Succulents are hardy plants that come in many different sizes, colors, shapes and textures. Create a charming garden like this one using succulent plants.

Not everyone has the ability to grow and maintain a lush garden in their backyard, but that’s okay. For those of you who were not born with a natural green thumb, you should not shy away from landscaping and plants.  In fact, Instant Jungle has just the right plant fit for you—succulents.  Succulents are a group of plants that have characteristically fleshy leaves, evolutionarily developed for storing water in order to survive arid climates (or a forgetful plant owner!) throughout the world. You may already be familiar with popular succulents such as aloe and cacti.   Not only are these plants low-maintenance and resilient to accidental neglect, but they also come in hundreds of varieties with different and beautiful colors, shapes, sizes and textures.   Get creative and create extraordinary landscapes in your front yard with different succulent species, or plant a couple in small ceramic pots to decorate around your home.  The possibilities are yours to explore!

Even though succulents are highly resilient, they are not indestructible! Here are a couple of pointers for growing succulents:

Light

Succulents like light, but be careful with how much you expose them to the sun! Many succulents’ leaves will burn if exposed to direct sunlight.  On the other hand, not enough sunlight will cause a succulent to stretch and elongate, warping the shape of the plant.  Monitoring your succulents’ leaves will give you a good indication of how much more or less sun your plant should be getting.

Water

Succulents need abundant water during the summer seasons.  Allow the soil or potting mix of your succulent to dry in between watering, but also be careful not to underwater, either! During the colder seasons, water your succulents every other month to avoid root rot.  Although initially an overwatered succulent might look healthy, its roots are probably deteriorating and rotting away at the plant.  Again, monitor your succulents’ leaves to see whether or not you are properly watering your plant; overwatering usually causes discolored leaves, while underwatering will cause leaves to shed and develop brown spots.

Instant Jungle International carries a wide selection of succulents and other exotic and tropical plants.  If you have any further questions about succulents, feel free to give us a call on (800) 447-4007. We’re happy to help! To learn more about our company, please visit us at one of our three locations in Southern California or at our website at http://www.instantjungle.com.