Best plants

995 best succulents for beginners

Succulents earned their easy reputation honestly: they store their own water, so they forgive the forgotten watering can that kills fussier plants. These are the true succulents and cacti in our library, each with the bright light and dry-out rhythm it needs to thrive on a windowsill.

How this list is built: every plant in our library whose documented growth habit is a true succulent or cactus (semi-succulents excluded)— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	Pets
Adromischus Cooperi temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Cristatus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Hemisphaericus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Maculatus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Marianiae temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Trigynus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Aeonium Haworthii temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in active growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Aeonium Sunburst temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top few centimetres of soil are dry, about weekly in active growth, sparingly in summer dormancy	Mildly toxic to pets
Aeonium Velour temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in active growth	Mildly toxic to pets
African Milk Tree temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 1-2 weeks in spring/summer; roughly every 3-4 weeks in winter	Toxic to pets
African Spear Plant temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-4 weeks in summer and every 4-6 weeks in winter	Toxic to pets
Agave americana temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave americana 'Marginata' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave attenuata temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top few centimetres of soil are dry, roughly every 1-2 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave Cactus temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is completely dry, roughly every 10-14 days in summer; very sparingly in winter	Pet-safe
Agave parryi temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave parryi var. truncata temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Agave victoriae-reginae temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in summer	Mildly toxic to pets
Aizoon Rosularia temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 3–4 weeks in spring and summer; rarely in winter	Pet-safe
Aloe 'Delta Lights' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Toxic to pets
Aloe 'Pink Blush' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth	Toxic to pets
Aloe vera temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, every 2-3 weeks	Toxic to pets
Aloe-like Nananthus temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 14-21 days in summer; once every 4-6 weeks in winter	Mildly toxic to pets

Best succulents for beginners — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best succulents for beginners?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is every plant in our library whose documented growth habit is a true succulent or cactus (semi-succulents excluded), drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 995 plants qualify today.

How many succulents for beginners are there?

Growli currently lists 995 plants that meet the criterion (every plant in our library whose documented growth habit is a true succulent or cactus (semi-succulents excluded)). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.

Are these plants safe for cats and dogs?

Not necessarily — this list is selected by every plant in our library whose documented growth habit is a true succulent or cactus (semi-succulents excluded), not by pet safety. Each plant is tagged with its pet-safety status below, and links to a full ASPCA-sourced pet-safety guide. If you have pets, see the dedicated best pet-safe houseplants list.

More plant shortlists

Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
Best plants for cold, dark rooms — Houseplants that cope with BOTH low light and a cool, unheated room — the hardest indoor spot to fill. Every pick tolerates a low of about 10°C and shade.
Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
Best pet-safe succulents — Succulents the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — low-water greenery that is also safe around a curious pet.
Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
Best houseplants to propagate in water — Houseplants that root from a cutting in a glass of water — the easiest, cheapest way to turn one plant into many.
Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
Full pet-safe plant library — every plant, ASPCA toxicity status

Care deep-dives gardeners ask for most

Once you have shortlisted a plant, the next questions are watering and soil. These are the guides searched most this season:

Best soil for a peace lily and best soil for a spider plant
Best soil for dracaena (it is fluoride-sensitive) and best soil for hibiscus
How often to water broccoli, how often to water beans, and how often to water okra
Browse every watering guide and soil & potting-mix guide