Top 5 Tips To Choosing Indoor Succulents

Siri, Show Me A Healthy Succulent

One of the best ways to add life to your home is with life itself.

Flowers are great, but if they're not rooted they die in just a matter of days. If you have pets, there are certain plants that you cannot have indoors because they may be poisonous.

So what are your options? —succulents!

Indoor succulents are one of the most popular types of house plants to have because of their beauty and uniqueness. They're also fairly easy to maintain.

But before you run out and buy the first succulent that you find, you should read on for tips on choosing the best indoor succulents.

The Best Indoor Succulents

Succulents are a diverse group of plants that are charming and exotic. They add a variety of color and life to your home, all while purifying your air.

For the most part, succulents are great for beginners because they are low maintenance, do well in droughts, and they bounce back easily. But not all succulents are indoor-friendly. 

This means you should look for succulents that don't need a lot of sun time. The more colorful varieties of succulents (the reds, oranges, and purples) are the ones that need direct sunlight, so a good rule of thumb is to stick with succulents that are more natural green.

Whether you are growing your succulents from scratch or purchasing them ready-to-go, you're going to want the best indoor succulents that will thrive in your home.

Here are the top 5 tips for choosing indoor succulents:

1. Look at the Color

As mentioned before, the more colorful the succulent, the less likely it will do well indoors. green to dark green leaves are the best indicators that a plant can tolerate a lot of shade.

The darker green the leaves are, the more chloroplasts they have. This means that they will be able to produce more chlorophyll as a result, allowing the succulent to convert light energy for photosynthesis. 

A few good types of indoor succulents are Aloe Vera, Gasterias and Haworthias.

Of course, if there's a room in your home that receives direct sunlight for up to six hours a day, you may have a chance at maintaining the more colorful species of succulents indoors.

2. Find the Slow Growers

Naturally, all plants will bend and grow towards the light in order to promote photosynthesis. When you have a fast-growing succulent in a low light condition, the entire plant will stretch out towards the light.

A stretched out succulent will have a long, thin stem and weak leaves that aren't all that attractive. When this happens, not only will you have a less appealing succulent to look at, but a nearly unmanageable one as well. 

Cacti plants from the Aizoaceae family are the perfect slow growers for low light conditions. 

3. Check the Health of the Plants

If you're buying from a local store, try to avoid any damaged plants. You have to play doctor and look for any bumps, scars, tears, or mushy spots. There should also be no odd discoloration or spots. The leaves should feel firm, not mushy.

You can check the health of the succulent by gently bumping one of the leaves to see if it falls off. This is an early warning sign that the plant has been overwatered.

The leaves of the plant should look full, green and perky —not brown, wilted and droopy. You want to make sure that the succulent you're about to purchase has been well cared for. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time and money.

4. Bugs are a Big No-No!

Mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, gnats —no, no, no and NO! 

Bugs are a sign that the succulents are not being cared for properly. If they are overwatered they can begin to develop a fungus and before you know it, they are infested with bugs.

Especially Gnats are tough contenders because they reproduce quickly and if you bring them into your home they will attack anything with moisture content.

Check the succulent thoroughly before buying. If you see anything crawling around in the soil or any strange white fuzz, then that succulent is infested. In fact, you may not want to buy any succulents from a store where you see tiny little flies buzzing around and landing on the succulents because they could all easily be infested.

Bugs in your succulents don't necessarily mean that all is lost. There are plenty of ways to get rid of them. But the last thing you want is a whole new project, not to mention bugs in your home.

5. The Bigger the Better

Succulents come in a wide variety of sizes, and it's so much fun to start with baby plants because you get to watch them grow and blossom. 

But the truth is, a larger, older succulent will be more hearty and therefore much easier to maintain. They don't dry out as quickly so they don't need frequent watering. Their health will also be more visible.

A larger succulent will be more expensive, but they have withstood the test of time, and have been cared for properly. This means they are nice and strong, which also means that you are less likely to kill it.

Here's a Bonus Tip:

Do not buy anything that has been painted! This should be obvious, but sometimes you just can't resist fun, bold colors.

Anything that looks sparkly, or has unnaturally bold colorings like royal blue and neon yellow have been spray painted. This means that the succulent has already been marked for death thanks to all of the chemicals in spray paint. 

Just don't do it.

Go Forth and Blossom

Now you know what to look for when choosing indoor succulents for your home. There are plenty of beautiful options out there and plenty of rooms in your home to fill. 

For more information and tips on succulents and succulent care, come and check us out. 

We know everything there is to know about succulents, and we have lots of options for you to choose from!