If you haven’t tried growing succulents yet—what’s stopping you? We’ve got ten reasons you should love them, to be exact! Here’s why growing succulents is a hobby you should definitely pick up—especially if you live in California.
1. Succulents Are Like a Starter Pack for Growing Plants
If you’re totally green to growing plants (pun intended), you should definitely start out with a few succulents. They’re the perfect beginner plants—plus, they’re pretty cute, so you’ll probably end up doting on them like a pet. Choosing your first succulent is like choosing your starter Pokémon—it’s impossible to decide because they’re all so cute, but you’ll probably collect them all eventually.
2. The Ultimate Collectable
Speaking of “Gotta catch ’em all,” there are many fascinating succulents with unique features and colors. Once you start collecting a few, the urge to expand the collection grows! Luckily, they come in big and small sizes and are much more budget-friendly than your typical collectible, so it’s a hobby you definitely won’t regret. Plus, they make your home look gorgeous! You can’t say the same about Pokémon cards.
Mike Pyle @mikepyledesign
3. Succulents Are Perfect for Indoor and Outdoor Growing
The great thing about growing succulents in California is that they can thrive indoors or outdoors! Perfectly suited to our growing conditions, succulents can handle our high heat and mild winters with no problem. Indoors, so long as they’ve got a sunny window to sit by, they’ll become the stars of your houseplant collection.
4. Succulents Are Drought-Tolerant — and That’s Important
Okay, time to switch gears. Collecting succulents isn’t just about novelty and aesthetics. It’s not looking great for the future of water conservation in California, and we need to be diligent about responsible water use. California—and the rest of the world—is experiencing drought emergencies of increasing urgency, and we’ve got water restrictions coming into effect in June 2022.
We need to be diligent about water conservation as climate change worsens. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas with water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world will live in what researchers call “stressed regions.” There will also be an additional 1 billion mouths to feed worldwide, requiring an additional 1 trillion cubic meters of water per year.
So, how do succulents tie into all of this? They require considerably less water than other garden plants, and they can survive for much longer during periods of drought. While they won’t necessarily thrive during a long-term drought, they’ll persevere and be much more likely to bounce back when they get some water. Generally speaking, if a plant looks tough, it is tough—and that’s certainly the case for these desert dwellers.
5. They Aren’t Needy
Succulents thrive in rocky soils, require infrequent watering, rarely need pruning, and overall, they’re easy to please. If you’re a forgetful type, you don’t have to worry about the guilt of spending money on plants only to kill them two weeks later accidentally. Honestly, they are as low-maintenance as it gets, and if you’re really unsure about your plant care skills, you can always ask our staff for some pointers!
6. They’re Ideal for Long-Term Landscaping
Well-established landscape plants don’t need as much water, and succulents can last for decades, making them a fantastic choice for permanent landscaping. You can use tall varieties to establish structure and create borders throughout your property. Reducing your lawn size and replacing grass with groundcover varieties like Sedum and Sempervivum will also help cut back on your water usage!
7. They Provide Security
Tall succulents and cacti act like living fences! Plant them in a line all around the perimeter of your property. They provide a privacy screen from neighbors, help keep out pests, and even work as a firebreak—something essential to consider after the series of wildfires California has experienced in recent years. These natural barriers are much more attractive than metal fences and pretty easy to install yourself!
Mike Pyle @mikepyledesign – Check out the installation video here!
8. Major Visual Spectacle
We’ll shout this from the rooftops if we have to: succulents are GORGEOUS! There are so many varieties in every color of the rainbow, with the most spectacular shapes and growth habits. Some are spiky, some grow tall and tubular like castle towers, and others form swirling rosettes. Whatever color, shape, or style you have in mind, there’s bound to be a succulent that fits your vision. We love using large, sculpture-like Euphorbias as focal points in landscape designs—they have all the visual impact of a piece of modern art!
Morse Landscapes @morselandscapes
9. Year-Round Color
These beauties are evergreen, so you won’t have to worry about a barren landscape in winter. In fact, many varieties flower in winter, so they end up adding plenty more visual spectacle to the scenery! Aloe plants are particularly stunning through California’s cool season—who knew those spiky succulents would have so much holiday spirit?
10. Succulents Are Great for Sharing
While we’re talking about holidays, we should address the obvious: succulents make the best gifts ever. If you have a bunch of mature plants in your home and landscape, you can easily propagate new plants from cuttings! All you need is a container and a little bit of potting medium, and you’ve got a sweet, sentimental gift you’ve grown all by yourself.
Make 2022 your year to start growing succulents in California. It’s smart, it’s responsible, and it’s just so easy. Explore all the incredible varieties we have for sale at OC Succulents—you won’t believe your eyes!
