Success With Succulents

Discover succulents with Debra Lee Baldwin, bestselling author of
Designing with Succulents, Succulent Container Gardens and Succulents Simplified

Welcome!

Tired of succulent sites stuffed with ads, and that tell nothing about the people providing content? I'm proud that my site has 100+ ad-free pages on every aspect of succulents. Need a plant ID? Go to TYPES OF SUCCULENTS. Worried? Go to PESTS AND PROBLEMS. Want to grow succulents perfectly? Go to SUCCULENT CARE BASICS. Need garden maintenance? See REFERRALS. Do use the MENU and SEARCH BAR above. Overwhelmed? Browse until you're better, or CONTACT me.

Looking foR Videos?

Then you'll love my YouTube Channel. With nearly 8,000,000 views, it provides entertaining, expert info on succulent design, cultivation, plants, tips, garden tours, and much more.

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.

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.

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.

Subscribe to My Newsletter and Receive

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

Jan 2 2023

All About Aloes

Ah, aloes! No other succulents add so much color, interest and drama to low-water, mild-climate gardens. Aloes are easy to grow and bloom mainly in winter when nothing else does. The number of Aloe varieties is ever-increasing, with lovely new cultivars continually being introduced.

Kalanchoe luciae (paddle plant) stressed before-and-after (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Dec 26 2022

Are Your Succulents Well Stressed? 50 Before-and-Afters

Are your succulents well stressed? Given the right conditions, certain varieties turn from green or blue to brilliant reds, oranges and yellows. See 50 before-and-afters. How much a succulent "colors up" depends on...

Nov 28 2022

My 70-Succulent Deck Collection

See how I display treasured succulents in pots that contain and frame them. Discover how to pick pots for your own collection, group them on your deck or patio, utilize sight lines and focal points, and delight your guests.

Nov 7 2022

Protect Your Succulents From Rain, Hail, Frost

Prolonged damp and cold are death to succulents. Rot begins in the soil and goes up the trunk. Tissues soften, turn dark, and leaves fall off.

Stapelia grandiflora w cat (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Nov 4 2022

Success with Stapeliads (Carrion Flowers)

Star-shaped blooms of stapeliads, from South Africa and Arabia, use color, texture, and scent to resemble decomposing meat, in order to attract pollinating flies.

Nov 2 2022

How Much Light Do Succulents Need?

How much light do your succulents need? It depends on the type of plant and where you live. Most haworthias and gasterias prefer shade but can handle some sun along the coast. Many but not all cacti are fine in full desert sun. As a general rule, the majority of soft-leaved succulents want half a day's sun (in mild climates) and dappled or "bright" shade.

Desert rose succulent Holiday Baking Championship

Oct 30 2022

What’s the “Desert Rose Succulent” on Holiday Baking Championship?

Sorry, Food Network, you got it wrong. The succulents that a Holiday Baking finalist sculpted from frosting are not "desert roses"---that's Adenium obesum. Hers were echeverias. Here's why.

Graptopetalum paraguayense (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Oct 20 2022

Graptopetalums: Lovely, Easy Succulents

Of all the succulents I grow, lovely Graptopetalum paraguayense is among the easiest. Here's how I plant, cultivate, propagate, keep healthy, and show graptopetalums to advantage. Plus intergeneric hybrids such as Graptoveria and Graptosedum.

Succulent poolside garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Oct 18 2022

Two New Succulent Calendars

I have two new succulent calendars this year! One is "Succulent Gardens;" the other, “Succulents with Spirals: Celebrating the Fibonacci Sequence.” I think you'll agree the images are mesmerizing. View them below and at my Zazzle store, where you can order calendars and other succulent-themed gifts.

Euphorbia inermis Fibonacci spiral (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Oct 6 2022

Succulents with Fibonacci Spirals

Many cacti and succulents form geometric spirals similar to those of sunflowers, pine cones and nautilus shells. Spiral leaf arrangements funnel rainwater to roots and keep leaves from shading each other.

Ratty succulent garden (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Sep 15 2022

How to Refresh a Succulent Garden

Hi Debra, I’m in charge of getting my kids' school succulent garden back to its beautiful self. The aeoniums are super leggy and the fire torches look terrible. When and what should we cut, replant or add? -- Tiffany in San Marcos

Barrel cactus fell over (c) Debra Lee Baldwin

Sep 4 2022

25 Succulent Mistakes and Solutions

My what-not-to-do's are simple to avoid, but not necessarily easy to remedy. A smart succulent owner learns what can be expensive to fix, might cause prized plants to look dreadful, and could even kill them.

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I don't like 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 it came from.

Mainly, do learn from and enjoy my site. It's my pleasure to share its wealth with you. -- Debra Lee Baldwin

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