Succulents have long occupied a special place among enthusiasts. Their unusual and often uniform shapes and forms inspire many people to collect and grow them. Often what starts off as a hobby ends up growing into an obsession. It was no different for us. We live in two different locations with very different climates. We also have slightly different views and interests within the hobby and hope this will give a different picture of our collections of agaves, aloes, echeverias, and other succulents.
Being xerophytic (drought-tolerant), they don’t require a constant supply of water like most plants and mainly only need watering once a fortnight during their growing season. A little feed / fertilizer can be given every other watering, something like a diluted tomato feed. Ventilation is just as important to keep them healthy, and if grown in a greenhouse, an open door, roof vent, or an electric fan will suffice during hot spells.
From around late October until late March, most are best kept dry and won’t require any water at all during this period. Watering can commence again in early spring when the plants awake from their winter dormancy, a little to start to get them acclimatized and increasing the amount of water as they come into active growth.
Why not try to grow a few but be warned collecting succulents can soon become addictive!
Succulent Market is a premier place on the internet to find thousands of succulents. Choose from popular items such as Echeveria, Crassula, Aloe, Haworthia, Aeonium, and Cactus. Just enter the item you are looking for in the search box to be taken to the page on which the item appears.
What is a Succulent Plant?
A succulent plant has the ability to store water in the plant tissue for use if water becomes scarce.
Succulent Plant Families Include:
- Agavaceae -Agave
- Aizoaceae -Mesembs/Ice Plant
- Aloaceae -Aloe
- Apocynaceae -Periwinkle
- Cactaceae -Cactus
- Euphorbiaceae
- Fouquieriaceae -Ocotillo
- Piperaceae -Peperomia
- Crassulaceae – Stonecrop
- Welwitschiaceae -Welwitschia
Succulents are water-retaining plants primarily endemic to arid areas of the tropics and subtropics.
They have evolved to withstand high temperatures and low precipitation by collecting and storing water in their leaves, stems, and roots to survive long dry periods. This storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants.
Succulents come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. Requiring little more than a well-drained soil and an occasional watering, they make popular house and garden plants.
At the Succulent Market, they aim to provide a large range of high quality, disease, and pest-free succulents at competitive prices.
4 Tips for Buying Succulents
What to look for when buying succulents online
Buying succulents online has been on my mind lately for two reasons: I’ve recently purchased a few new plants, and I’m looking to buy more (even though I’m running, ok, have run out of room for them). Each time I go succulent shopping, I discover new things to look for. I thought I’d let you know some of the basic things I look for when buying succulents online.
Varieties of Succulents
The first thing is the variety of plants offered and whether the online store has something I’m looking for. This seems obvious, but I’ve discovered that Home Depot and Lowes no longer have plants that I’m looking for, so I don’t check there anymore (unless I’m there for something else). I know that my local nurseries might have some varieties that I’m looking for, so they are generally worth a look. At this point, though, I feel like I’m going to need to make purchases online.
Price
The next thing I look at is the price. The chain hardware stores have pretty small plants, but they usually aren’t more than $4, so you’re not out a lot. The non-succulent nurseries near me actually have better prices, but they don’t always have succulents available. Buying succulents locally sometimes might be cheaper than buying online because you have to include shipping costs when purchasing online. But, there is more to look for than just the price. There are two more things that can make paying a little bit more worth it.
Number of Plants in Container
The biggest thing for me that adds value to buy succulents online is the number of plants in the pot/container I buy. For example, the Echeveria Blue Curls I bought just had one plant and cost $12. I’d been wanting this plant for a while, so it was worth it. But, if I wasn’t as picky about the variety, I probably could have found a better deal. I did actually. Another succulent online shop had these beautiful Echeveria Preta for just $6.99 that had 6 plants in it! This is what you want to look for, a pot that has several plants in it. I also found this Topsy Turvy ($7.99) that had three plants in it. They aren’t as big as I’d like, but I decided it was worth waiting for them to grow since the price was good.
A Healthy Succulent
The final thing to consider is the health of the plant. When I found the large pots of Echeveria Afterglow, I had to look through several before I found a plant that didn’t have some sort of scarring on it. Since succulents keep their leaves for a long time, I try to avoid buying plants that are scarred. You also want to make sure it doesn’t have any bugs or diseases. Basically, make sure it is looking happy and healthy! Sometimes you can get a deal on a plant that isn’t doing well. If you are willing to nurse it back to health, go for it!
Hopefully, these little tips will help you make an educated decision the next time you are buying succulents. Let me know if you have any other advice on buying succulents! I’d love to hear from you!
My favorite place to order succulents online is through Succulent Market. They have such an amazing selection of plants, and their specimens are all amazing. I feel like their prices are very reasonable for the size of plants you order, and the shipping is excellent.
I’ve purchased succulent cuttings online from Succulent Market. The sets of cuttings were amazing! They have a wide variety of unique plants. So, depending on what you are looking for, this is an excellent place to order cuttings. The Succulent Market has high-quality succulents that are sure to live up to your standards.
I also went to local shops and found a great variety of plants. The prices weren’t bad, but I didn’t feel like they were an awesome deal either.
When I visited Succulent Market, I found these pots of Haworthia Super White for just $14.99! I was so excited because they had a bunch of smaller offsets on them, plus the huge one in the center. This is by far the best deal I’ve found on large succulents. So, check out their online shop and see what you can find!
I would love to know where you all buy most of your succulents! Especially if you’ve made some good online purchases or know of good places to shop.
Succulents For Sale
If you are one of those gardeners that have looked longingly at lush gardens and patios full of gorgeous mixed planters full of succulents, no need to be envious any more.
Sempervivum, Sedum, and other hardy succulents will knock your socks off, not only because they’re so beautiful, but because they will survive in really challenging situations and come back every year, even after a winter that seems so long that you doubt spring will ever arrive.
But there they are, peeking out through the snow; you would swear they actually grow while they’re hidden from view.
Other uses for succulent plants are as wedding favors – it’s true! You can choose from tender succulents or hardy sempervivum.
They are compact, cute, and totally doable, even for non-crafty types. You, too, can create an artistic and lovely little wedding favor for each guest.
Buying succulents online doesn’t have to be scary. This is one of the best ways to get plants in large quantities that will take off and grow in a challenging climate. Be the first in your area to discover the treat in store; hardy, reliable, tough plants with extreme attitude and beauty.
Succulent Market is an online resource for people who like tropical things. They have an extensive Blog with loads of plant-related items, reviews, and many images. Check out their blog page for advice on growing and caring for succulents.