Trendy succulents

Echeveria Photo: Shelly Nold

Easy-to-care-for plants are growing in popularity 

One thing I always look for is which plants end up on top of the popular or trendy lists—and sometimes it’s quite a surprise. One group of plants currently dominating this category is cacti and succulents. In this group, there are many types of beautiful and sometimes odd-looking plants. The variety in sizes, shapes, colors and leaves—spiny and smooth—of these plants just might be the biggest reason they are so popular. Interestingly, their popularity seems to span all generations, which is quite exciting.

The top three trending succulents at this time are echeveria or tropical hens and chicks, string of pearls or string of beads, and string of hearts or rosary vine—and everyone is asking for them. All of these are native to warm or tropical climates, so in Kentucky they must be grown indoors in the winter. As a general rule most succulents are easy to grow, tolerate infrequent watering, are slow growing and often fit in a small window or on a small windowsill. Though most cacti and succulents prefer high light, not all do, so always check before making your final selection. Of the top three, string of pearls and string of hearts are more tolerant of part shade indoors.

All three are grown for their beautiful foilage and only bloom if provided a very high light environment. Echeveria flowers can be red, orange, purple or yellow; string of pearls has white flowers; and string of hearts has a trumpet-like white or pale magenta flower. Plants can be grown indoors and be quite beautiful and healthy without ever flowering. If the flowers are important to you, make sure to keep them in a window for the best possible chance at flowering.

The biggest attribute of succulents is their low water need. They also don’t need to be fertilized very much. This group of plants certainly performs well in less than optimal growing conditions, making them great indoor plants. If you have tried and failed at growing plants indoors, definitely give one of these top three trendy succulents a try. You won’t be disappointed, and your friends will probably copy your trend.

SHELLY NOLD is a horticulturist and owner of The Plant Kingdom. Send stories and ideas to her at The Plant Kingdom, 4101 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40207.