Hard-Working Succulents

Drought-tolerant plants are trending, as gardeners across the country look for ways to save water. Topsy Turvy Echeveria doesn't require much, once it's established. Its orange and yellow flowers appear above blue-gray leaves.

Ice plant 'Fire Spinner' is hardy in zones 5 to 10, but it doesn't get its name because it's cold hardy. Instead, its leaves look shimmery, as though they're coated in frost. The plants form fast-growing mats of evergreen foliage topped by spring and summer flowers.

"Paddle plant" is a nickname for Kalanchoe thyrisflora. 'Desert Rose' is a blue-green variety with red-tipped leaves, and the colors become brighter with more sun. Grow it indoors or out; it's hardy in zones 9 to 11. When the plants mature, they send up spikes with yellow flowers.

Try Sunset Aloe in a rock garden, and watch hummingbirds visit the green-tipped red or yellow flowers. The leaves grow in clumps, starting out green and aging to to spotted, russet-red. The plants are hardy in zones 10 and 11.