The Succulents in My Greenhouse
Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents - they make excellent container specimens.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves. Some succulents look like smooth stones, while others display perfect rosettes or resemble strings of bold, green beads.
Here are some of the many succulents in my collection - enjoy these photos. And be sure to watch my newest episode on caring for succulents on the Roku Original "Martha Gardens" streaming free now on The Roku Channel.
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- Many of my smaller potted succulents are stored along one side of my main greenhouse where they can get lots of light. Most varieties need at least half a day to a full day of sunlight.
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- I have amassed quite a collection of interesting and rare specimens over the years. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking shapes. They are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up. Succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus,” which means juice or sap. It’s also a nod to the nourishing leaves that help these plants survive in extremely warm conditions.
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- Agave is a genus of succulents in the subfamily Agavoideae of the broadly circumscribed family Asparagaceae. This is Agave ‘Queen Victoria’. This elegant, domed plant has deep green leaves that are strikingly edged and patterned in white.
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- This is a black-spined agave, Agave macroacantha. It is a slow-growing, evergreen succulent that forms rosettes with pale blue-green leaves armed with small brown teeth along the edges.
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- Many of you are familiar with the giant blue agave with its grayish blue leaves. I have many of these in all different sizes. Do you know… tequila is actually distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
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- And this agave has green leaves with bright cream, prominent margins that form a symmetrical, small, round rosette. The leaves also have tiny cinnamon brown marginal sharp spines.
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- I also have a wide collection of Echeverias as well as Aeoniums. To tell the difference, Aeoniums have leaves that are flatter, while the leaves of these Echeverias are more round. The edges of Aeonium leaves also have small points like teeth, while the leaves of Echeverias don’t.
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- Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. I have echeveria in shades of green and purple.
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- The leaves are fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. Often the leaves are colored and a firm touch can mar the skin and leave marks. The echeveria plant usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
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- This is Haworthia coarctata. It is a succulent plant that grows up to eight-inches tall with long stems packed with robust succulent leaves. It is normally dark green but sometimes acquires a rich purple-red when in full sunlight.
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- This is Haworthiopsis fasciata, formerly known as Haworthia fasciata. It is a low growing heavily suckering succulent that forms crowded clusters. It has silvery white raised pearly tubercles that connect to form bands that give the impression of “zebra stripes” but only on the underside of its leaves.
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- This interesting grayish white succulent is called a woolly senecio. Native to South Africa, it is a perennial dwarf shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family.
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- These look like strings of pearls. Senecio rowleyanus, commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads, is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine belonging to the family Asteraceae.
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- Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family. Like other spiny succulents, the prickly pear has flat, fleshy pads called cladodes covered in spiky spines.
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- Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona. These are slow growing – some take up to 30-years o reach maturity.
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- This is called an old man cactus, Cephalocereus senilis – a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It got its name from its white hair and rather slow-paced growth. This Mexican cactus is so thickly covered with soft-looking hairs that its columnar stem is often obscured.
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- I purchased this interesting succulent during a trip to Arizona – this cactus looks like a smooth stone formation.
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- Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. They are native to the rainforests of South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor hanging plants. Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems on the cactus are narrow, green and in can grow several feet long.
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- This ric rac cactus is one of the most exotic cactus houseplants. It shows off distinctive foliage – the stems are serrated and lobed, like a backbone and has a thick, leathery texture that perfectly suits the dark green color. If it gets enough light, ric rac cactus will bloom with stunning pink and white orchid-like flowers.
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- What are your favorite succulents? There are so many from which to choose. I hope this inspires you add one, or two, or even three to your personal collection. And don’t forget to watch “Martha Gardens” to learn how to care for these beautiful plants. It’s streaming now for free on The Roku Channel.
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