Garden Flower Gardens These 15 Flowering Succulents Are the Perfect Low-Maintenance Blooms From the petite ice plant to the towering agave, there's a blossom for every gardener. By Samantha Johnson Samantha Johnson Samantha Johnson writes about the happy things in life—pets, gardening, home, family, food, and farm life—and thinks Mondays are the most wonderful day of the week. She spends her spare time reading seed catalogs and taking photos of her napping Corgi. She has over 20 years of gardening experience and is the author of nearly two dozen books. Editorial Guidelines Published on October 22, 2024 Close Photo: Maksims Grigorjevs / Getty Images Many garden enthusiasts dream of cultivating flamboyant, showstopping blooms, but not everyone wants to deal with more temperamental, high-maintenance plants. Enter flowering succulents: Low-maintenance, beginner-friendly plants that offer beautiful blooms, eye-catching foliage, and are easy to care for. Some hardier varieties can even tolerate cold temperatures. Here, we spoke to plant experts for a closer look at 15 you might want to add to your home or garden. Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, the Houseplant Guru and author of Houseplants. Jennie L. Hagen, a Gardening with Grandma columnist, and a gardening writer with over 20 years of experience. 7 Tips for Creating a Thriving Succulent Garden 01 of 15 String of Pearls Jana Milin / Getty Images Aptly named for its resemblance to a string of pearls, Senecio rowleyanus is a charming succulent that loves to cascade over the edge of its container. Its foliage is beautiful and eye-catching, but it’s also delightful when it produces its seasonal blooms: the flowers are delicate and white. Zones: 9 to 12Size: 24 inches tall by 24 inches wideCare requirements: Bright light, well-draining soil, requires careful watering. How to Grow and Care for a String of Pearls Plant, the Vining Succulent That Looks Like a Necklace 02 of 15 Kalanchoe Pornpimon Lekudom / Getty Images For many gardeners, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a top choice. "Kalanchoes are easy to find and have beautiful bright blooms in hot colors," says author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, noting that, while they can be found in white, most kalanchoe flowers are yellow, pink, and orange. "The flowers are so bountiful they almost cover the foliage. And they last a long time, which is a plus." Zones: 10 to 12Size: 12 to 18 inches tall by 12 to 18 inches wideCare requirements: Indirect light, well-draining soil 03 of 15 Sedum Getty / schnuddel For a hardy flowering succulent that’s quite at home in the garden, consider sedum (also known as stonecrop). "My favorite low-maintenance flowering succulent is from the species Sedum, more specifically that lovely variety 'Autumn Joy,'" says garden writer and columnist Jennie L. Hagen. "Sedums are most notably grown for their unique variation in leaf structure and coloring." She says that several features make Autumn Joy suitable for most gardens: "It’s reliably hardy in nearly all USDA hardiness plant zones … [it] returns each year with a slight increase in clump size, making it a perennial that has good manners." For best results, Hagen recommends plenty of sun, watering the base of the plant only, and avoiding too much shade. Zones: 3 to 9Size: 12 to 24 inches tall by 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun, moderate watering See How Martha Plants Sedum—a Fast-Growing Ground Cover That Thrives Almost Anywhere 04 of 15 Peanut Cactus Abdulkadir Arslan / Getty Images We're often attracted to succulents because they give us a touch of the desert inside our homes. If that's your goal, then you can’t do better than a peanut cactus. This miniature succulent is indeed a true cactus, and it looks wonderfully similar to the great Saguaro cactus of the American Southwest—but is tiny enough to fit on your desk! They blossom with attractive, star-shaped red flowers and are easy to grow. Zones: 10 and higherSize: 6 to 12 inches tall by 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Partial to full sun—don’t overwater! 05 of 15 Agave Anadolu / Getty Images If you’re looking for a larger succulent with impressive leaves and gorgeous symmetry, you’ll want to explore agaves. They can grow quite tall, but don’t let that stop you. "Agaves can be grown inside if you have the room," says Steinkopf, adding that the ends are sharp, so be aware. The key to growing agave is to have plenty of light, she says, and notes that, while agaves will thrive outdoors, they must be brought indoors in northern climates because they aren’t cold-hardy. Zones: 8 to 10, although some varieties are hardy to Zone 5Size: 1 to 10 feet tall by 1 to 10 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil 06 of 15 Prickly Pear Amanda K 500 px / Getty Images Can’t decide whether you want a large or small flowering succulent? A member of the Opuntia family might fit the bill. They range in size from tiny (6 inches tall) to enormous (15 feet tall) and are cold-hardy all the way to Zone 4, so there’s truly a prickly pear cactus to suit any home or garden. Zones: 4 to 11Size: 6 inches to 15 feet tallCare requirements: Full sun, minimal water, well-draining soil What Is Prickly Pear? All About This Sweet Fruit 07 of 15 Hoya Elena Gureva / getty Diverse options abound in hoya plants, including some with heart-shaped leaves. "My favorite flowering succulent is hoya," says Steinkopf. She recommends Hoya pubicalyx and Hoya obovata because they bloom throughout the year. "I also love Hoya nummularioides, or fragrant hoya, because it smells so good—but it only blooms once a year in October." Zones: 8 to 11Size: Varies widely depending on the variety, from a few inches up to 12 feet tallCare requirements: "Hoyas need plenty of light and like to be snug in their pots. Don’t let them dry out, but don’t keep them too wet," says Steinkopf. 08 of 15 Sempervivum Fernando Trabaco Fotografía / Getty Images. Its name is Latin and means "always living," which is a nice sentiment for a houseplant and good news for those without a green thumb. Sempervivum is also cold-hardy, making it a good outdoor choice. "They are old-fashioned plants and have been around forever," says Steinkopf, adding that some of the newer cultivars feature brighter colors than the older ones. Zones: 3 to 8Size: up to 12 inches tall and 18 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil 09 of 15 Christmas Cactus Rosemary Calvert/Getty Images Prized for its delightful flowers that serendipitously bloom during the holiday season, Christmas cactus plants are also loved for their longevity (the plants have been known to live for decades). "For an indoor flowering plant, they are great," says Hagen. "They come in such a wide variety of colors, and even bicolors now, [which is] another reason they have become increasingly popular." Schlumbergera x buckleyi is a lovely, low-maintenance plant that loves sun. Zones: 10 to 12Size: 6 to 12 inches tall by 12 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun, water only when dry How to Care for Christmas Cactus—a Holiday Houseplant That Can Last for Years 10 of 15 Echeveria DEA C. DANI / Getty Images. Echeveria plants are easy to love. They’re low-maintenance, they grow fast, and they’re beautiful in their symmetry. They’re also found in a wide range of colors and shades, which is appealing to gardeners who love to collect flowering succulents. Zones: 9 to 11Size: up to 2 feet tall and 1 foot wideCare requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil, minimal watering 11 of 15 Aeonium Sergi Escribano / Getty Images. Sometimes called "tree houseleeks," aeonium plants feature beautiful rosettes with leaves in varying shades. Unlike some flowering succulents, though, Aeonium is not cold-hardy. To maintain a compact shape, Steinkopf suggests trimming the top off in the spring. Allow the stem area to become calloused where you made the cut, and then place it on top of a pot filled with moist soil. "It will send out roots and the plant will be compact again," she says. Zones: 9 to 11Size: up to 3 feet tall and up to 1 foot wideCare requirements: Full sun, moist soil but not overwatered 12 of 15 Orchid Cactus Barbara Rich / Getty Images Its name can be a bit deceiving—orchid cactus has a delightful desert aesthetic, but it isn’t really a cactus. It's a bit more tropical, and prefers more moisture than that. Orchid cactus produces tremendous blossoms that come in intense colors and is popular for indoor growing, where it’s easier to control light and provide the appropriate levels of humidity. Zones: 10 and upSize: 2 to 10 feet tall; width variesCare requirements: Partial sun, hanging baskets, adequate but not too much water 13 of 15 Jade Plant Franck Metois / Getty Images Crassula ovata has a wonderful tree-like appearance but in a petite package that happily fits a small container. Normally grown for their terrific foliage, jade plants also produce tiny, delicate blossoms if you can meet their environmental needs accurately enough. This involves reducing water and increasing light during the winter months. Zones: 10 and upSize: 6 feet tall in the wild, usually around 3 feet tall in a containerCare requirements: Partial sun, water occasionally about twice a month 14 of 15 Ice Plant Nitas / GETTY IMAGES Some members of the Delosperma family are the perfect choice for a charming outdoor groundcover, including Delosperma cooperi. Ice plant tends to be hardy, petite, and impressive when in full bloom. Bonus: the flowers are notably long-lasting and will brighten the edges of the garden for many weeks. Zones: 5 to 11Size: Low-growing, about 3 inches tallCare requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil, moderate watering 15 of 15 Aloe Vera Sergi Escribano / Getty Images Surely one of the best-known and easily recognized succulents, Aloe Vera is widely found in homes because it’s a breeze to grow and extremely low maintenance. It’s perfect for beginners, requires very little attention, and it will occasionally produce flowers when the conditions are ideal. Zones: 10 to 12Size: Up to 2 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun (bright indirect light if grown indoors), minimal watering, well-draining soil How to Grow and Care for Aloe Vera, Both Indoors and Outside Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit