Confused about what to look for when order succulents online? This guide will walk you through the process and give tips on what to look for and what to avoid. Succulents are drought smart plants that are super easy to grow and make fantastic houseplants.

Succulents make great houseplants (or outdoor plants) that even those with a brown thumb can grow.  They require very little water and can tolerate the dry conditions that are present in many homes.

What used to be an overlooked plant specimen that you might find if you were lucky when shopping, is now a trendy plant that people use for indoor decorating, as wedding favours, or bouquets, and much more.

But before you can grow succulents, you need to know what to look for when you are shopping. There is no point in purchasing a large agave plant best suited to a hot, dry outdoor location if a small sedum or echeveria that needs to be grown indoors in most hardiness zones is what you really need.

Buying Succulents

Before you can start growing succulents, you will need to know what to look for when you shop for them and where to find succulents for sale.

What to look for

When shopping, choose succulent plants for sale that have very little to no damage. Be especially careful to look for signs of rot, particularly if the containers have no drainage holes. (it’s very easy to over-water these leading to root rot.)

If possible, look for plants with more than one plant in a pot. These can be separated into several containers, so you get more bang for your buck!

When buying succulents, avoid plants with these conditions:

  • Leaves that easily fall off
  • Yellowing leaves
  • Black stems (signs of over watering)
  • Transparent leaves

Know your Hardiness zones for succulents

While most succulents survive well in a sunny spot with little maintenance, some are better suited to the outdoors than growing indoors as houseplants.

For any plant that you want to have outdoors during the winter, it is necessary to know your hardiness zone. This, along with information on plant tags, will tell you if it’s possible to keep the plant outside when it gets cold.

Containers for succulents

Succulents are generally small plants with a shallow root system.  For this reason, the pots that they come in are often quite small.

For succulent gardens with mixed plants in one pot, look for wide, shallow containers.  Even something as simple as a teacup (with some gravel for drainage) will act as a planter.

One thing I love to do is to purchase succulents in small pots, to get the best price and then keep my eye out for interesting small containers to use as pots for succulents to display them.

You would be amazed at the types of things that can be used to plant succulents in:

  • pumpkins
  • bird cages
  • strawberry planters
  • wooden drawers

Final words:

Succulent Market is a wonderful place that has succulents for sale.  There are varieties available to choose from that are not commonly seen in big box stores.