It’s hard to miss the massive popularity of the simple succulent for all sorts of horticultural, garden, and interior design projects.
These quirky plants are incredibly cute and oh so easy to care for, making them great companions for even the most neglectful gardener.
What to Expect? If you are wondering if succulents are good houseplants, we share 12 reasons why these plants will make a great houseplants for any home, including some great varieties to care for.
Are succulents good houseplants?
These distinctive and characterful plants can make a great, easy-maintenance addition to any household.
With so many varieties available, it is easy to find the right succulent for you.
Here are 12 reasons why succulents are great houseplants.
1. Succulents are low to no maintenance
Despite the green plumb foliage, these plants originate from harsh arid environments where they may have to enter dormancy to survive drought conditions.
Succulents won’t need lots of water or feeding, in fact, too much attention could be detrimental to these plucky plants.
With the warmth of a home, they will be in the optimal environment to look their best for you all year round!
2. Succulents are on-trend plants
Take some lessons in interior design by adding some succulents to a sunny spot in your home.
Despite being so striking in appearance, they fill in with a variety of interior decor styles and color palettes and instantly modernize a space.
The popularity of succulents shows no signs of slowing down with all sorts of creative planting projects and new and colorful varieties being adopted.
3. Succulents are some of the most drought-tolerant plants around
If you are used to crispy houseplant every time you turn your home heating on, you’ll find that succulents will cope amazingly well with dry conditions and won’t wither if you forget to water them.
This is because the succulents are adapted to store their water in their pert foliage, meaning their demand for water is low.
Too much water is likely to rot the succulents roots.
4. These plants have amazing variety
There is a remarkable number of succulent plants with different types and arrangements of the classic well upholstered leaves.
You can find varieties of succulents that have remarkable shapes, colors and leave patterns.
Depending on their conditions and exposure to sun, succulents can change color and bring forth vivid hues varying from orange to deep mauve.
With so many sizes you can find a succulent to fill any space, from a teacup to a vintage cloche.
5. Succulents can increase humidity
If you love collecting succulents for your home, they will reward you by increasing the humidity in your home by releasing moisture through transpiration.
This can help to counteract the dry air from central heating.
6. Succulents are excellent air purifiers
Succulents are some of the best plants to have in your home if you are concerned about air quality because you or your loved ones cope with allergies.
This is because many specifes are able to clean the air in your house by filtering pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including xylene and toluene.
7. Use succulents to oxygenate your home
These are good house plants for adding oxygen to your home.
Succulents are one of the few plant species that release oxygen into their environment 24 hours per day.
Most other plants will consume oxygen at night. This is ideal for people with breathing problems like asthma or COPD.
8. There are so many creative ways to grow succulents as houseplants
The variety of shapes and sizes of succulents means that you can use them in many smart and stylish home decor projects.
Their low fertilizer and water requirements mean that they can be used in diverse projects with unusual plantings.
Here are some clever and stylish projects for these house plants:
- Terrarium
- Teacup planter
- Framed succulents
- Living wall
- Macrame succulents
- Hydroponic succulents
- Fish tank or aquarium
9. Many succulents have health and healing properties
Many (but not all) succulents are edible and have beneficial properties that can be used to manage a variety of ailments.
Aloe vera, of course, is renowned for it health-giving properties when applied topically or ingested.
Yucca is another succulent that is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties when its roots are boiled as a tea.
10. Succulents are easy to propagate
It’s easy to multiply your succulents or grow your own from a friends interesting variety.
You can propagate succulents by using leaf, stems or frank division to grow new, healthy plants relatively quickly.
Here are some great succulents to propagate for your home:
- Echeveria
- Sedum morganianum
- Sedum nussbaumerianum
- Sedum rubrotinctum
- Graptopetalum paraguayense
- Sempervivum arachnoideum
11. Enjoy some beautiful flowering with certain varieties
If you would like some additional color pops from your succulent houseplant, you’ll be pleased to know that there are many flowering varieties that put on a pleasant annual display.
Flowering varieties include:
- Flowering Kalanchoe
- Calandiva
- Purple Ice Plant
- and Mable Buttons
12. Succulents can help to enjoy a peaceful, calm home
Having succulents in your living space can promote a sense of wellbeing and calm that will help you relax and enjoy your environment.
These highly collectible and visually interesting plants can be grouped by a window or placed in hanging baskets to enrich your rooms.
If you have a home office, placing one or two succulents by your desk can boost your concentration and productivity.
Here are 5 great succulents to enjoy as houseplants
These succulents look amazing in your home and are easy to care for.
Jade (Crassula ovata)
The classic money plant is known for its pert ovate leaves and is a classic houseplant.
It can grow up to three feet in height.
Treat it right and your Jade can achieve surprising longevity, with many Jade plants being passed down through families.
Hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)
This is a very trendy succulent that has a distinctive roseate arrangement of its fleshy leaves.
Also, known as the houseleek, hens and chicks love drought conditions making it perfect for the forgetful plant owner.
It also can be propagated successfully from a single leaf.
String of hearts (Ceropegia Woodii)
This is a whimsical trailing succulent with thinner leaves and long stems that will do well in a bright and sunny spot.
It is an efficient grower and can create a dramatic look if you place it on a high shelf.
Aloe Vera
This classic succulent is a health and wellbeing powerhouse.
Aloe Vera will purify your air and humidity and oxygenate your room.
If you have a prolifically growing plant, you can cut the leaves and use the gel inside as a salve, hair or skin treatment.
Burros tail (Sedum morganianum)
This funky Mexican native produces a beautiful trailing effect that would look great in a hanging basket.
Its strange leaves are sensitive to direct sunlight so keep it in semi shade.
In time you should be able to enjoy some lovely purple or blue flowers from this succulent.
Rounding Up
As you can see, succulents are some of the best houseplants around and so much fun to care for and display that you’ll soon find yourself addicted to collecting them.
Seasoned succulent owners know that can never have too many succulents.
Start your collection today and beautify your home!
