Image – Wikimedia/Rüdiger Kratz, St. Ingbert
Succulents are those plants, cacti and succulents which, living in areas where rainfall is generally scarce, have had to adapt in order to survive. And they did this by transforming one or more parts of their body (leaves, stems, roots) into a kind of water reserve to overcome droughts. But besides that, there are many that produce very beautiful flowers.
Now well, What Are Low Maintenance Flowering Succulents? There are some? Yes, there are several, like the ones you will see in this article.
Aloe arborescens
There are several types of aloe, but I would say the easiest to care for is the Aloe arborescens. It grows as a shrub up to about 1.5 meters in height (sometimes more, but this is rare). The leaves form rosettes at the end of these stems, and towards the end of winter it produces flowers in red, spike-like inflorescences.
You can get a new specimen if you cut a stem and then plant it in a pot or in the ground. Then you just have to wait a short time for it to take root. And by the way the plant is resistant to light frostsso you can still have it outdoors if you live somewhere with mild winters.
Jade Tree (Crassula oval)
Image – Flickr/Salomé Bielsa
There Crassula oval It is a small evergreen succulent shrub that does very well in pots. It is, in fact, one of the favorite plants to grow on balconies and patios for its adaptability and beauty. In addition, it is also interesting to plant it in the ground, where it will become a very, very low maintenance succulent to the point that you will only have to water it if the soil stays dry for a long time (weeks or months).
There are different varieties and cultivars, such as ‘Gollum’, which has folded leaves; or the “variegated” form, which has them in green and yellow. The one in the top image is the type species, Crassula oval, green leaves. But whichever one you are going to grow, it is important that you place it in a very bright place and that you protect it from frost. You will see it bloom in the spring.
Ferocactus (all species)
Image – Wikimedia/Ken Bosma
Yes, cacti are also succulents. And of all the cacti that exist, Some of those that require less maintenance are the Ferocactus; This is probably why they are so easily found in garden centers and sometimes even in shopping centers like Lidl or Aldi. There are many species, with yellow spines like the Ferocactus glaucescenswhitish like Ferocactus histrixor red like Ferocactus stainesii.
Regarding the flowers, personally I really like those of the species Ferocactus latispinus, of which I leave you a photo above. But wow, they are all very pretty: some are red, some are orange, some are pink and some are whitish. But they all require the same care: lots of light, a substrate that drains water well and little watering.
Echeveria ‘Curly Locks’
Image – Gardentags.co.uk
Some species of Echeveria are more temperamental than others, but the ‘Curly Locks’ cultivar is quite the opposite. It is, in my own experience, one of the easiest echeverias to maintain. It must be exposed to the sun and watered from time to time if you grow it in a pot.
It can reach a height of about 40 centimeters or more, because over time it develops a stem that causes it to gain height. It will therefore be necessary to change the pot or, better still, plant it in the ground. It supports the cold, but the frost damages it; And its flowers bloom in autumn.
spurge milii
Image – Flickr/Mauricio Mercadante
There spurge milii it is a very thorny succulent shrub that develops long stems and not always vertical (indeed, my neighbor has a specimen that looks like a kind of octopus). It is a very curious plant, which produces leaves only in the upper part of the stems, and which blooms in spring.
In addition, it must be said that it is a succulent with low maintenance, which As long as there is no lack of light, it will be beautiful. It also tolerates cold quite well.
Haworthia (all species)
Haworthia is a genus of succulents that are very easy to care for. They grow in rosettes of fleshy leaves, some shade of green and sometimes with a pattern of stripes or small white spots.as is the case with haworthia fasciata. Their growth rate is fast, but as they are small it is highly recommended to keep them in pots as they usually do not exceed 7 centimeters in height.
What do you need? Well, very few. Unlike other succulents, these can live in areas where there is not much light (but NOT darkness); therefore, they are the most advisable to have at home. And if we talk about irrigation, you have to water them very little, only when the soil is completely dry. Its flowers bloom throughout the spring.
Sedum palmeri
Image – Flickr/Bernard Blanc
He Sedum palmeri it is a pendant succulent that forms rosettes of leaves that grow from a fairly slender stem. These leaves are green, but if exposed to a lot of direct sunlight, they turn pink or reddish. Besides, in spring, from the center of each rosette grow yellow flowers which are small but really showy.
One of the many qualities of this species is its ease of multiplication.: just cut a stem and plant it in a pot. In a few days it will send out its roots and you will have a new specimen. As if that weren’t enough, she is frost resistant, so she’s perfect for growing in temperate regions.
Which of these low-maintenance flowering succulents was your favorite?