Growing succulents in containers - Santa Cruz Sentinel

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Growing succulents in containers

Argentine ball (Deuterocohnia brevifolia). This terrestrial succulent forms dense mounds (called pollsters) composed of 1-inch-wide rosettes of sharp-tipped triangular leaves. The leaves have tiny teeth along the margin and are covered with light-reflecting trichome hairs that appear whitish. It’s a member of the bromeliad plant family (Bromeliaceae), and a native of Argentina. The form of its container presents the plant’s well-formed mound. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOM KARWIN

Peruvian old man cactus (Espostoa lanata). A wooly coat covers this columnar cactus and hides its ribs and sharp spines. This species is variable in size and spines. In its Peruvian or Ecuadorian habitat, it can grow to 8 inches in diameter and reach heights of up to 23 feet. In a container, however, it grows less vigorously, becomes pot-bound and slows growth to a crawl. The pattern of this specimen’s container reflects the plant’s texture.

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Succulent plants are defined as plants that have evolved to store moisture in their leaves, stems or roots. They occur within several different plant families in regions of the world’s growing environments with relatively low moisture levels.

Given their diverse botanical origins, succulent plants have a wide range of characteristics, appealing to different aesthetic preferences. See “Advance your gardening knowledge” below for a reference to the diversity of succulents.

Given the harsh conditions of succulent plants’ original habitats, they grow easily in moderate conditions, such as the Monterey Bay area, requiring less trimming, repotting, watering or fertilizing than other plants, both in the garden and in containers.

Because of succulent plants’ appearance and cultivation needs, almost all gardeners find their selected varieties of succulent plants to be appealing as garden subjects.

Today’s image gallery

My garden includes four garden beds of succulent plants: Mexican natives, South African natives, smaller agave species (and related species) and larger agave species (with Mexican perennials). This column’s gallery features succulent plants in containers. I am currently grouping and repotting plants for two displays on low patio walls and one on the deck.

Succulents in containers

Choose the container. When the plant and container combine aesthetically, the result is a display that “works” in the gardener’s view. Numerous varieties of plant containers and succulent plants exist, so the task of pairing them is a creative challenge. The gardener can begin with either the plant or the container and then search for the other element of the display.

When the gardener begins with the choice of container and favors neutral colors, the options include terra cotta/clay and concrete/stone. Glazed ceramic containers are available in a variety of colors, patterns and textures, and can be uniquely matched with a well-selected succulent plant. Other container options include metal or plastic.

From the horticultural perspective, the container’s diameter should be 1 or 2 inches larger than the plant’s root ball, and, because succulent plants have shallow roots, could be broad and low. In any case, the container should have at least one drainage hole to avoid soggy soil.

Select plant(s) for that container. Once the gardener has selected an appealing and well-sized container, the next challenge is to choose a succulent plant that complements the container. The search can focus on options that already exist in the garden or are found at a garden center or online. The plant-container match can be based on color, texture or form. The match is primarily a gardener’s individual preference, rather than a set of universal rules.

Still, guidelines can be found online or in garden books. For example, blue-green succulent plants pair well with terra cotta, gray or teal pots. Red- or purple-toned succulents pop against pale or neutral pots. Golden or lime green succulents can work festively with brightly colored glazed ceramic containers. Refer to a color wheel for pairing complementary, monochromatic, analogous, triadic or tetradic color combinations.

Again, when pairing a plant and a container, follow your aesthetic sense, rather than someone else’s rules.

Install plants in soil that drains well. When installed in a container, succulent plants grow best in soil with excellent drainage. Use a commercially available potting mix or create your own, following a formula of 2 parts coarse sand or pumice, 2 parts regular potting soil and 1 part perlite or lava rock. Succulent plants should be watered only when their soil is dry, typically every one to two weeks in warm weather.

Containers in display

Single succulent plant in a container. The gardener will want to present a single plant in a container to feature a special plant, fill a small space on a patio or deck, or indoors; establish a prominent location for a large, architectural plant. For example, the front entrance of my home is flanked by two large containers with black rose aeoniums (Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’).

Plant combinations in a container. Succulent plants can be grouped successfully in a container. The usual guideline for containerizing plants is “thriller-filler-spiller,” calling for a tall, focal point plant, medium-sized plants to fill space, and cascading or training species to complement the other plants.

In addition to selecting plant sizes, combining succulent plants in a container can be based on plant origin, such as grouping South African succulents, a color combination or contrasting forms or textures. Gardeners specializing in succulent plants can consider many possible ways to combine them in a container.

When planning multiple plants in a single container, ensure that all species have similar water and light needs.

Groups of containers. A gardener might have an outdoor space large enough for a group of succulent plants in containers. The space could be on a deck, patio, low wall or high wall. Developing a display for such an area allows for creativity with microclimates, elevations and aesthetic themes.

Microclimate needs vary with some succulent plants. While most succulent plants grow best in full sun, some prefer filtered sunlight or partial shade. For examples of such plants, browse epicgardening.com/shade-succulents.Succulent plant displays in varying heights can benefit from improved visibility. The gardener can create different elevations using plant stands, pedestals, stacked stone blocks or other methods. Trailing plants can be installed in hanging or wall-mounted containers or positioned on the edge of shelves or walls.

When developing a group of containers, an aesthetic theme can provide coherence and interest. For example, plants within a single genus could be grouped by species for comparison. Another grouping theme can be based on a color theme, combining, for example, blue-gray echeveria, silver dudleya, and white aloinopsis.

A group of succulent plants in containers could include three to five containers or another odd number for a cohesive look. They could be placed on rolling caddies to facilitate rearrangements.

My patio features a display of eight large containers filled with different species of mangave. The display includes mostly plants in clay pots, but two are in concrete containers and one is in a black-glazed ceramic container. My slightly obsessive garden projects include repotting three plants into clay containers for consistency and adding a ninth mangave for an odd number of plants.

Advance your gardening knowledge

A valuable resource on this topic is Debra Lee Baldwin’s book, “Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants” (Timber Press, 2010). Baldwin, a prolific expert on gardening with succulent plants, compiled a wide variety of images of containerized succulents, both as individual presentations and group displays in various outdoor residential settings.

Baldwin has also posted over 85 brief videos on this topic. To explore her Succulent Container Gardening playlist on YouTube, visit her website at debraleebaldwin.com/succulent-container-design and scroll to topics of your specific interest.

Baldwin has written other related books: “Succulents Simplified: Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties” (Timber Press, 2013) and “Designing with Succulents” (Timber Press, 2010). The completely revised second edition, “Designing with Succulents” (Timber Press, 2017), includes lists of succulent plants in design categories: tall, treelike and immense; midsize and shrub; small, low-growing and groundcover; variegated with cream, white or yellow; warm-hued leaves; blue, blue-gray or gray leaves; and dramatic blooms.

This week in the garden

If you already have succulent plants in your garden, consider installing one or more in containers for individual or group display. You can also launch a new project to create succulent plants in containers. This activity can serve as an exercise in gardening creativity and provide an appealing presentation.

Enjoy your garden!

Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and lifetime member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society, a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (certified 1999-2009), past board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society and other garden-related societies. To view photos from his garden, visit facebook.com/ongardeningcom -566511763375123. To review the archive of recent On Gardening columns, visit santacruzsentinel.com and search “Karwin.” Go to ongardening.com to review columns from 2012-2020 (and soon) from 2025. Send comments or questions by email to gardening@karwin.com.