Whether grown in containers or in your garden beds, succulents are tough, drought-tolerant, low maintenance plants. The swollen leaves or stems of these plants store water, enabling them to survive in low moisture, poor soil conditions...making them great picks for green roofs and rock gardens.
Read More About Succulent Plants
Hens and chicks (sempervivum), ice plant (delosperma), and sedum are quite familiar succulents and cactuses (like opuntia) and agave are also great succulents. While some require more sun that others and some may be more cold hardy than others, all must be planted in a well-drained site.
Succulents grow in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sempervivum grows in short, compact clusters while delosperma forms a mat of plump jelly bean-like leaves. Though vastly different in appearance, both make fantastic low maintenance groundcovers. Sedum is another succulent with groundcover appeal, but some varieties of sedum grow to 24" or taller with butterfly-attracting flower heads.
The colorful range of foliage from green, grey, violet and purple through rose and red tones makes succulent plants especially valuable as garden accents, enabling gardeners to create attractive color combinations.
When grown in containers, low growing succulents such as sempervivums, echeveria and graptopetalum (ghost plant) become low maintenance, festive focal points on a table while in the garden they are tough, drought-tolerant deer-resistant plants.
When you are ready to buy succulents for your garden, check out our online list of succulents for sale below.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order Plant Nurseries - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
We purchased this lovely form of Agave americana in 2005 from a grower in Thailand, but unfortunately it came without a valid cultivar name, so we've named it Agave americana 'Marshmallow Cream'. Agave 'Marshmallow Cream' has a much wider and shorter leaf than the typical Agave americana 'Marginata', which is more common in the trade. Agave americana 'Marshmallow Cream' also makes a much more elegant plant in the ground as well as in a container. Since it isn't winter hardy for us, we can only guess about a mature size, but we would expect 5' tall x 8' wide. Quantities are very limited. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This beautiful, but slowly offsetting selection of the Mexican Agave americana makes a 2' tall x 3' wide clump, with each wide blue leaf highlighted with a wide central stripe of white. Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' is often used as a specimen container plant by gardeners in colder zones. Because of the leaf layer arrangement, Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' is one of the few variegated agave that cannot be successfully tissue cultured. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
I was fortunate to see this amazing, un-agave-looking agave in the wild near Monterrey, Mexico, where it precariously hangs off lightly shaded, high cliffs. Eventually spreading to 2' wide, the easy-to-grow, user-friendly Agave bracteosa resembles large, gray-green spiders with NO spines. We recommend that Agave bracteosa be planted on a slight slope to duplicate the great drainage they receive in the wild. After 2-4 years, Agave bracteosa will begin to form offsets and, when they mature, each clump will produce an amazing 5-7' tall flower spike that resembles a giant yellow bottlebrush! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
It was lust at first sight when I saw Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost' in California's San Diego Botanic Garden. This rare form of the northern Mexican Agave bracteosa has been passed along in California collectors' circles for more than a decade, but is rarely available to the general public. The frozen squid-like architectural rosette of sandpapery green foliage is edged with a perfect creamy-white margin, eventually producing a 1' tall x 18" wide variegated specimen that will offset sporadically after it matures. Agave bracteosa actually enjoys part shade, which also keeps the white edge from scorching. The white edge reduces its winter-hardiness, so where this isn't reliably hardy, Agave 'Monterrey Frost' makes a stunning unarmed container specimen. With great age, your Agave 'Monterrey Frost' will flower with lovely fragrant yellow blooms that attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We haven't been able to track down the origin of this splendid hardy century plant, but we now feel confident that it is a hybrid with Agave salmiana. Our seven-year-old patch has produced 2' tall x 3.5' wide rosettes that offset quite fast. The 9" wide, flat, blue-green, deeply-lobed leaves are particularly architectural. Because of the somewhat scabrous leaf back, we wonder if Agave scabra might be the baby daddy, but then Agave cupreata looks like a candidate also. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Available 6-6-2013Agave 'Desert Diamond' is the latest Hans Hansen introduction...a wide edged sport of Agave 'Kissho Kan'. Compared to its parent, Agave 'Desert Diamond' is slightly slower growing due to the extra white in the leaf, but will eventually make a 15" tall x 18" wide, sparsely offsetting variegated rosette. Agave 'Desert Diamond' is a stunning plant, especially in a container for the summer patio. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This stunning selection of the tropical Agave desmettiana comes from Joe Hoak of Hoak's Nursery in south Florida. Agave 'Joe Hoak' makes a stunning specimen plant with wide, pliable, glaucous grey leaves, each bordered in creamy white, which is in turn surrounded by a dark green edge. Many people consider this the most striking agave cultivar in commerce. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave flexispina is a rarely grown agave, related to Agave palmeri and Agave shrevei, that struck my fancy when visiting the Ruth Bancroft Garden in California. Hailing from 4,500' to 7,500' in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango and Zacatecas, Agave flexispina has shown great winter hardiness in our trials. The powder blue leaves with long red spines form rosettes that are often solitary but will offset occasionally once established. In cultivation, expect the clumps to reach 18" tall x 3' wide. Carl Schoenfeld tells us that in west Texas, Agave flexispina was unblemished down to 0 degrees F, so we think this gem holds great promise for garden use in warm temperate climates. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Agave lophantha 'Marginata') We originally acquired this rare selection from Thailand as an Agave lophantha, which it is obviously not...we're betting on Agave funkiana. The 18" long x 1" wide, upright, shallowly grooved leaves are dark green and edged with a dramatic wide white border. The few scattered teeth along the leaf edges turn papery and fall away as the leaves age. Agave 'Hakuro Shiro Fukurin' (translated as "frosty white margin") makes a stunning 18" tall x 3' wide clump. These are slow growers in containers. Agave flowers attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave gentryi 'Jaws' is a stunning Yucca Do selection, from 8,000' on the south side of La Peña Nevada in the Nuevo León Province of northern Mexico. The offsetting, glossy, dark green, 4' tall x 8' wide rosette of Agave gentryi 'Jaws' is composed of long leaves with exceptionally deep sinuses between the short red teeth, resembling a shark's mouth...a maxillofacial delight! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Agave guiengola 'Marginata') We are pleased to make available this elegant collector plant, whose parent originated in the Guiengola limestone cliffs of Oaxaca (pronounced "Wahaka"), Mexico. Since the name 'Marginata' has been invalid on plants named after 1959, we chose a new name, Agave 'Creme Brulee'. This soft-leaf agave is simply elegant with wide, medium green leaves surrounded by a 1" border of creamy white. While Agave guiengola can reach 3' tall x 4' wide, the variegation should slow it down considerably...we're guessing about 25 percent. Agave 'Creme Brulee' was discovered by California agave specialist, Kelly Griffin. Agave flowers attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave gypsophila 'Marginata' is the rare margined form of the gypsum century plant, which hails from alkaline, gypsum-laden soils in southern Mexico. Each powder blue leaf is surrounded by a narrow, but irregular creamy yellow margin. In cultivation, Agave gypsophila usually flowers in 5-7 years, yielding small clonal plantlets from the flower stalk which form after the flowers fade. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave horrida ssp. perotensis is a little-known century plant from southern Mexico (Veracruz and Puebla) that has thrived in our NC garden since 2005. Agave horrida ssp. perotensis is essentially a non-offsetting Agave lophantha with large papery spines which emerge tan and age to parchment white. Agave horrida ssp. perotensis makes a very attractive 2' tall x 3' wide clump of 3" wide leaves with a muted lighter stripe down the middle. We see some leaf burn on our clump when temperatures drop into the single digits. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This offering of the solitary Agave horrida var. perotensis comes from wild collected seed in Limón, Mexico. Compared to the San Luis Potosi form, plants from this population seem to have slightly fewer spines and lighter green leaves. Each clump of Agave horrida var. perotensis makes a 2' tall x 3' wide clump. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Agave sp. Kichiokan, Agave potatorum 'Variegata') This Japanese selection of what we think is an old Mexican hybrid has been circulated by collectors under several misspellings. In Japanese, the word 'Kissho Kan' means "happy (lucky) crown." The stunningly symmetrical rosette makes a perfect container specimen, forming a 15" tall x 18" wide, slowly offsetting clump. The blue-grey leaves are bordered in creamy white, while the leaf spines emerge yellow, then change to light brown and age to a dark cinnamon color...very cool! Agave 'Kissho Kan' is a very easy species to grow and when given plenty of light is tough-as-nails. Agave blooms attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This splendid form of the vigorous North American native Agave lophantha came to us from plantsman, Ted Stephens, of Nurseries Caroliniana and forms the smallest rosettes of any of the wide-leaf forms of Agave lophantha we grow. Each 11" tall x 18" wide variegated rosette is composed of fat 7" long x 2" wide succulent leaves. The dark green, heavily armed leaves are highlighted by a wide central yellow stripe that is even wider on the leaf back. Agave lophantha is a suckering species with offsets held close to the parent rosette. When your Agave 'Splendida' is old enough, it will be topped with a 12' tall, 1" diameter flower spike holding manfreda-like spidery fragrant flowers...hummingbirds not included. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave 'Blue Ribbon' is a beautiful selection of Agave macroacantha, which hails from the Mexican state of Puebla, where it makes tight, suckering 1' tall x 18" wide rosettes of blue finger-like leaves, each tipped with a wicked terminal black spine. This wonderful form adds another layer of beauty with a creamy edge around each leaf...simply splendid! In areas where it isn't winter hardy, Agave macroacantha 'Blue Ribbon' makes a superb container specimen. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Agave 'Mateo' is a unique new century plant that was discovered as a seedling in a block of Agave bracteosa at San Marcos Growers of California. We are uncertain about the other parent, but speculate that an amorous Agave lophantha may be the baby daddy. The non-spiny, 18" tall x 3' wide, squid-shaped rosette of rough green leaves is highlighted by a central muted chartreuse-yellow stripe down the middle of each leaf. Agave 'Mateo' has so far survived two winters in the ground, but only to a low of 15 degrees F on multiple occasions so far. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Agave celsii 'Multicolor') I first saw this gem at Holland's amazing Succulenta Nursery and later at specialty nurseries in Thailand, where it made an architectural 18" tall x 18" wide clump. Agave celsii is a cloud forest species native to north central Mexico, although it seems quite happy growing here in full sun. The compact rosettes of glaucous upturned leaves are edged with a dramatic cream border...a superb container plant where it isn't quite winter hardy. Due to the specimen type Agave celsii being improperly documented, the name was switched to the properly documented, Agave mitis. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Agave YD 13-74) Agave 'Mr. Ripple' is an unusual agave from Ciudad de Maize, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where it was spotted in 2001 by Yucca Do's Wade Roitsch. This species, or possibly a natural Agave salmiana hybrid, is occasionally seen in Texas and California gardens...always unlabeled. Agave 'Mr. Ripple' makes a 5' tall x 8' wide, rapidly-growing clump with very undulating, broad, blue-green, soft-textured leaves...quite stunning when you run into one. We start seeing significant damage when temperatures drop below 12 degrees F. Agave blooms attract hummingbirds. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
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