It is exhausting and disappointing when you give your plant the best care, and still, you do not get any flowers over many years. Unlike the conventional houseplants which are generally very needy and slow, succulents do not require that much attention and they give gorgeous flowers very easily.
Succulents are originally desert plants. Their body is adapted to stay alive in tough conditions. They usually have thick and juicy leaves storing water inside the tissues, so they could keep living despite the long periods of drought.
These plants have an interesting appearance since they form their leaves in various shapes and colors. Well, succulents look already very unique and exotic because of their interesting foliage in many different forms. And they often come with a surprise; a lot of succulents give flowers too!
To find out which type of succulent is the best one for you and your space, keep reading the most popular succulents that give the prettiest flowers without a big effort. Before coming to the list I prepared for you, here are some answers for the frequently asked questions about the flowering succulents.
Which Succulents Give Flowers?
It is quite understandable, succulents and cacti are not the first to come into the minds when we talk about flowering plants. However, there are numerous species of succulents that give the most beautiful flowers in many different forms and colors.
Before all, it is important to identify your succulent. When you find out which type of a succulent plant you have, it is so much easier to care for it according to its characteristic behavior.
Flowering plants are classified under two main categories, according to their flowering behavior; perennial and monocarpic. While perennial plants are able to give flowers many times in their lifespan, monocarpic plants bloom only once and die after flowering.
Many common species like Echeverias bloom every year in the same period.
How to Care for the Flowering Succulents?
Good Lighting
First of all, succulents need good lighting. Many of them like to get partial to full sun. Especially indoor succulents should be kept in a bright room and have at least a couple hours of direct sunlight.
Usually, a South facing window is the best place to grow your succulents.
Proper Watering
Make sure you give your succulents a proper watering. As I mentioned before, succulent plants are adapted to live through long periods of drought. That means you should water them occasionally.
Soak up the soil one good time. Later than that, wait for the water filter through the soil and drainage holes.
Before the next irrigation check if the soil is completely dry. The leaves of your succulent should look a little creased. It is no problem because once you give water, they will look healthy again. It is always a good idea to underwater succulent plants rather than overwatering which will lead to rotten plants quickly.
Note that succulents during the flowering period require less frequent watering. Even sometimes they can survive without any irrigation.
Right Type of Soil
It is extremely important to use a proper type of soil with the succulents. You should plant yours in a special mix of succulent soil, which is a blend of regular potting or gardening soil with some kind of grainy soil. The soil you use should not hold the water inside in order to keep the roots dry.
You should also choose a pot with drainage holes in addition to the grainy succulent soil.
Buy Succulent Soil on Amazon!When do the Succulents Give Flowers?
Every species show differences on the flowering period. It is mainly depended on the dormant season and the active growth season of a plant.
To speak in general, flowers come at the end of the growing season.
Perennial succulents that bloom once a year will keep their flowers a while until the buds fade and dry. Dead flowers will drop off by themselves unless you clean them up.
Monocarpic succulents give flowers when they reach maturity at the end of their growth. These type of plants will die after blossoming. Yet, it is possible to propagate the mother plant and grow another succulent to wait for it giving its pretty flowers once again.
What to do With a Flower Stalk: Leave It or Cut It?
Flowers of a succulent plant can be displayed over several weeks to several months. If the climate is dry, flowers will last longer in a good shape. After the vivid flowers fade and drop off, you can cut out the leftover stalk of them.
Use a sterilized cutter or scissors and cut the stalk from its base or as close as possible. Try not to disturb the leaves. You do not want to damage a healthy plant for that.
Should I Fertilize My Succulents?
Many people use fertilizers regularly with common blossoming houseplants. But succulents do not need fertilizers frequently. For most of them, it may help to apply a succulent or cacti fertilizer once a year at spring.
If you think your plants need the fertilizer, you can feed them once every month during the flowering season. However, using a very strong and fast releasing fertilizer harms the succulents.
Remember to use a diluted mix of a slow-release fertilizer, if you do not want to cause roots to burn.
Can I Get Seeds From the Flowering Succulents?
Normally, you can not propagate succulents with the seeds you get from their flowers. To achieve that, you should place more than one of the same kind together. They produce seeds when they are pollinated with another plant.
In their natural habitat, flowers attract countless insects with their appealing smell and sweet sap. So these insects help pollination of succulent plants naturally. Although some professionals multiply succulents by the seeds, I think it is much easier to propagate them with the leaves and cuttings.
To learn how can you propagate succulents at home, visit my guide post here about a detailed process.
Most Popular Flowering Succulents
Echeverias
These Mexican originated succulents are shaped as perfectly arranged rosettes and they form one or more long inflorescence. Color and shape of the flower stalk can differ from one species to another.
Most of the species bloom in late summer, although there are a few exceptions. These types of succulents are mainly perennial, so you can get these flowers from Echeverias every year around the same period.
Get Echeverias on Amazon!Sempervivums
Sempervivums are one of the most resistant types of succulents, which can survive a lot of difficulties for years.
These succulents produce white, pink or yellow flowers. Actually, it is a little difficult to predict whether a Sempervivum is going to bloom a year or not because they are very inconsistent.
Even though they are from the same family of Echeverias, Sempervivums die after blossoming. Yet, of course, there are ways to manage when to get flowers from them, so they could live longer.
Luckily, Sempervivums propagate very easily, without any intervention. Because of that feature they are called as Hens and Chicks. Their rosettes give a lot of offsets. Even the mother plant die after it shows flowers, the chicks keep on living.
Schlumbergera
Schlumbergera is known commonly as Christmas Cactus, and it is extremely popular because this succulent is extremely generous on flowering.
Image from Flickr
Christmas Cactus give many flowering buds, generally in bright and rich colors like red, orange, yellow or pink. They are called Christmas Cactus or Holiday Cactus, for the reason that they give their flowers in late autumn, the season around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
What I love about these succulents, pretty much like everyone else, is that they can blossom several times in a year. All you have to do is to mimic the effects of Autumn season; such as watering less, extending the dark hours and lowering the temperature. Christmas Cactus will keep blooming over and over again!
Kalanchoes
You should have heard or seen Kalanchoe succulents before. They are really popular with the name Flaming Katy, which is given after their blossoms in flaming colors.
Flowers of Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana are hanging on top of a short stem above the foliage. Their leaves form scalloped little flowers in many clusters. Flaming Katy keeps the flowers for weeks.
After the blooming period, you can make your Kalanchoe bloom again with a little bit support. What you need to do is to stimulate the natural process of blossoming again. Simulate the winter conditions by decreasing water and the lightning period gradually, for around six weeks. Do not fertilize the plant during these weeks.
When the flower buds start to reappear, change your practice back to normal.
Aeoniums
After Aeonium Kiwi comes to the end of its growing season, little yellow flowers appear around late spring or summer.
You should know that Aeonium is a monocarp plant, just like Sempervivums, meaning it dies after flowering. For that reason, they are better to be propagated before they reach the end of their lifespan.
Succulents are usually not considered as flowering plants at first glance, though their flowers are as interesting as their foliage. In actual, some types of most popular floweing house plants are originally succulent species. These desert plants are generous enough to show their amazing flowers with a minimal care.
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