Plants make us happy. Their fantastic green foliage, assortment of bright colors, and exciting shapes lift our moods and create a sense of joy and calmness. A simple walk around a space full of plants and flowers can improve your memory and concentration, among other benefits.
Fortunately, you don’t need to go to a park or the wild to experience the calmness and happiness associated with plants. You can plant succulent plants in your backyard. This won’t only boost your household’s moods but also improve your backyard’s appearance.
However, you need to take good care of your plants and have a plan for how to lay out your succulents to get the best results. On top of that, you should find the best planters for your outdoor succulents for proper care.
Ever wondered what the best outdoor succulents are? Believe it or not, there are many important tips on how to lay out your succulents and how to take care of them.
Here are a few tips that will help you better understand how to look after your outdoor succulents.
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What Are the Best Outdoor Succulents?
Everyone has understandably developed a love for succulents. They have exotic shapes, are easy to maintain, and can transform a backyard!
Like other plant types, however, some succulents are better than others in terms of soil requirements, beauty, and maintenance. That’s why you need to start by selecting your plants of choice.
Here are our choices for the best outdoor succulents for your backyard:
1. Agave ovatifolia
Also known as the whale’s tongue agave, Agave ovatifolia is an evergreen perennial plant perfect for an outdoor space. The succulent is famous for its super-thick rosette of powder blue and gray leaves – a distinctive color combination that will surely melt your visitors’ hearts.
This succulent is known for being drought resistant and cold hardy, making it a great outdoor succulent. It grows from 2 to 5 feet tall and has thick leaves that are gray to blue. Agave is also pest-resistant and is only affected by the agave snout weevil.
2. Sempervivum – Hens and Chicks.
Hens and chicks (sempervivum tectorum) succulent plants are the real definition of beauty. They look like rubbery roses that have thick pads arranged in rosettes. The plant has pointed leaves, with some bearing purple tips or red shades, adding to their beauty.
The plant is famous for its high cold-, wind-, and drought tolerance, making it a perfect outdoor succulent for the backyard. Sempervivum tectorum is an alpine plant, meaning it also has an outstanding tolerance for poor soil conditions.
3. Echeveria
This is an easy-to-care for outdoor succulent for your backyard, whose historical roots track back to the Americas and Mexico. The plant forms beautiful, intricate rosettes in various colors, including green, gray, white, red, and pink.
Echeveria thrives in desert conditions but can also tolerate periods of moisture, provided you allow them to dry out before watering them.
You need to move this plant inside during cold and wet months, and it needs three to four hours of direct sunlight daily, whether it is indoors or outside.
4. Sedum (Stonecrop)
Sedum is almost the ideal plant. Beautiful, carefree, vigorous, and easy to care for, these plants are simply irresistible.
They come in two main varieties: upright and creeping. As the name suggests, creeping sedum grows on the ground, making it ideal for outdoor spaces. On the other hand, upright sedum grows in clumps and makes flowers.
Both sedum varieties thrive in full sun and require well-draining soil. They are also easy to maintain, making them perfect for most outdoor gardens.
How Do You Care for An Outdoor Succulent?
Caring for outdoor succulents is easy. You only need to know the right conditions for each plant. Mastering best practices on how to care for outdoor succulents will give you a happy and healthy plant.
Here are the succulent garden essentials needed to make your outdoor succulent thrive:
Sunlight
Most outdoor succulent plants need at least four hours of sunlight daily, so placing them in a place with enough sun is vital. Your plants will start looking droopy if they get inadequate sunlight. On the other hand, too much light will have them looking brown, so place them strategically.
Water
Like cactus and other desert plants, your succulent plant can last a long time without water. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ever water them. Knowing how and when to water any plant, succulents included, is critical.
The rule of the thumb is to water them thoroughly once per week in the summer, twice a month in fall and spring, and monthly in winter. Again, only water the plant only when the soil is completely dry.
Soil
Whether you plan to plant your succulent on the ground or in a container, you should always go for coarse, fast-draining soil. A cactus mix or potting soil mix is the perfect soil for all succulents as it’s specifically designed for desert plants.
Temperature
Succulents do best in temperatures ranging between 60 and 80 degrees. The plants will also handle slightly warmer or cooler conditions but not extreme frost or heat. Bring your succulents inside the house when the temperature goes below 50 degrees.
Pest control
Like other plants, succulents are susceptible to pests. Most can be attacked by aphids, spider mites, slugs, and snails. You can prevent the infestations by giving the plants excellent air circulation or using the proper treatment methods, including insecticides and neem oil.
Planting outdoor succulents
Planting outdoor succulents is easy. First, plant them during fall or spring when conditions are perfect for their growth.
Dig a hole that’s deep enough for their roots. Space the plants adequately to allow enough room for growth and sunlight.
How Do You Lay Out a Succulent Garden?
If you know how to organize succulent garden, then you can create the perfect backyard. The secret is to have a perfect garden layout before you start.
Here are a few garden design essentials to remember when making a succulent garden:
- Remember to repeat colors and forms. You can combine succulents like yuccas and agaves to create the perfect color alignment.
- Don’t forget to include textual plants like barrel cacti and yucca rostrate.
- Sculpt the terrain. For instance, you can decide to use mounded soil over flat terrain.
- Don’t forget to group plants with different heights and sizes together. For instance, you can mix larger succulents like euphorbia tirucalli with medium-sized succulents like barrel cacti.
- Remember to lay out your succulents based on their water needs.
- Add a fountain to your succulent garden to improve its appearance and add interest.
- Create a dry creek bed in drought-prone zones to capture rainwater.
What Are the Best Planters for Outdoor Succulents?
Like weather conditions, the planter you use for your outdoor succulents plays a crucial role in how they turn out. Here are some of the best pots for outdoor succulents to help you create a fun display:
Celine Cast Stone
This planter is durable and has a shallow depth, making it ideal for growing outdoor succulents. It also features a drainage hole and weighs around 16 pounds, reducing its likelihood of tipping over. You can buy this planter here.
Kante Lightweight Concrete Outdoor Round Bowl Planter
This is one of the best planters out there. It’s pretty and has all the features needed for the perfect planter.
It’s sturdy and weather-resistant and its elegant design will match nearly any outdoor decor. The weight of this concrete bowl will ensure that it doesn’t get blown over by the wind or accidentally knocked over by a pet. You can buy it here.
SQOWL 8 inch White Round Ceramic Succulent Planter Pot
This 8-inch round ceramic planter with drainage holes at the bottom has a modern look that matches well with any décor. Using this planter for your outdoor succulents will transform your backyard! The nice thing is the saucer is removable so you can easily clean it. Get yours here.
D’vine Dev Terracotta Planters
Terracotta planters are perfect for succulents and other plants that thrive in drier soil. The material’s porous nature allows water and air to move through the walls, preventing root rot and soil diseases. You can get a great deal for this planter here.
Zoutog succulent planter
Last in our list of the best planters for succulents is the Zoutog succulent planter. It’s built using strong ceramic and comes with a drainage hole. Most of them are sold in a set of two or four mini planters that are perfect for perfect for creating outdoor patterns. Check out some great Zoutog planters here.
Final thoughts
There you have it: everything you need to know about planting outdoor succulents. I hope you benefited from these tips on the best outdoor succulents, how to care for outdoor succulents, how to lay out a succulent garden, and the best planters for succulents.
We’d love to hear how you use succulents in your outdoor gardens in the comments!
My hen and chick surlents just disappeared. Other ones dried up and one burned up in the sunny area.
Some of these plants live cold weather.
Thank you. Answered why so many succulents died in my Yuma garden.