Debra Lee Baldwin is an award-winning author, journalist and horticulturist credited with launching worldwide interest in succulents with her three bestselling books on succulents. With nearly 10,000,000 views, Debra's YouTube Channel provides reliable, entertaining info on design and cultivation, plus interviews with renowned succulent experts and tours of world-class gardens.

Debra Lee Baldwin
 

Need a plant ID? Go to TYPES OF SUCCULENTS.
Worried about your succulent? Go to PESTS AND PROBLEMS.
Hope to grow succulents perfectly? Go to SUCCULENT CARE BASICS.
Need garden maintenance? See REFERRALS.
Something else? Use the Search Bar or menus above.

succulents in the ground

HOW-TO'S, TIPS & IDEAS

SUCCULENT DESIGN

Discover how to plan and design lovely, carefree succulent gardens in containers and in the ground. Also under Design you'll find firewise landscaping info, DIY gifts and projects, and holiday decorating ideas - all beautifully showcasing succulents.

succulent being watered

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

SUCCULENT CARE

Get expert advice on growing, caring for and propagating succulents. Find out how to water, fertilize, control pests and diseases, overwinter succulents, grow them indoors, and by season and region. Under Varieties, view hundreds of labeled photos of easy-care kinds. 

succulents in pots on a windowsill

LOCAL & NATIONAL

SUCCULENT RESOURCES

Wondering where to find and purchase top-quality succulents? Which tools, books and supplies you need? It's all here under Resources, along with nurseries, public gardens and destinations in America's finest succulent city (San Diego) and beyond.

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Debra's 7 best succulents

In this free PDF exclusively for subscribers to my "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter, you'll learn the 7 best easy-care succulents that thrive in pots and landscapes. Whether you're new to growing succulents or an experienced succulent "parent", you'll love these 7 beautiful plants.

Succulent Updates and Articles

Succulent garden alongside pathway (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

See a 60-Year-Old Succulent Garden

Come along with me on a tour of a marvelous, 60-year-old succulent garden in San Marcos, CA. Our host is Kevin Smith, a Palomar Cactus & Succulent Society (PCSS) member and the garden’s caretaker for the past 7 years. “It’s filled thousands of plants and hundreds and hundreds of species,” Kevin says, adding that the…
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DIY Succulent Bonsai

In my new video you’ll see succulent bonsai expert Anthony Neubauer prune roots and branches of a ‘Cork Bark’ portulacaria and stage it in an art pot. I use the term “succulent bonsai” loosely for potted succulents that suggest traditional bonsai, i.e. “the art of growing ornamental, artificially dwarfed trees or shrubs” (Webster’s). Succulent bonsai…
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Beaucarneas form a fairy-tale forest at Lotusland, near Santa Barbara (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Yes, You Can Grow Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm)

In my new video, we observe and learn how to relocate a Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm) that had become too large for a homeowner’s side yard. “Betty” is a gorgeous specimen: ten to 12 years old, nicely branched, and 7 feet tall; with a 3-foot-diameter, half-ton caudex. No doubt you’ll marvel—as I did—at how Laura…
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Mature euphorbia trees (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

South African Succulents at the Safari Park Garden

In my latest video, we explore the Old World Succulent Garden at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Here succulents small and large look good year-round, need minimal care or water, and are ideal for dry (but not desert or frost-prone) landscapes. You’ll see tough specimens to consider when planning or refreshing your own garden.…
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Purple succulent on slope (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

See a Landscaper’s 45-Degree Succulent Slope

When I learned that a member of my Cactus & Succulent Society chapter was a landscape contractor, I was keen to meet him and see his garden–especially when I found out his home’s for sale (time’s a-wastin’). Interested? Here’s the listing.  Bernie Mases and wife Linda graciously welcomed my spur-of-the-moment visit. I quickly realized it…
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Succulent with mouse damage (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Troubleshoot Your Succulents

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, I show you pests and problems you may be unaware of. No worries, I explain what to do, but it IS important to catch them early. My new video also covers routine must-do’s, with the goal of keeping your succulents healthy and trouble-free. What’s new in my…
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Wanda Mallen and Debra Lee Baldwin with Wanda's euphorbia collection (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Wanda’s Collection of Weird & Wonderful Plants

Wanda Mallen’s collection of weird and wonderful plants on two acres in Fallbrook, CA, is a must-see for succulent enthusiasts.  For 25 years she’s directed husband Gary Vincent in planting (sometimes jackhammering) the property’s decomposed granite substrate. “The good thing is DG drains well,” Wanda says. The result is a many-layered landscape unlike any other.…
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Euphorbia mammillaris variegated (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Visit Botanic Wonders & See Al Klein’s Succulent Rarities

You think you like succulents? Al Klein of Botanic Wonders nursery calls them “an addiction.” Al is a comet on the cactus and succulent scene. It seems he’s everywhere, doing speaking engagements, selling on the show circuit, greeting nursery visitors, and sharing a lifetime of info and enthusiasm. Al’s story bubbles out of him as…
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Mesemb expert Steven Hammer (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Meet Erudite Succulent Expert Steven Hammer

In my latest video, mesemb expert Steven Hammer delves into the psychology of succulents. “The entire succulent preoccupation is a transposition of another form of desire,” he says. “This insight is not unique to me, and is certainly not original. I just say it more often than some people do.” I love the way his…
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Shih-tsu with flower in mouth

Garden Etiquette Gaffes

No one wants to commit an etiquette gaffe, but when it comes to garden tours, plant shows and sales, and going to nurseries big and small, it’s easy to do. We get caught up in all things spring and can be, well, clueless. Yes, we’ll wear sunscreen, closed-toe shoes and bring a hat and drinking…
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San Diego Cactus & Succulent Show and Sale, vendor area (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Upcoming Succulent Shows & Sales 

Find a list of upcoming succulent shows and sales on the main website of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America. Go to: CSSA & AFFILIATED SOCIETIES EVENT CALENDAR To request or update a listing, email Laurel Woodley at calendar@cactusandsucculentsociety.org. Related Info on This Site Garden Etiquette Gaffes No one wants to commit an etiquette…
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Kelly Griffin dwarf aloes

Dwarf Aloes Perfect for Pots

If you're into aloes, you're probably aware of highly collectible Kelly Griffin hybrids. Kelly, a premier plant breeder, is responsible for dozens of cultivars in the commercial marketplace. Naturally he has a following
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Why no ads?

I don't like (or trust) websites stuffed with ads, and I figure you don't either. It's ungracious to make visitors hunt for info buried amid commercials.

If you'd like to support me (thank you!): Obtain my books, watch my videos, and follow links to the few vendors I'm affiliated with. Want to use my text or photos? All I ask is attribution: Imbed the excerpt with a link to the page on this site that it came from.

Mainly, do learn from and enjoy my site. It's my pleasure to share a career's worth of information with you! -- Debra Lee Baldwin

See More on My Succulent YouTube Channel