If you live in an area with plenty of sunlight and wish to bring some greenery into your life without having to spend too much time on plant care, succulents are a great gardening choice. Your garden’s success depends on picking the right succulents for the brightly sunlit environment you’re in.
The best full sun succulents are ones that can retain water for long periods and thrive in brighter and drier conditions. If you’re thinking of adding these plants in your garden, cotyledons, sedums, and agave are all great succulents that thrive in full sun exposure.
But aside from selecting the right succulents, you must pair them well and know what makes them fail to thrive in order to make the most out of your garden. The rest of this article will cover the seven succulents best for full sun environments, things to keep in mind when planting each, and you will also learn the common mistakes that lead to succulent failure as well as their benefits.
What Are Full Sun Succulents?
To understand what full sun succulents are, you must get familiar with two definitions: full sun plants and succulents. Generally, there are full sun plants and partial shade plants, and both the terms refer to the conditions in which the plant thrives in. A full sun plant can thrive under exposure to midday sunlight without any shade.
With the ‘full sun’ end of the definition established, let’s look at what succulents are. The term succulent is derived from the Latin word ‘succulentus,’ which means juicy or sappy. They are usually full of sap because of their water-retention characteristics.
Because most succulents evolved to survive in arid climates, they are not only great at water-retention but can also thrive in harsh sunlight. And while there are those that are shade-tolerant, it is natural for almost all succulents to receive full sunlight.
Benefits of Succulents
You can plant succulents indoors as well as outdoors, and while most full sun succulents are planted in a garden for visual appeal, brightly sunlit homes can have them indoors as well. This requires extra care (regularly sunbathing the plants) but comes with a range of benefits:
- Succulents improve air quality. Not only do they introduce more oxygen into the air, but they also humidify dry air.
- Succulents have therapeutic appeal. It is hypothesized that having nature around can improve concentration and help one relax.
- Succulents can help reduce stress. Often, high-intensity tasks can stress people. By opting for a lower-intensity task like taking care of succulents, you can dramatically reduce work-stress.
- Succulents bring opportunities to be creative with combinations and placement so you can upgrade your interior.
The Common Mistakes That Lead to Succulent Failure
While taking care of succulents is easy, the plants are not harm-proof, and most people make mistakes that lead to plant failure.
- Pairing the wrong succulents. While it is possible to create a visual disaster by pairing the wrong colors and shapes, the mistake that leads to failure more often is pairing succulents that require bright light with those that can’t withstand full sun exposure. Make sure all the succulents you plant are the full sun type.
- Assuming survival equals function. Since succulents are meant to survive in harsh conditions without human interference, people wrongly assume that they don’t require care. While they may survive harsh sunlight, they may not look as great on the other end. If the function of your succulent is to look a certain way, it is vital that you help sustain the conditions that are conducive to the size and color you want.
- Over-watering the plants. This is a mistake made by those accustomed to houseplants. Because of the drastic difference between how often houseplants need to get watered and how often succulents do, even while adjusting your watering habits, it is possible to over-water the succulent.
Now that we have established the key things to remember about succulent growth and care, let’s look at the best full sun succulents.
Cotyledons Tomentosa / Bears Paw
Cotyledons are an aesthetic masterpiece when added to the right succulent ensemble, mainly because of their enticing reddish flowers and thick leaves that resemble paws. While many succulent plants have visually pleasing leaves, very few full sun succulents boast floral appeal. With tubular flowers that have a thick water-retaining structure, you can have flowers in your garden despite the harsh sunlight.
The ideal conditions for this plant will be around 6 hours of sunlight and partial cover if the temperature goes over 194°F (90°C) for over six hours. That is because while the plant can survive, you don’t want its aesthetic appeal to be affected by discoloration. You must also make sure to drain the plant well as it is not meant to grow in flooded areas.
When watering the plant, it is important that you don’t overwater or flood it. Use your finger to feel the soil up to two inches. If the topsoil is dry throughout the two inches, the plant requires watering. Moreover, it is advisable to use the soak-and-drain method to water the plant. Bring the pot to a water source and soak the soil, and let the excess flood out from the pot’s drainage.
If the bear’s paw is planted outdoors, use soaker hoses, so you don’t risk flooding the plant. Also, make sure you reduce watering the plants during winter as the plant is dormant and does not require as much water.
Panda Plant
Panda plants are fascinating for various reasons, including the eccentric names they have been given. While the scientific name of the plant is Kalanchoe Tomentosa, they are often referred to as panda plant, donkey ears, and chocolate soldier. Most of these are references to the plant’s appearance.
Kalanchoe Tomentosas can grow flowers that are round and have hairy ‘petals.’ They also have hairy leaves, and both the leaves and the plants have color-contrasting tips which make the plant very eye-catching. In a bed of mixed succulents, the plant provides a positive space to the green shrubbery’s negative space. If you want darker hues to be a part of your outdoor garden, the panda plant would be a great choice.
As a full sun succulent, the plant is accustomed to harsh sunlight, which also makes it harder to cultivate and maintain during cold winters. Therefore, it is advisable to grow panda plants in pots you can shift indoors during particularly cold days. If you’re growing the plant indoors, chances are you may overshade it and affect its growth. In fact, it is quite rare for the plant to grow enough to have leaves when indoors.
It is important to use the soak-and-drain method to water the plant by letting the soil get wet and draining the excess. A key contributor to flooding could be water-retaining soil, so you must make sure that the soil you use for your panda plant is specifically designed for succulents. You should also take outside temperature readings often before planting this genus to know whether it is right for your region.
If you record temperatures between 60 to 75°F (16 to 24°C) on the regular, your panda plant is likely to grow well. However, if your region gets snow or temperatures anywhere around 30°F (-1°C) or below, the plant is not right for you.
Sedum Morganianum
While the previous succulent was nicknamed donkey ears, sedums are often referred to as a donkey tail. The name refers to the plant’s tendency to grow in a long vine with a chain-like appearance thanks to tubular leaves covering the stem on all sides.
Sedums are drought plants, which means they can survive in the absence of water for quite some time. Therefore, it is ideal to plant sedums if one has a busy schedule and cannot afford to keep a watering and plant-care regimen.
Sedums make a great backdrop for darker succulents as they are green and lush with sap. Their low-maintenance requirements allow you to plant an abundant amount without scaling your caretaking. A great way to combine sedums with other succulents would be to have the “tails” hang out of the pots while the redder succulents take center-stage in your garden.
While sedums are full sun succulents and can thrive in harsh sunlight, you can elevate the plant’s aesthetic appeal by using filtered light, so the right shade of green comes out. Of course, this is only if you are using the sedum as the main plant. As a support plant, they will only do the job of covering the solid and bringing attention to the main plants. And in that case, the lighter color of the leaves is just fine.
Graptopetalum
This plant is distinct from the other succulents on this list in more ways than one. It is usually referred to as “Mother of Pearl” because of the formation in which smaller petals are nested in larger ones. In the shade, the plant has a tendency to have a hauntingly-beautiful bluish-grey color, which has earned Graptopetalum an alternative name “ghost plant.”
While the plant exhibits its “ghost plant” characteristics in the shade, it thrives in full sun, adding yellow-pink rosettes to your garden. With the right sunlight, its petals will start turning yellow (around spring) and eventually turn bright pink.
However, it is worth noting that only after the plant has grown significantly can you know whether it is worth adding as a centerpiece or a backdrop. That’s why you should first plant it in a separate pot with the right drainage. By using a soak and dry method of watering, let the plant grow without handling it too much.
As a full sun succulent, it does not require much attention in exposure timing. If you are planting it for the outdoors, it is best to let the conditions dictate which color and shape the petals will eventually have. If the petals are pink, they will make a great centerpiece in your succulent garden, and if they only manage to stay yellowing green, you can add the hue elsewhere in the bed.
Vygies
Vygies are almost exclusively used as ground-cover because of their size and foliage density. The plant does not grow very tall and is more like a vine-bed of succulents. They can have different colors, depending on the type and growth stage.
These colors include white, pink, yellow, and magenta, and though it might be tempting to set pink vygies at the center-stage, there is a reason why they are better as ground cover—the colorful vygies are short-lived.
One of the reasons people opt for full sun succulents over houseplants is because they do not want to spend as much time on plant care as is required by houseplants. To grow Vygies only to have to care about sun exposure would defeat the purpose of planting a full sun succulent.
Vygies initially require some care, mainly with immediate watering. After that, you have to water them every time the topsoil gets dry. But once vygies are past the initial growth stage, they are drought plants. They can survive without being watered for a long time. Moreover, they survive in hotter climates, but the leaves might discolor. All you have to do is use the cuttings from your existing Vygies to replant new ones once the previous bed starts to lose its color.
While that may seem like a lot of work, they can get watered with other succulents through the same soaking and draining of the soil. With a soaker hose, you are putting in a few hours of work every year, taking care of your succulent garden and renewing your Vygies.
Agave Parryi
While most of the succulents on this list can come together to form a cohesive succulent garden or a variety pot, Agave Parryi is distinct in its appearance and does not go well with other plants.
This makes the Agave Parryi a great choice for those who don’t want their greenery to look too ‘busy.’ The plant has a deep color and really pops against white stone-covering or bright walls. They grow in a rosette with subsequent petals nested in the wider petals. The petals have sharp spines poking out in beautiful symmetry, and while that leads to the plant’s visual appeal, it also makes the Agave a hazard, especially around kids.
While placing the plants out of reach may be possible indoors, with succulents like Agave Parryi, they are better when planted outside. Therefore, it is advisable not to plant it if you have toddlers or pets who run around your backyard or garden.
But if you are not worried about getting pricked by the Agave plant, you can plant this full sun succulent as a solo piece or in a repeated pattern for a great visual effect. Since the plant relies on symmetry and repetition for its beauty, you can amplify it by relying on repetition and symmetry as well.
For instance, you can display two Agave Parryi pots, one on each side of the door. You can also plant multiple agave plants equal width apart to lean on the symmetry motif, and if you are worried about having to handle the plant’s size-changing over time, rest assured that Agave plants are quite slow-growing.
In other words, if you plant them to look a certain way, the visual will stay up to five years with minimal care. In fact, overwatering the plants can lead the succulent to fail. You will, however, need to re-fertilize the plant because while succulents retain water, they use nutrients that they need more of to stay healthy.
During winter, the Agave plant is not prepared to get watered. Still, if you can use liquid fertilizer to help it accumulate nutrients while it isn’t actively growing, you will maintain its health and help it preserve its color and sturdiness. You should also make sure that the plant is not exposed to rainfall or the low temperatures of winter because, like most succulents, it is more conducive to warm and dry environments.
Pachyphytum
If you would like to add a paler member to your succulent garden, Pachyphytum will add the much-needed contrast. These plump and round leaves grow in rosettes and provide nice bedding of darker succulents to shine. Especially if the centerpiece of your garden is a dark green or bluish succulent, you may wanna surround it with a carpet of Pachyphytum.
These are some of the rare succulents that do almost equally well indoors as well as outdoors. It is worth noting that they can last a long time after flowering when indoors. However, if they flower outdoors, the lifespan may be significantly affected. As mentioned earlier, it is better to use these as the support or backdrop than a floral centerpiece.
Another important aspect of these plants is their sensitivity to human touch. While they can take direct sun exposure for a long time, ironically, what affects the leaves’ health is the human touch. That is because our skin has oils that can damage the leaves’ surface.
Aside from that, like most succulents, they will not tolerate cold winters, and if you purchase or plant them outdoors, it would be hard to bring them in if the weather gets frigid because the succulent grows long and wide in a vine-carpet.
As long as you don’t touch the plant or expose it to cold temperatures, it maintains its health without too much care, making it ideal for busy people and those not experienced with gardening. The succulent grows slower than some of the ones listed above, so it is advisable to purchase Pachyphytum that are fully grown to the specifications you desire.
It is also important because these succulents are more drought-proof as grown plants than newly planted ones.
Echeveria Agavoides
If you find mandalas and similar pattern-based aesthetics calming, you will be delighted by the beauty brought to your garden by Echeveria agavoides. Also referred to as ‘lipstick echeveria’ and ‘molded wax agave,’ these plants bloom in a circular rosette with a large quantity of tiny narrow petals populating the pot.
The reason they are called the lipstick echeveria is a brown color across the border (lip) of the petals. This color can range from a slight gradient to a dark rust-brown based on the soil conditions and the succulent’s environment.
Another important aspect that can add to a succulent’s longevity is the soil you plant it in. As a plant native to the rocky regions of Mexico, it is best suited to do well without over-nourishing with fertilizers or heavy soil mix. Make sure that the soil you plant your Echeveria agavoides does not retain water for longer periods. The aesthetic red lips will look like dark rust stains as a reaction to water.
It is best to use coarse sandy soil and fertilize it upon symptoms of undernourishment. You can also look for a cactus soil mix, which is usually supposed to emulate sand without the nutrient deprivation.
When planning your succulent garden, your vision is often guided not just by the shapes and colors of different plants but also by the size each shall occupy. These succulents will not grow any taller than five inches except for rare circumstances.
As a plant with a twelve-inch spread and a five-inch height, another important aspect that can add to a succulent’s longevity is the soil you plant it in should be best suited for the base decoration of areas with white-pebble ground cover.
The succulents add greenery to a rocky part of your outdoors and can take full sun exposure without getting impacted adversely. Furthermore, with a rocky ground cover, you will not be tempted to inject fertilizer into the soil, which is harmful to the plant. You will also be less likely to over handle the tender plant if it is away from the garden.
Mixing Succulents
Remember that your garden is as strong as your weakest succulent. When you add a succulent too sensitive to fertilizer in your mixed-succulent pot, you reduce your ability to fertilize the entire pot. Some of the other succulents, like the Bears Paw, may need more nutrition. And on the subject of nutrition, make sure to only use light soaking to water the plant with little frequency.
When pairing molded wax agave, choose another agave with a similar rosette-ratio and use repetition to create symmetric appeal.
Let’s suppose you picked Agave Angustifolia (also a full sun succulent); you would plant an Echeveria agavoides next to an Augustifolia Agavoid, after which you would plant an Echeveria agavoides. These would be planted at equal lengths apart and at least three of each to have enough volume to register the symmetry.
Alternatively, you can use Echeveria agavoides to create appeal by repetition. One way to do this is by placing an Echeveria in a pot on each side of your door.
Agave Angustifolia
Coming off Echeveria agavoides, we have its sister plant, the Agave Angustifolia. With many more petals per rosette, these succulents add an abundant green to your garden. If your succulent garden has too many flat-petal succulents and you would like to add some variety to the mix, this agavoid can add a narrow-leaved visual to the mix.
However, it is crucial that you position the plants right. These agavoids are not meant to be planted in the same soil as your regular succulent mix. They have stiff, prickly spines and can grow up to four feet high, which makes them likely to interfere with the other plants if planted in close proximity. Ideally, you would plant multiple agavoids at the border of your garden to act as a fence for pests.
It is advisable to avoid overfeeding this succulent because it can add to the plant’s height. As a fence-plant, you do not want it to overshadow your garden by blooming a stalk with flowers that can achieve a 16 feet height. If you do not over-water or frequently neutralize the soil, this agavoid is more likely to stay relatively small.
Remember that while the plant may achieve its height of four feet in over a year, it will take up to ten years before the long stalk starts to grow and flower. In other words, be prepared for repotting every ten years or so if you wish to keep your garden’s overall look.
Once past the initial stages of growth, Agave Angustifolia is as drought-resistant as full sun succulents get. Therefore, it is ideal for someone who is too busy to keep a watering and fertilization schedule. As long as you plant it in sandy soil meant for cacti and soak it once in a while, the plant is better off with little care than more care. In the outdoors, it naturally thrives in full sun climates but may get adversely impacted in extreme winters.
Final Thoughts
While most people may dismiss the possibility of having greenery in warmer regions, your house does not need to look barren. Succulents provide a great luscious look to your garden, porch, or veranda while requiring minimal care. You should choose your succulents based on your environment and pair them the right way to make the most out of the plants’ potential.