Succulents are a type of plant that stores water in their leaves, the most well-known being the cactus –however, there are more varieties to choose from. They are very on trend at the moment and if treated correctly, they can flourish as indoor plants.
Succulents are relatively low maintenance as they don’t need constant watering – in fact you need to be careful not to overwater them. They also prefer warmer temperature, so they enjoy being in sunlight. If they have a big change in sunlight, the leaves change color from shock, ranging from oranges to pinks, purples, reds and even close to black. When they don’t have enough sunlight their leaves will become dull.
These are strong, hardy plants that can be extremely eye-catching and hold a unique beauty. Why not check out some of the following succulents to spruce up your home:
Christmas Cactus
This stunning succulent even has a beautiful bud formation to enjoy; just drop the room temperature to 55 degrees or move it outside for a while, and you will begin to see the flowers form. Keep the plant drier in the winter, and throughout the rest of the year give it medium to high light. Let the soil dry out two inches in between watering.
Aloe Vera
This plant has a great reputation thanks to its healing properties; you can treat sunburn and many other skin irritations with it. It does have sharp edges, so make sure to have it placed where it won’t attack innocent passersby. This plant needs a great deal of sunlight and the soil needs to dry out before you water it again.
Burro’s Tail
This plant looks best when in a hanging basket, making a beautiful statement as its can grow three feet long. It needs a good amount of light to grow well, and you need to ensure that you keep it out of harm’s way as it is delicate and touching it may cause the leaves to fall. It’s most interesting feature is its greyish green and blue leaves, and they may even bloom on the rare occasion.
Ponytail Palm
Now, these are a very interesting addition to any home. They look aesthetically similar to their namesake the palm, but they are more similar biologically to the agave plant. They have a large water storage unit at the bottom of their ‘trunk’ and a mass of long leaves falling from the top of the plant. They grow very slowly and will need repotting eventually, but they are very low maintenance as they don’t need watering until the soil has dried out completely. The Ponytail Palm will grow in medium light but it prefers high, direct sun.
