Popularity, clearly labeled

The Most Popular Succulents and Hardy Sedum

Among plants cataloged as cacti or succulents, these are the genera Sow gardeners save most. Cold hardiness and water needs vary widely within this category.

Ranked by gardener savesOne representative per genus
  1. Ice Plant

    Ice Plant

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 21 varieties. Jewel-bright daisies open over a water-storing mat in hot, dry ground.

  2. Yucca

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 46 varieties. Sword-like evergreen rosettes and towering flower stalks thrive in exposed ground.

  3. Stonecrop

    Stonecrop

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 105 varieties. Water-storing foliage and late flower plates keep sunny beds useful through drought.

  4. Hens and Chicks

    Hens and Chicks

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 13 varieties. Hen-and-chick rosettes multiply into colorful mosaics through cold and drought.

  5. Agave

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 90 varieties. Bold, geometric rosettes create living architecture in hot, sharply drained sites.

  6. Dunce Cap

    Dunce Cap

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 6 varieties. Concentric rosettes multiply around curious cone-like flower spikes in gritty soil.

  7. Prickly Pear

    Prickly Pear

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 2 varieties. Paddle-shaped stems prove a cactus can bring flowers and strong form outdoors.

  8. Phedimus

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 5 varieties. Tough, spreading rosettes and starry flowers cover lean soil with little water.

  9. Spurge

    Spurge

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 45 varieties. Graphic bracts and sculptural foliage bring months of form to sharply drained beds.

  10. Echeveria

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 12 varieties. Symmetrical rosettes offer living color and geometry for pots and warm borders.

  11. Aloe

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 13 varieties. Fleshy rosettes store water efficiently, while many species add striking flower spikes.

  12. Orchid Cactus

    Orchid Cactus

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 6 varieties. Flattened cascading stems produce huge, luminous flowers on a surprisingly compact plant.

  13. Dewflower

    Dewflower

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Shimmering flowers cover low, bead-like foliage when sun and drainage are plentiful.

  14. Jade Plant

    Jade Plant

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 9 varieties. Stacked or branching succulent leaves offer extraordinary shape in a small footprint.

  15. Aeonium

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 5 varieties. Rosettes held on branching stems give containers a sculptural, tree-like silhouette.

  16. Elephant Ear

    Elephant Ear

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 14 varieties. Monumental, shield-shaped leaves make a single plant feel instantly lush.

  17. Pig's Ear

    Pig's Ear

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 2 varieties. Powdery, paddle-shaped leaves create strong form with very little water.

  18. Liveforever

    Liveforever

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 5 varieties. Chalky North American native rosettes bring refined form to dry gardens without summer irrigation.

  19. Graptosedum

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 3 varieties. Color-shifting rosettes trail and multiply readily, quickly filling sunny containers.

  20. Split Rock

    Split Rock

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being dry-spell tolerant and late summer flowering.

About this list

How was this the most popular succulents and hardy sedum list ranked?

A plant must first match the catalog filters named in the title. Each genus is represented and ranked by its most-saved matching variety, so genera with many cultivars do not receive an automatic advantage.

Are any succulents winter-hardy in the ground?

Plenty — hardy sedum, sempervivum (hens-and-chicks), and some agave and opuntia take hard freezes as long as they have excellent drainage. Wet feet in winter kills far more of them than cold does.

What soil do outdoor succulents need?

Fast-draining and lean. Amend heavy clay with grit or coarse sand, or plant on a slope or raised area — the goal is that water never sits around the roots.

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