Types of succulents — 25+ varieties with care needs

Types of succulents — 25+ varieties with care needs

Succulents are easy to recognize as a category — fleshy water-storing leaves, compact growth, often arranged in rosettes — but the species within that category vary enormously. A jade plant and a string of pearls are both succulents, yet one wants direct sun on a windowsill and the other drapes from a hanging basket in bright indirect light. This guide walks through the 25+ most common types of succulents sold in US garden centers, with the visual cues for each one and a care signal you can scan. If a species exists on our care hub, we link to the dedicated page so you can dig deeper.

Match a succulent to your light: Photograph your spot in Growli and we measure the actual light level — then recommend three types of succulents ranked by fit.

What counts as a succulent

The word "succulent" describes any plant that stores water in fleshy tissue — leaves, stems, or roots. That includes:

• Leaf succulents — echeveria, jade, aloe, haworthia, sedum, kalanchoe (water in the leaves)
• Stem succulents — most cacti, euphorbia (water in thickened stems)
• Caudiciforms — adenium, pachypodium (water in a swollen trunk or base)

Cacti are a subgroup of stem succulents. Not all succulents are cacti, but all cacti are succulents. This guide focuses on the leaf succulents you actually see in retail — the rosettes, trailing types, and tree-form succulents — while our companion guide to the types of cacti covers the desert and forest cactus groups in their own right.

Two big visual categories cover most of what you will encounter:

1. Rosette succulents — leaves spiral out from a central crown (echeveria, sempervivum, aloe, haworthia, aeonium).
2. Shrub or tree succulents — woody stems with succulent leaves (jade, portulacaria, crassula).

A third smaller category — trailing succulents (string of pearls, burros tail, string of hearts) — drapes from hanging baskets and shelves.

Rosette succulents

The Instagram-famous category. Tight spiraled leaves that look almost mathematical from above.

1. Echeveria — Echeveria spp.

The classic succulent rosette. Pale green, blue-green, pink, lavender, or burgundy leaves arranged in a perfect spiral. Hundreds of cultivars including Lola, Perle von Nurnberg, Lipstick, and Black Prince. Native to Mexico.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 10–14 days. See /plant-care/echeveria.

2. Haworthia — Haworthia spp.

Compact rosettes with stiff pointed leaves often marked with white bands (zebra haworthia) or translucent windows (haworthia cooperi). Tolerates lower light than most rosette succulents — the best indoor succulent for an east-facing window.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 2–3 weeks. See /plant-care/haworthia.

3. Aloe vera — Aloe barbadensis

Fleshy rosette of toothed, gel-filled leaves. Useful in the kitchen for minor burns. The gel inside the leaves is what makes aloe famous — and what makes it easy to overwater.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2–3 weeks. See aloe vera care and /plant-care/aloe-vera.

4. Sempervivum (hens and chicks) — Sempervivum tectorum

Cold-hardy rosette succulent. Forms tight clusters of "chicks" around a mother "hen." Lives outdoors year-round in USDA zones 3–8. Often the only succulent that survives winter in the Northeast.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water sparingly, hardy to -30°F. Not in our care hub yet.

5. Aeonium — Aeonium arboreum

Large flat rosettes on tall woody stems. Black Rose (Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop') is the famous near-black cultivar. Grows tree-form outdoors in California.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2 weeks. Not in our care hub yet.

6. Lithops (living stones) — Lithops spp.

The strangest succulent in retail. Looks like two flat pebbles fused together — actually two highly modified leaves. Splits open once a year to grow a new pair and sometimes a yellow or white daisy-like flower.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water 4–6 times per year, never overhead. See /plant-care/lithops.

7. Graptopetalum — Graptopetalum paraguayense

Ghost plant. Pale silvery-pink rosettes on short stems. Easy to propagate from individual leaves — drop a leaf on soil, walk away, come back to a new plant.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2 weeks. Not in our care hub yet.

Tree and shrub succulents

Woody-stemmed succulents that grow upright like miniature trees. Long-lived — often passed down between generations.

8. Jade plant — Crassula ovata

Thick oval succulent leaves on a woody trunk. Tree-like form when mature. Lives for decades. Considered a good-luck plant in many cultures.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2–3 weeks. See jade plant care and /plant-care/jade-plant.

9. Portulacaria afra (elephant bush)

Often confused with jade. Smaller, denser, more oval leaves on reddish stems. Drought-tolerant tree-form succulent. Tasty in salads — yes, edible.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2 weeks. Not in our care hub yet.

10. Crassula (other) — Crassula spp.

The genus includes jade plus many smaller species — crassula muscosa (watch chain), crassula perforata (string of buttons), crassula ovata 'Gollum' (with tubular leaves).

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2 weeks. See /plant-care/jade-plant for the most common species in this genus.

11. Kalanchoe — Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Flowering succulent with clusters of small red, orange, yellow, pink, or white blooms. Long-flowering — blooms can last 2 months. Often sold in supermarket flower sections.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when soil dries. See /plant-care/kalanchoe.

Trailing succulents

Succulents whose primary form is trailing vines from a hanging basket or high shelf.

12. String of pearls — Senecio rowleyanus

Trailing succulent with bead-like spherical leaves on long thin stems. Looks like a green pearl necklace from a hanging basket. Fragile — handle gently.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 2 weeks. See /plant-care/string-of-pearls.

13. String of bananas — Senecio radicans

Cousin of string of pearls. Curved banana-shaped leaves on long trailing stems. Easier than pearls — more forgiving of inconsistent watering.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 2 weeks. See /plant-care/string-of-bananas.

14. String of hearts — Ceropegia woodii

Trailing vine with small heart-shaped leaves, silver-marbled on top and purple underneath. Beautiful and forgiving.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when soil dries. See /plant-care/string-of-hearts.

15. String of dolphins — Senecio peregrinus

Hybrid between string of pearls and candle plant. Leaves shaped like leaping dolphins. Trendy and hard to find.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 2 weeks. See /plant-care/string-of-dolphins.

16. Burros tail — Sedum morganianum

Donkey tail. Long trailing stems packed with overlapping plump blue-green leaves. Leaves drop at the slightest touch.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2 weeks. See /plant-care/burros-tail.

Sedum (stonecrops)

A huge genus of low-growing succulents. Mostly used outdoors as ground cover. Many cold-hardy varieties.

17. Sedum — Sedum spp.

Includes hundreds of species from low ground-covering mats to taller upright clumps. Many cold-hardy (zones 3–9) and ideal for green roofs, rock gardens, and edges of borders.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water sparingly, drought-tolerant. See /plant-care/sedum.

18. Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Upright stonecrop. Pink flower clusters fade to rusty red in fall. Pollinator magnet. Hardy to zone 3.

Care signal: Full sun outdoors, drought-tolerant. Not in our care hub yet.

Cacti

The stem-succulent branch. Native mostly to the Americas, evolved without leaves (spines are modified leaves).

19. Christmas cactus — Schlumbergera

A tropical jungle cactus, not a desert cactus. Segmented flat green stems with pink, red, or white blooms in winter (typically November–January).

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. See /plant-care/christmas-cactus.

20. Cacti (general — barrel, prickly pear, mammillaria)

True desert cacti span thousands of species. Common indoor types include barrel cacti (Ferocactus, Echinocactus), prickly pear (Opuntia), and pincushion cactus (Mammillaria). All want full sun and very infrequent watering.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 3–4 weeks in summer, monthly or less in winter. See /plant-care/cacti-general.

21. Bunny ear cactus — Opuntia microdasys

Small prickly pear with pad-shaped segments covered in tiny barbed glochids (do not touch). Beginner cactus.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 3–4 weeks. Not in our care hub yet (see /plant-care/cacti-general).

22. Moon cactus — Gymnocalycium mihanovichii

The grafted neon-colored cactus you see at hardware stores. The bright top (red, yellow, orange, pink) is a chlorophyll-free mutant grafted onto a green root cactus that does the photosynthesis.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 3 weeks. Not in our care hub yet.

Unusual and specialty succulents

For collectors and people who want something rare.

23. False shamrock — Oxalis triangularis

Not strictly a succulent (it grows from a tuber), but often grouped with them. Purple triangular leaves that fold up at night. Toxic to cats and dogs — contains soluble calcium oxalates per the ASPCA. Keep out of reach of pets.

Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. See /plant-care/false-shamrock.

24. Pencil cactus — Euphorbia tirucalli

Spineless thin succulent stems that branch in geometric patterns. Sticky white latex when broken — irritating and toxic. Grows tall outdoors in California.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2–3 weeks. Not in our care hub yet.

25. Adenium (desert rose) — Adenium obesum

Caudiciform succulent with a swollen base and tropical pink trumpet flowers. Bonsai-like form.

Care signal: Bright direct light, water sparingly, dormant in winter. Not in our care hub yet.

26. Snake plant — Dracaena trifasciata

Technically classified as a succulent (it stores water in its leaves), though most people group it with foliage houseplants. Worth knowing because it shares all the same care needs as succulents.

Care signal: Low to bright indirect light, water every 2–3 weeks. See snake plant care and /plant-care/snake-plant.

How to choose the right type of succulent

Three questions narrow the list fast. First, where does the plant live — outdoors, on a sunny windowsill, or in a dimmer room? Outdoor succulents need cold-hardiness ratings (sedum, sempervivum); sunny-windowsill succulents handle direct sun (echeveria, jade, aloe, cacti); dimmer-room succulents tolerate indirect light (haworthia, christmas cactus, string of hearts). Second, how much watering attention can you give? Lithops want 4–6 waterings per year; echeveria wants every 10–14 days; haworthia is in between at every 2–3 weeks. Pick the watering rhythm that matches your habits, not your ambitions. Third, what shape do you want — rosette, trailing, or tree-form? That mostly comes down to where you will display the plant.

For a beginner succulent collection in a typical US apartment, the four-plant starter kit is: one haworthia (low-light corner), one echeveria (south windowsill), one jade plant (sunny shelf), one string of pearls (hanging from a bookcase near a window). That covers the four main visual categories and gives you four totally different care rhythms to learn from.

If you live in California, Texas, Arizona, or another warm state, you can move many succulents outdoors year-round — which dramatically improves their color (most echeverias and aeoniums blush pink or red in real sun) and dramatically expands the species you can grow. Cold-climate growers in the Northeast and Midwest are limited to indoor cultivation plus a small number of cold-hardy outdoor varieties (sedum, sempervivum).

See our deeper guides on how often to water succulents, best soil for succulents, and why is my succulent dying once you have your starter set.

Common care across the category

All succulents share four needs. First, light — most want at least 4–6 hours of direct or very bright indirect light daily, with haworthia and christmas cactus the main exceptions. Second, soil — a fast-draining gritty mix (50 percent regular potting soil, 50 percent perlite or coarse sand). Standard houseplant soil holds too much water. Third, watering rhythm — soak the soil completely, then let it dry fully before the next watering. Frequency depends on pot size, light, and humidity but typically every 2–3 weeks indoors. Fourth, drainage — a pot with a drainage hole is non-negotiable. Decorative pots without holes are a slow death sentence for any succulent.

Try Growli: Snap a photo with Growli — get instant ID and a care plan in 60 seconds.

Related articles

• How often to water succulents — the calendar that works — watering deep dive
• Best soil for succulents — what to mix and what to skip — soil recipes
• Why is my succulent dying? — 6 common causes — diagnostic guide
• Types of houseplants — 30+ varieties — the broader category
• Low-maintenance houseplants — 20 nearly unkillable picks — beginner houseplant list
• Jade plant care — light, water, common problems — deep guide on the most popular succulent
• Aloe vera care — the complete guide — the kitchen succulent

Reviewed and updated by the Growli editorial team. For questions about anything here, open Growli and ask — or email hello@getgrowli.app.