My first interest in plants came from growing succulents. After seeing how many different varieties of succulents are out there did I noticed their unique beauty. And since the are so easy to care for, it’s not hard to build a collection. Most succulents I have are usually from cuttings, and some are from the local nursery.

Succulent plants are water-retaining plants they like to grow in dry climates.  They store water in their leaves, stems and roots.  Because of the water stored in the leaves, the succulent plants have a swollen or fleshy appearance.  Especially the leaves found in Aloe Vera and the Jade Plant of Dave’s Garden.

Of all places, I found this succulent (pictured here) called “Fox’s Ear” from the grocery store. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the scientific name of it. Scientific name is “Echeveria harmsii” or plush plant. It was just a small plant at first. And now it just kept on growing and blooming. I have made several cuttings of it and it’s doing very well. It took about 1 year for this version to bloom. It does so twice a year - in autumn and spring.  I love the bright orange color of the blooms and the soft fat fuzzy leaves too.

Making a cutting of succulents are really easy. Just cut or break off a piece of the plant and stick it into a good soil. Most succulent growers would suggest that you let the cut surface callused before the cutting is planted. The cut will callus within a few days if left in a well circulated place. But I have just planted it right after breaking it off and never had any problems with propagation.

Except for Aloe Vera, the cutting did not stick, even after left to callus. So I just wait for the “pups” to show up and plant them into their own pots. But this winter was a bit harsh and there were not much pups to propagate with. But my mom has a good collection, from the big medicinal version to the small spotted ones.

The next version I want are these: Jovibarba “August Cream” from Simply Succulents $3.95 each. I like how the little ones have surrounded the mother plant. Kind of reminds me of the “Hen and Chicks” (Sempervivum tectorum).

More info on succulents:

The Cultivation Page - About growing cacti & other succulent plants.

A Succulent Obsession - Great photo gallery.

My rat’s tail cactus post here.

The blooms remind me of an orange sunset.  And the blooms start out looking like leaves with red tips.