Succulents, More Than Just Drought Tolerant
In the past, succulent plants were valued primarily for their drought tolerance and found their way into gardens in arid regions. Today, while they are still a great choice for water-wise plants are wise, they offer many other benefits to outdoor spaces including adding colorful flowers and solving common garden problems.
Elk Horn (Cotyledon orbiculata)
I’ve written a series of articles for Houzz focusing on succulents and how you can add beauty to your garden with these versatile plants that will thrive in arid climates.
I hope you find inspiration through them and look at succulent plants in a new way.
10 Spectacular Flowering Succulents
How Succulents Can Solve Your Garden Problems
How do you like to use succulents in your garden?
Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Anacacho Orchid
Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."
Love the succulents, when I moved to San Tan Valley last September could hardly wait to have succulents in my backyard. Well they have all cooked in this heat. Had them shaded but it didn’t help. Any suggestions as to what I could put in my back yard.
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I have to plant them in containers, but they’re always a treat.
Hello Gail,
I love that they can be grown in most climates, especially when they can be brought inside in winter in colder regions.
Hello Karen,
If you planted them in spring or summer, then the problem may have been that they didn’t have enough time to become hardened to our hot climate with its often brutal summer sun. I suggest visiting the Boyce Thompson Arboretum or the Desert Botanical Garden to see what types of succulents that they have, which appeal to you. Both places have spring garden sales, which will have a large selection of succulents that will do well in your garden. That being said, there are some succulents that can’t handle our climate. It’s important to note, that just because you may see a plant sold in a big box store, doesn’t insure that it will grow in our climate.
I hope this helps!