Succulents

Choosing by the job you need done

For groundcover on hot, dry banks, Blue Chalk Sticks (Senecio mandraliscae) sits 30cm high and spreads to a metre per plant, and ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) hugs the ground at 15cm with electric pink flowers. For pots and courtyards, the sculptural rosettes carry the look: Agave 'Blue Glow' at 45cm, the slow and intricate Queen Victoria agave at 40cm, and jade plant at up to a metre. For a feature with real presence, the Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) reaches about 4m over 10 to 15 years, and red yucca sends 1.5m flower spikes over a 1m clump of grassy foliage. Firesticks adds a 2.5m column of coral toned stems where you want colour without flowers.

Where succulents thrive, and where they sulk

Arid, Mediterranean and warm temperate gardens are home ground, and most of the range also handles coastal salt and poor soil without complaint. The humid subtropics are workable with one condition: water must drain away fast, so raised beds, slopes and pots beat flat clay every time. Frost is the real divider. Queen Victoria agave, ice plant and red yucca are frost hardy and safe for Canberra or the Adelaide Hills, while jade, snake plant and crown of thorns are frost tender and need a warm wall or a pot that moves under cover in winter. Most of the rest, dragon tree included, take light frost only.

Planting, drainage and spacing

Free drainage is non-negotiable. In the ground, mound the bed or plant on a slope; in containers, use a cactus and succulent mix in a pot with generous holes, and terracotta dries out fastest if you tend to overwater. Space blue chalk sticks and ice plant at 40cm for continuous cover, mass Agave 'Blue Glow' at 60cm and red yucca at 1m. Wear gloves around agaves, whose leaf tips are genuinely sharp, and around euphorbias like crown of thorns and firesticks, whose milky sap irritates skin and eyes.

Watering and the seasons

Water deeply, then let the mix dry out completely before the next drink. In summer that might mean weekly for pots; in winter, monthly is often generous. Overwatering kills more succulents than drought, heat and neglect combined, and a plant going soft and translucent is telling you the roots are wet. Feed lightly in spring if at all.

Common questions

Why is my succulent going mushy?

Too much water or too little drainage, almost without exception. Let the soil dry right out, and if the plant sits in a saucer of water, stop that today.

Are succulents safe around pets?

Many are not. Jade, snake plant, kalanchoes and the dragon tree are toxic to cats and dogs, and euphorbia sap is a hazard to people as well. Ice plant carries our Pet Friendly flag, but check each product page before planting where animals graze.

Can I grow succulents in Melbourne or Canberra?

Yes, with frost hardy picks such as Queen Victoria agave, ice plant and red yucca, or by keeping tender varieties in pots that winter under a veranda. Drainage matters even more in cool, wet winters.

What pairs well with them?

The spined and structural side of the family lives in our agave collection and cactus range, and our succulent care guide covers propagation and repotting.

How does delivery work?

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.