Explore 30 different types of succulents worth growing, from rosette-forming echeverias to trailing string of pearls and everything in between. Photos included.
Succulents are some of the trendiest and most popular plants around these days. But it’s not hard to see why – with their plump, water-storing leaves and stems, they come in an amazing variety of shapes, colors and sizes.
Beyond just being eye-catching, succulents are also very easy to care for and thrive on a bit of neglect. As long as you provide the right conditions, these hardy plants can bring life and texture to your home or garden for years to come.
If you’re intrigued by the idea of growing succulents but aren’t sure where to start, this guide will introduce you to 30 beautiful and unique varieties worth adding to your collection.
1. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
One of the most classic succulent varieties, jade plants have thick branches filled with smooth, green oval-shaped leaves. They can grow into small trees when mature and live for decades with proper care.
2. Echeveria (Echeveria spp.)
Loved for their rosette-forming habit, echeverias come in an array of colors like green, blue, purple and red. Popular varieties include ‘Lola’, ‘Perle von Nurnberg’, and ‘Black Prince’.
3. Zebra Plant (Haworthiopsis attenuata)
This stemless succulent has slender, upright leaves covered in horizontal stripes or “zebra” markings across the leaf surfaces. They have a very geometric look.
4. String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
As its name suggests, string of pearls features long, trailing stems covered in pea-shaped green leaves. They make excellent hanging basket plants.
5. Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)
The furry, oval panda plant leaves are covered in a thick coating of white-silver hairs, giving them a cuddly soft appearance like their namesake animal.
6. Lithops (Lithops spp.)
Also called living stones or split rocks, lithops feature two thick, fleshy leaves that are fused and rounded on top, blending into the soil or rocks around them.
7. Burro’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Featuring long, trailing stems covered in plump blue-green leaves, burro’s tail plants are perfect for hanging baskets or spilling over containers.
8. Aeonium (Aeonium spp.)
This diverse genus includes the popular greenrose, black rose and tree aeonium varieties, many of which have a beautiful rosette form and striking colors.
9. Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)
Forming tight rosettes of chunky evergreen leaves, hens and chicks send out smaller offsets over time, giving the appearance of a “hen” surrounded by her “chicks”.
10. Bunny Ears (Opuntia microdasys)
This variety of prickly pear cactus is covered in soft, fuzzy white glochids that give it the look of tufted rabbit ears. Handle with care, though, as the fuzz can irritate skin.
11. Moon Cactus (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii)
These small, round cacti appear to have colorful moon-like shapes grafted onto their tops, which are actually different cactus varieties grafted on as an eye-catching decoration.
12. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
A popular flowering succulent sold around the holidays, Christmas cacti have flattened green stems and bright pink, red, purple or white blooms during the winter season.
13. Fishhook Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)
This barrel-shaped cactus gets its name from the clusters of hooked spines emerging from the stems that really do resemble fishing hooks! It can grow up to 3 feet tall.
14. Bear Paw (Cotyledon tomentosa)
With its plump, fuzzy greenish-gray paw-shaped leaves, it’s easy to see where the bear paw succulent gets its adorable descriptor. The leaf pads can reach up to 6 inches across!
15. Sticks on Fire (Euphorbia tirucalli)
This tree-like succulent features thick, pencil-thin stems that turn a brilliant orange-red color during periods of drought or when exposed to lots of sunlight.
16. Pinwheel Plant (Aeonium haworthii)
As it matures, the pinwheel plant forms a flat rosette of spoon-shaped leaves that spiral out in a perfect pinwheel or starburst pattern, colored in shades of lime green to yellow.
17. Tiger Tooth Aloe (Aloe juvenna)
Compact and adorned with white markings like teeth along the leaf edges, tiger tooth aloes are a smaller and easier to manage type of medicinalaloe vera plant.
18. Stapelia (Stapelia spp.)
Also called toad plants or carrion flowers, stapelias have an unusual starfish shape and mottled patterns, but their real claim to fame is the nasty rotting odor they emit to attract flies for pollination!
19. Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)
Featuring pale blueish-green leaves with pinkish tips, ghost plants get their name from their ghostly coloring and hairy, webbed texture. They do great as indoor plants.
20. Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)
This flowering succulent produces a crest of small, bright red blooms amidst the stems of thorn-like spines. Just be careful handling the prickly stems!
21. Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
A popular gift plant in spring, Flaming Katy succulents have deep green scalloped leaves that produce masses of bright orange-red flowers for months on end.
22. String of Bananas (Senecio radicans)
The trailing stems of this unique succulent are filled with banana-shaped green leaves. They make excellent hanging basket plants that can trail several feet long.
23. Jelly Bean Plant (Sedum rubrotinctum)
With its clusters of plump, blushing red jelly bean-shaped leaves, this petite trailing succulent is both adorable and easy to grow.
24. Watch Chain (Crassula muscosa)
Watch chain plants get their name from their clusters of tiny, bead-like green leaves strung together to form delicate hanging chains of foliage.
25. Propeller Plant (Crassula capitella)
The thick, plump green leaves of this succulent variety emerge from its stems in a spiral, propeller-like pattern, adding unique texture to arrangements.
26. Spiral Aloe (Aloe polyphylla)
The thick, pale green leaves of spiral aloes grow in a perfect spiral rosette, becoming almost geometrically patterned as the plant matures.
27. Pincushion Cactus (Mammillaria spp.)
So named for their pincushion-like round shape covered in delicate clusters of spines, pincushion cacti come in a wide range of sizes and varieties.
28. Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe luciae)
Paddle plants get their name from the large, rounded, paddle-shaped green leaves that grow in a rosette form. The leaves can reach over a foot long on larger specimens!
29. Donkey’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Similar to burro’s tail but even more tightly compressed, donkey’s tail features fat, blueish-green tear-drop shaped leaves growing in a dense stem cluster.
30. Pickle Plant (Delosperma echinatum)
The thick, green pickle plant leaves have a distinct warty texture and turn a bright reddish-purple when exposed to lots of sunlight and drought.
From the classic jade plant to more bizarre and geometrically patterned varieties, there’s no shortage of unique and alien-looking succulent plants to collect! Many make excellent, low-maintenance houseplants.
With the right soil, sunlight and watering, these water-storing beauties will bring tons of interesting shapes, colors and textures to your indoor garden or landscape for many years.
