Debra Lee Baldwin, the author of Succulents Simplified, likens their plump leaves to a succulent steak. “When you push on it, it has that soft resilience,” she tells mbg. “Tropical plants have thin leaves because they’re getting plenty of moisture from either rain or humidity, so they don’t need to store it.” “Based on the research I’ve found, there are over 10,000 different types of succulents that we know of, but a lot of those include the ones that humans are now cultivating and hybridizing,” Rachael Cohen, the author of Infinite Succulent, tells mbg. Many wild species can only survive in a very particular habitat, but these cultivars are being bred to adapt to the average garden. “Growers are constantly creating new hybrids with a variety of textures, cold hardiness levels, and colors,” adds Cassidy Tuttle of Succulents and Sunshine. The Aloe humilis ‘hedgehog’ (Hedgehog aloe) is one funky variety that would look great on a porch or in the garden and give you plenty of cooling gel come summertime. Bloomscape, Hedgehog Aloe ($35) Since Echeverias are basically works of art, Cohen loves turning them into jewelry. Simply secure a moss layer on top of a bracelet or headband, add your succulent, and you have a living design that should last a couple of weeks. The Sill, Echeveria Lola ($32) Bloomscape, Ponytail Palm ($55) “Architects and designers love Sansavierias because of their crisp, upright, swordlike geometry,” adds Baldwin. The plant can also grow to be the size of a tall human, making it quite the statement piece. Bloomscape, Sansevieria ($149) The fun printed leaves on this particular Haworthia, the Zebra Plant, should thrive on any sunny windowsill. “It can be found in a lot of home improvement stores, and it’s sometimes seen at grocery stores, so it’s a highly accessible plant,” he adds. The Succulents Box, Haworthia Zebra Plant ($5.75) Give yours plenty of time between waterings to ensure that its leaves don’t become too full and burst. Plant your Lithops in gritty, rocky soil to further help out with drainage. Micro Landscape Design, Live Exotic Lithops Plant ($22.99) Succulent Market, Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora ($8.99) Succulents Box, Graptoveria Fred Ives ($6.35) Etsy, Gasteria Liliputana ($8.99) Etsy, Sedum Salsa ($45) Etsy, Aeonium ‘Fiesta’ ($8) Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
