Flowering Succulents

When do Succulents Bloom

Different varieties flower in different seasons. For instance, Jade Plants (Crassula) bloom in the winter, Kalanchoe in summer, and Sedum anytime from spring to fall. The Cereus cactus only blooms at night while many Ice Plants (Delosperma) and mesembs open their flowers during the day and close them at night.

How Often do Succulents Bloom

Many succulents bloom annually, but there are also biennial bloomers that flower every other year and monocarpic succulents. Monocarpic plants, like Agave, Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum), and Air Plants (Tillandsia), will only flower once in their lifetime. They live many years before flowering and produce lots of offsets that live on after the mother plant flowers and dies.

Should You Cut Off Succulent Flowers

It's really a matter of personal preference. Some growers will cut off blooms early so that a plant can save its energy for foliar growth. Others feel that flowering is a normal part of a plant's growth and it's healthiest not to interrupt its hormonal cycles. Either way, after a flower has died and dried, you can snip it off without affecting the plant.

Senecio Flowers

This is a member of the Asteraceae family. It has composite flowers: large inflorescences made up of lots of mini flowers. They often have a wonderful clove fragrance and when they dry they turn into fluffy puff balls.

Cactus Flowers

Some of the prettiest succulent flowers are found among the cacti. They can be prolific, vibrant, and large, sometimes dwarfing the plant below them. Mammillaria flowers are notable in that they grow in a ring atop the stem, making it look like the cactus has a crown of flowers.

Cotyledon Flowers

This member of the Crassulaceae family tends to have coral colored flowers. They're bell-shaped and even hang like bells from tall bloom stalks above the plant.