Crassulaceae

Near-black rosettes on branching woody stems. The deepest-colored commonly available Aeonium. Color is most intense in bright light. In lower light the rosettes revert toward dark red and then dull green. The leaves curl inward in summer heat to reduce water loss. This is normal dormancy, not distress. Water more through autumn and winter, reduce in summer. One of the most dramatic dark-leaved succulents in general cultivation.

Large rosettes with cream, green, and pink variegation. The pink coloration intensifies in cool temperatures and bright light, one of the most colorful Aeonium cultivars. Requires the most light of the commonly available cultivars to maintain full color. Same winter-growing, summer-dormant cycle as Zwartkop.

Thick, oval, jade-green leaves with red margins in bright light, on a developing woody trunk. One of the most long-lived common houseplants. Specimens decades old develop a substantial, tree-like form that no young plant approaches. The red margins intensify in bright light and cool temperatures. Produces small star-shaped white flowers in winter when given adequate light and a cool, dry rest period.

Tubular, finger-like leaves with concave, sucker-like tips. One of the most unusual Crassula forms. The leaf structure is genuinely unlike the standard jade and produces a more alien, sculptural effect. Identical care to standard ovata. Slightly slower growing.

Propeller-like, stacked leaves that turn vivid red-orange in bright light or cool temperatures, from an unremarkable green in low light to what looks like a lit flame in the right conditions. One of the most dramatic stress-color responses of any common succulent. Requires maximum light and some temperature stress to maintain the color. In warm, low-light conditions it stays plain green and is uninteresting.

Small, triangular leaves stacked opposite each other up the stem, appearing to thread the stem through their centers. Grey-green with pink margins in good light. Trailing to semi-upright. A compact and unusual form. The stacked geometry is the primary ornamental feature.

Pale, ice-blue rosette with a powdery farina coating. One of the most widely cultivated Echeveria. Offsets freely to form clusters. Produces pink and yellow flowers on long stems in spring. The farina coating rubs off easily and does not regenerate. Avoid touching the leaves unnecessarily. Never water into the rosette center.

Very dark, near-black rosette that retains its color well even in moderate light, more forgiving of imperfect light than most dark Echeveria. Produces red flowers. Offsets from the base to form small clusters over time. One of the most reliably dark-colored Echeveria for indoor growing.

Grey-pink rosette with purple undertones and a powdery farina coating. One of the most widely grown hybrid Echeveria and one of the more forgiving in terms of light tolerance while retaining reasonable color. Slightly more tolerant of imperfect light than many cultivars, a reasonable entry point for the genus.

Firm, pointed, bright green leaves with distinctive red-tipped margins. More architectural and less soft-looking than most rosette Echeveria. The red tips intensify in high light and cool temperatures. One of the more forgiving Echeveria for indoor growing. The firm leaves are less prone to rot than the fleshy flat rosette forms if water contacts them.

Pale, waxy, pink-lavender rosette with a rounded, sculptural form. One of the most refined Echeveria cultivars. The almost porcelain surface and the perfectly formed rosette make it one of the most elegant succulents in general cultivation. Slower to offset than elegans. More sensitive to overwatering than many cultivars.

Large rosettes of grey-pink, farina-coated leaves that trail and form mats over time. Color shifts between grey, pink, and yellow-orange depending on light and temperature. Extremely drought-tolerant. One of the most forgiving rosette succulents for indoor growing. It handles more neglect than most Echeveria without visible decline.

One of the most widely cultivated Graptoveria. Large, fast-growing rosettes in grey-green to pink-purple depending on conditions. More robust and faster than most Echeveria hybrids. Offsets and trails readily. The color shifts dramatically with light and temperature. It can appear almost entirely pink in full sun and cool conditions or greener in warmth and shade.

Succulent, glossy, scallop-edged leaves with long-lasting clusters of small flowers in red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. The most widely sold flowering Kalanchoe. Will rebloom with the photoperiod treatment: 14+ hours of complete darkness per night for 6 weeks in autumn, then return to normal light. More tolerant of indoor conditions than most flowering plants. One of the easiest flowering plants to keep blooming long-term.

Velvety, felt-covered grey-green leaves with brown-tipped margins. The dense trichome covering is the primary ornamental feature. Very drought-tolerant. The felt traps moisture and makes overwatering more dangerous than underwatering. Never mist or allow water to pool on the leaf surface, which can cause rot under the felt. Do not mist.

Upright succulent with grey-green leaves bearing tiny plantlets along the serrated margins in extraordinary numbers. Each plantlet is a complete miniature plant with tiny roots that drops off and establishes itself independently. The parent plant is monocarpic. It flowers once and dies, but the constant plantlet production means the lineage continues indefinitely. Indoors the plantlets provide an endless propagation supply. In warm-climate gardens the plant is invasive.

Large, flat, paddle-shaped leaves in grey-green with red margins that intensify dramatically in bright light and cool temperatures, one of the most dramatic color changes of any succulent. Monocarpic — the rosette flowers and dies but produces offsets from the base. The red flush in good conditions is striking. In warm, low-light conditions the red disappears entirely.

Long, trailing stems densely packed with plump, teardrop-shaped, blue-green leaves. One of the most attractive trailing succulents. The leaves detach at the slightest touch. Place in an undisturbed position and do not move the pot unnecessarily. Each detached leaf roots readily and can be propagated into a new plant. Produces pink to red flowers at the stem tips in summer in good conditions.

Small, rounded, jelly-bean-shaped leaves in green that turn vivid red in bright light and dry conditions. One of the most colorful small Sedum for indoor growing. Leaves detach easily but root readily, less fragile than morganianum but still worth handling carefully. The red intensifies in bright direct light and reduces in lower light conditions.

Plump, egg-shaped, pale blue-pink leaves with a heavy farina coating. The most distinctive Pachyphytum — the leaves are so turgid they feel almost synthetic to the touch. Extremely sensitive to overwatering. Handle the leaves minimally. The farina coating rubs off on contact and does not regenerate, leaving permanent finger marks. Never water into the rosette center.

Green rosettes with red-purple tips. The most widely available species. Produces offsets prolifically. Indoors: place in the brightest, sunniest position available and keep as cool as possible. Near a cold window in winter is preferable to a heated shelf. Outdoors: fully hardy, tolerates frost and near-freezing temperatures. The most practical approach for most growers is to keep outdoors or in an unheated greenhouse and bring in occasionally for display.

Rosettes connected by fine, cobweb-like hairs across the leaf tips, one of the most distinctive Sempervivum. Smaller and more compact than tectorum. Same outdoor-preference care note applies. The cobweb covering is most pronounced in bright light and cooler conditions.