species of succulents and what are some key identifiers to help narrow down the identification of your plant:
Echeveria: This is a Rosette-shaped, small or no stem appearing in most cases, varying colors and leaf shapes from small and plump to large and paddle-shaped, and typically the rosettes stay fairly small in size. Also known as hens and chicks, these plants grow in U.S. hardiness zones 9 to 11.
Sempervivum: Also holds rosette-shaped leaves that can be confused for Echiveria above. However, they can be identified by the red hairs along their leaves. They can grow in zones 4 to 10.
Aeonium: Are a variety of shrubs that can grow up to 6 feet in length, and are characterized by the rosette shape of their leaves at the tips of their stems. The leaves themselves are typically rounder than other succulents and have tiny hairs on them. These grow best in hardiness zones 9 to 11.
Sedum: Sedum can grow long and clumped in clusters in cases such as the burros tail or the donkey tail or they can grow lower to the ground acting just like a ground cover. Sedum varieties have a large range of growing zones depending on the specific variety ranging from zone 3 to zone 10.
Crassula: Crassula also known as jade plants typically have thick stems that branch out with round thick leaves. Utilizing pruning and growth of the plant, it is popular to make it look like a small tree. Crassula grows well in U.S hardiness zones 10 to 12.
Aloe: These leaves grow in a rosette pattern with spines along the leaves. A popular example of this plant is Aloe Vera, known for its medicinal and cosmetic uses. Aloe grows well in zones 9 to 11.
Haworthia: These are rosette-shaped plants with thick leaves, typically having a sharp point at the end resembling a triangle. The leaves typically have spines and some plants have portions of their leaves that can be translucent. They grow well in U.S. hardiness zones 9 to 11.
Agave: Agave has spines that follow along their leaves to the tip of the leaf, the leaves vary greatly amongst the different plants growing small enough to fit in your hand to having leaves that are 8 feet long. They grow well in zones 7 to 10.
Cacti: There are large variations in cacti plants, with more than 1700 different species! Typically we can identify most species by their large stem which is used to store water, their spines, and the areolas from which the spines and flowers come from. Because of how large of a variety there is they can survive in a large variety of growing zones, so it's important to look up your particular plant and how to take care for it.
Senecio: There is a large variation of Senecio such as trailing plants like the string of pearls, shrub-like plants, and some grow as a ground cover such as blue Senecio. They grow well in zones 9 to 12.
Kalanchoe: Kalanchoe has a large variation from plant to plant some of them having paddle-shaped leaves, and flowers, some of them have fuzzy leaves, and some such as the mother of millions can be identified the many smaller plants growing on its leaves. They grow well in zones 10 to 12.
How do you propagate a succulent?
Propagation is a great way to increase the size, have multiple of, or be able to share your plants with family, friends, or other succulent enthusiasts! Knowing the steps to proper propagation can help greatly improve your odds of success and make sure both the propagation and the mother plants are healthy.
Step 1. Preparation:
First, to prepare for propagation let's first make sure we know what type of succulent we are working with and how it is propagated. This can be done by using different online resources, plant identification smartphone apps or doing a little research to see what plant you have. Once you have identified your plant and know which direction you plan on going for propagation, you can prepare your tools. These can include your garden shears, scissors, knives, soil, pots, and trays you plan to use. Make sure these items, if needed, are sanitized and clean to help prevent the spread of disease or introduce harmful bacteria to healthy plants. We want to be sure to increase the success rates of your propagation(s)! It is also important to make sure the plant is ready for propagation. In order to prepare your succulent for this and to help reduce stress on the plant you want to take cuttings from, make sure the plant is properly watered and not showing any other signs of stress for your specific plant.
Step 2. Types of Propagation:
Cutting:
Cutting is one of the most common ways of propagation of succulents. This is primarily achieved by cutting the stems, leaves, or other parts of plants. It is important when cutting to use clean tools and make sure you research what parts of the plants to cut to ensure growth can form. Remember, some plants can only grow if the cutting has a node or a bud. Once you identified the part of the plant you cut, you want to cut at an angle, to help ensure water does not sit on top of the cutting, as this can cause the plant to rot.
It is also important to ensure your cuttings callus over properly as this will make sure the cut is healed and won't rot as easily. You want to do this by setting your cutting on a tray and allowing for it to dry in the area until the cut is completely dried over. Patience is key and this step can take anywhere from a day to a few weeks depending on the size of the cutting and the plant.
Division:
Some succulents, such as some species cacti, snakeplants, and aloe can be propagated by dividing or separating the smaller baby plants (or pups) and re-potting them into their own separate pot. This can be achieved easier in some succulents than others but, typically this is a faster way to get a larger propagation quicker and easier. Many times the plant already has some roots that make it easier to re-pot and allow for it to start growing sooner.
Some plants such as aloe vera can produce smaller growths sometimes called pups. Because of this, the best way to propagate this plant would be by carefully removing the plant with a technique called division, you can take the plant out of its container (if in one) and, using a clean knife or garden shear, carefully detach the baby plant from the base of the mother plant, and then replant the baby in a separate pot. Other succulents can be separated from one another, such as cacti, which can have the new leaves taken off that are growing or by taking the small babies off of it, letting them dry out, and callus over for a few days before re-potting them.
Leaf propagation:
Some species of succulents can be propagated just by shaking, twisting, or pulling off the leaves of the plants. Some common varieties where this can occur include the before mentioned Sedum and Echiveria. These plants can be propagated very easily just by doing the previous actions: By getting the leaves (and ensuring that you also get the base that connects to the stem), along with doing no damage to the leaf, you can then proceed with leaf propagation.
Lay them on a bed of soil and gently pressing the tip of the leaf into the soil lightly. Afterwards, make sure to mist the plants. You do not water them traditionally, due to an increase in chances of rot, or you can also put the leaves onto a tray and let them dry in the air slowly over time, so that they will begin to produce smaller versions at the base of the leaf tip. This can then be re-potted later once the roots begin to grow on your succulent leaves.
How to care for succulents?
An important first step to the care of any plant is a proper understanding of the plant. It is important to take the time to properly research your species or variety of plants, its needs and, the area it which it typically lives in. Websites, such as the Farmer's Almanac, can provide information in finding your growing hardiness zone and making sure the plants can survive in it if growing outdoors. Staying knowledgeable is one of the easiest and best ways to ensure your plants grow large and healthy.
Indoors:
Indoor succulents are mainly going to be kept in pots. When deciding where to grow the plant, try to find an area that gets a lot of light so the plant can grow properly and gain energy. They will not need water as often as outdoor plants but, it's still important to check on them, making sure to water them once the soil dries out, and to make sure to keep an eye out on the succulent's leaves. Most succulents are great at telling you when they need water, such as noticing their leaves are wrinkly, not as firm, or drooping slightly. This is a key sign that your plants need water. If you notice that this is happening frequently this could be a sign that it's time to re-pot the plant as well.
When re-potting a potted plant you want to remove it from the pot and check the roots. If the plant was root bound, or when there is so much root in the pot and there is not much room left for the roots to grow, it is time to re-pot the plant. You want to put it in fresh soil in a pot 1-2 inches larger than the last one and shake up the roots slightly so they're not as compact and, ideally, can grow freely once more and not coil each other this time. If the plant was not root bound and was either not absorbing water consistently or drying out too fast, this could be the sign of an issue with the plant or an issue with soil draining too quickly. This can be seen often in certain types of planting pots, such as terracotta, that are very breathable and absorb the moisture from the soil. However, always remember to check the roots for rot and, once finished, make sure to re-pot the plant in the soil if there is any rot in the soil.
Outdoors:
When putting a plant outdoors, it is key to acclimate them properly, to make sure it can grow outside in your zone and, what times of the year are the best to put it outside if it is able to be grown outside.
Acclimation is the key to successful growth outdoors, especially for plants that were grown in indoor conditions prior. First, start the acclimation process by putting it in an area that receives bright and indirect light to help the plant adapt to the increase in light levels. Leave the plant in this area for at least a week checking in on it and making sure its health does not decline. Once successful you can start slowly moving the plant into the area you want it to be in such as in a garden or an area where it gets full sun. Continue the acclimation process to this area by slowly incorporating the plant; this can be done by leaving the plant in the area for an hour a day and slowly increasing the time exposed until it can stay in the area for a full 24 hours. Once acclimated you can water as usual, making sure to let the plant dry out between watering, and keep an eye out for indicators such as wrinkled leaves.
Conclusion:
Succulents are a fun and wide variety of plants with many different growing patterns, hardiness zones, and colors that are sure to fit in with any growing area. We hope by reading this blog post, you were able to gain some more knowledge on how to care for your succulents and hopefully be able to propagate many smaller versions for yourself and to share the joy of succulents with others. Next time you're at a garden store maybe take the time to look at their succulent selection and pick out a new plant to try out.
Citations:
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