15 Succulents Worth Knowing

Few plants boast the effortless beauty of succulents. These amazing plants have no-fuss personalities that thrive with sun, low water and heat. Learn about some succulents that have earned rave reviews from professional growers and even a few awards. Others in this group have stood the test of time—they're heirloom plants you should try growing.

Sedoro is a completely new plant group created by crossing Sedum and Orostachys. The resulting plant makes a fabulous ground cover with steel blue leaves. Pink flowers appear in late summer to early fall, completely obscuring leaves. Plants are 6 inches tall. Use along border edges or in rock gardens. You’ll get the greatest impact when you plant several together. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Colorful and cute, painted echeveria (Echeveria nodulosa) is a Mexican native, where it grows on limestone hills. Green leaves contrast artfully with red midribs and edges. Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, painted echeveria is drought tolerant in the landscape once it’s established. It also adapts well to container culture. Indoors, it needs bright light to develop full leaf coloring.

Plush plant (Echeveria pulvinata) is a Mexican succulent forming rosettes of fleshy, slightly hairy, green-gray leaves with red tips.