Succulents make excellent indoor plants for several reasons.
They store water in their leaves, allowing them to withstand periods of drought. This means they can thrive in indoor environments with lower humidity levels.
Succulents also come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, making them versatile and visually appealing.
Additionally, they are generally low-maintenance plants, requiring infrequent watering and minimal care. Just ensure they receive adequate sunlight and well-draining soil.
How To Grow and Care for Succulents Indoors
Succulents are low maintenance and easy to care for, but their requirements are a little different than growing your typical houseplant.
There are thousands of different types of succulents, each with its own unique characteristics and beauty. Many can be grown indoors and most of them require similar overall care.
Succulents belong to various plant families, including Aloe, Echeveria, Haworthia, Crassula, and many more.
The word “succulent” is derived from the Latin word “succulentus,” which means “juicy” or “sap-filled.” Although all plants store some water in their roots, stems, or leaves, the ability of succulents is highly developed.
Do Succulents Need Sun
Indoor succulents want as much sunlight as you can give them. So place your succulents near the brightest window of your home.
But watch out with succulents in a south-facing window during the summer. The leaves can get sunburnt close to a window on hot summer days. Protect your plants with a sheer curtain, or move them away from the window just a bit.
If your succulents are starting to stretch out towards the window, they are telling you they want more light.
Move it to a spot with more sunlight, or put it under a grow light. These special lights used to be quite large and expensive, but nowadays you can get great grow lights that are small and affordable.
Green succulents are better adapted to growing indoors than pink or red succulents. Those bright colors need more light and direct sun than most of our homes can give them.
Continue reading to learn more about how much sun succulents need.
Succulents can bloom and grow flowers. Unfortunately, most indoor succulents don’t.
They need plenty of light and their conditions to be just right. Find out what you can do to get your indoor succulent to flower!
How Often do you Water Indoor Succulents?
The biggest problem with keeping succulents alive indoors is how much and how often to water them.
Succulents don’t like to be watered as frequently as most indoor plants. Your succulents won’t wither away when you go away on vacation for a while.
Overwatering is the number one cause of succulents not surviving in our homes. This doesn’t mean you should give your succulents just a tiny bit of water, you can definitely give a generous soak. They can handle a lot of water at once, just not too often.
In their natural habitat, they go through long dry spells followed by heavy rainfall.
Water succulents only when the soil is completely dry, or when your plant’s upper leaves are starting to shrivel.
Most succulents have their growing period from spring to fall and go dormant in winter. During the cooler months of the year they don’t use as much water, so water less.
Succulents do not need to be misted. They originate from sunny and dry regions, they do not need high humidity as some tropical houseplants do (air plants are an exception, more in these below).
Succulents need Drainage
It is important to plant your succulents in pots with drainage holes and fast-draining succulent soil.
Without drainage holes on the bottom, any water left behind is trapped and can cause root rot.
Give your plant some well-draining succulent soil. Again, we want the soil to dry out quickly and this will help with that.
I do not recommend growing succulents indoors without drainage. That is the quickest way to the demise of your plant. So don’t put your succulent in that cute mug, that glass jar, or a terrarium with no way for the water to get out.
Clay terracotta pots are a good choice for succulents. Clay pots are porous and water can evaporate through the sides of the pot. This helps the soil to dry out quicker.
Plastic pots can be used, but do it only if you know your plant and its water wishes well enough. Be even more careful not to overwater when your pot is plastic.
Succulent Propagation
Propagation is a great way to make more plants from the ones you already have, or to save a stretched-out or overwatered succulent.
Some succulents, like the haworthia, grow baby plantlets that can carefully be removed and potted up separately.
Most other succulents can be easily propagated by leaf and stem cuttings.
There are three ways to propagate: In water, directly in soil, or even by doing nothing at all! Read the complete succulent propagation method article to find out which way works best!
Succulents that Grow Well Indoors
Here are some of my personal favorite succulents to grow indoors.
String of Pearls or Senecio rowleyanus
The String of Pearls, or Senecio rowleyanus, is an unusual succulent with green pearl-like leaves on trailing stems.
Very low maintenance and super easy to propagate. Get it a hanging planter, or make your own, and hang it somewhere with bright, indirect light.
Air Plants or Tillandsias
Air plants are just too easy. They don’t need any soil to grow. Just air, light, and a little water.
Because of the no soil you can display them in many creative ways.
Mist regularly and soak in water about once a week. They like indirect light. A little morning sun is fine, but watch out for hot afternoon sun.
Fishbone Cactus or Epiphyllum anguliger
Also known as the Zig Zag cactus named after the long, flat, succulent stems resembling fishbones.
This remarkable plant grows well indoors, doesn't need full sun all day, and is easy to propagate!
Jade Plant or Crassula ovata
The Jade plant is also known as the Money plant. It is thought to bring good luck to the one who owns it. For that alone, it has to be in my top picks.
Jade plants are also very resilient. Just be careful not to overwater, and give it a lot of bright light.
Snake Plant or Sansevieria
If, after all this, you still think you can’t keep a succulent alive, get yourself a Snake Plant.
The Snake plant really is one of the easiest house plants to grow. Often seen in offices, dorms, and hospitals, because they can survive through a lot of neglect, and don’t mind indirect light or shade.
Added bonus: Snake plants are one of the best plants to purify the air!
Evelyn
Monday 14th of August 2023
Was great information!!!! I needed for my succulents. Had them outside? Wrong!!!! Not in this horrible place called las vegas.Sorry just being honest. Nothing grows here.
Gerrard Foulkes
Saturday 24th of April 2021
Can you please send me more information about indoor plantp, as I'm just a beginner. Thanks.
Mod and Mint
Sunday 25th of April 2021
Hi Gerrard, I would say start by reading the Complete Beginners Guide to Plant Care. It will teach you all the basics of indoor plant care like when to water, how much light to give, and a weekly/monthly/yearly care schedule for your plants. Good luck!
Mod and Mint
Thursday 30th of July 2020
Hi Shirani, good to hear it was helpful, thanks for your comment!