6 Things You Might Not Know about Succulents Even if You Already Own One

Photo courtesy of Milada Vigerova

Succulents are super popular right now, and it’s easy to see why. They’re fairly hardy and easy to care for. And as many indoor gardeners are discovering, they come in a ton of different varieties, which means you can learn new things about them all the time.

So I’m sharing with you some of the things I’ve learned about the diversity of succulents. Check it out.

Surprise! Not all succulents are cacti…

Okay, we’ve got to let this one out of the bag right at the beginning. Yes, a cactus is a type of succulent. But not every succulent is a cactus. Succulents are plants that store water for long periods of time in their thick leaves and stems, and they come in many beautiful varieties.

“5 Things You Didn't Know About Succulents - Aeonium Arboreum Atropurpureum” by Succulent Addict

Some of them have tree-like branches

Succulents aren’t all low to the ground or all-green cacti. The come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. And some of them look a bit like small trees, like the aeonium arboreum atropurpureum pictured above. It’s also called the Purple Aeonium for short.

“5 Things You Didn't Know About Succulents - Aeonium Arboreum Atropurpureum” by Succulent Addict

Succulents don’t always need full sun

Although many succulents are adapted to living in warm, dry environments, not all of them have to have full sunlight to thrive. In fact, the Purple Aeonium prefers to be grown in somewhat shady conditions, but it will also survive in full sunlight. If you keep it in full sun, it will develop a greener color, as pictured.

Note that how much heat and light a succulent needs or tolerates depends upon the species.

You can turn them into living, growing jewelry

Not even kidding here. These plants are so low-maintenance that they can grow around your arm, finger, or neck. Or in your hair. Here’s a look at a few pieces:

Jewelry by Susan McLeary

You can regenerate your succulents

That is, you can grow new plants from your old plants with cuttings. Cut off a piece of your plant and put it in sunlight until it grows tiny roots. Then put it on top of some soil and give it more sun and occasional tiny bits of water. Soon you’ll have a whole new succulent.

And these tiny cuttings are perfect for jewelry pieces. Just be sure to store them in a sunny window rather than your jewelry box. Feel free to share this idea with your friends!

Some of them bloom beautiful flowers

Like many plants, succulents (including cacti) bloom flowers in order to reproduce. That being said, it can be difficult to get your succulent to bloom. First, it has to be the right age for plant reproduction. And second, it needs ideal conditions before it will try to reproduce (which is the purpose of flowering). For many succulents, this means providing much more sunlight.

Where can I find these amazing plants!?

We regularly carry a variety of interesting succulents at The Tye-Dyed Iguana. Come in and check out the selection.