Teeny tiny succulents are cute and all, but sometimes you want something that grows really tall, really fast, and makes a big style statement. For maximum color and visual interest, without having to wait around for years to see major growth, opt for succulents that grow fast with a tall, upright form.
Score Some Major Cool Points With These Quick-Growing Succulents
You’re going to meet a tall, handsome stranger. Actually, you’re going to meet 5 of them! Here are our top 5 tall, fast-growing succulents that will quickly become a spectacular focal point for your home decor or garden.
Aloe
Gotta love a houseplant that combines style with function! This fast-growing succulent has tall, spiky leaves that grow upright, and they’re filled with a cool jelly that instantly soothes sunburns like magic. Allow the top 3 inches of soil to dry out before watering, and place it in bright, indirect sunlight. Repot your aloe every year or two in the spring to encourage it to get bigger. Use a pot that’s about 2 inches wider than the previous one.
Agave
While it’s mainly recognized for its contributions to the world of bartending (margaritas, anyone?), this gorgeous succulent can be grown as a houseplant or outside in the garden. There are so many colorful varieties in vibrant blues, greens, and reds, or subtle, stylish greys and pastels. Plant them in full sun and water them on a consistent schedule to achieve healthy, fast growth. We especially love the all-American favorite, Agave americana—this garden behemoth can grow up to 10 feet tall!
Senecio Decaryi
This cute succulent has a shrubby look to it, maintaining a fairly balanced shape, maxing out at 5 feet tall and wide. Its adorable tangerine-tinted flowers appear in summer and release a sweet, subtle aroma—it’s not often you encounter a fragrant flowering succulent! Senecio decaryi has oblate, blue-green leaves, but new growth emerges with a vivid red border. They thrive in full sun or partial shade, and are super drought-tolerant, so they’re great low-maintenance succulents for beginners!
Crassula Perforata
Otherwise known as “String of Buttons,” these fast-growing succulents can reach up to a foot and a half tall. Its leaves are quite distinctive, arranged in square shapes along curved, slender stems, creating fascinating cubist shapes that are reminiscent of modern art. While they do kind of look like beads or buttons on a string, we think they look more like fancy kabobs! It grows best in bright, indirect light, and it’s totally non-toxic, so it’s safe if you’ve got pets or small kids.
Kalanchoe Daigremontiana
Contrasting textures and shapes are important for creating a beautiful design of garden plants or indoor plant arrangements. The Kalanchoe daigremontiana, or “Mother of Thousands,” has tons of tiny little florets packed tightly together all along the border of each leaf. There’s almost something alien-like about this peculiar plant, but in the cutest way possible! Keep it in bright, indirect light, and it can eventually grow up to 3 feet tall.
Why is my succulent growing tall?
Lots of rosette-shaped succulents like echeveria are generally more compact in size and spread out more than they do upwards. However, it’s a common occurrence for succulents to have a growth spurt and grow super tall, fast. But like, not the good kind of tall—the wonky, wobbly kind. This is called “stretching” and is actually caused by insufficient sunlight. Move your succulents to a sunnier spot to prevent stretching and maintain a nice, evenly spiraled rosette shape. With enough sun, they’ll grow tall, skinny stems that produce little flowers instead!
For more fast-growing plants and other gorgeous new succulents for sale, visit us soon at OC Succulents to see all the latest arrivals. While you’re here, ask us about signing up for our new VIP Club, Plants & Perks, for access to discounts, freebies, and loads of other exclusive insider content!
