Today we will talk about how big can succulents get. If you’re a fan of succulent plants this article will be a real treat for you. If you’re already a succulent parent, this article will be an extra source of knowledge for you.
In case you wanted to get some new succulents recently but you’re not sure which to get, today we will discuss their size, and how big can they get and we will bring 5 small and 5 large types of succulents. That might be just enough for you to decide which one to get.
Among all of that, we bring you your favorite faq section at the end in which we will answer some popular questions about these plants-
Let’s find out more about succulents’ growth and the most popular types.
How Big Do Succulents Get?
The optimal height of succulents that grow indoors is between 12-19 feet. Of course, once they reach such height, they’ll become outdoor plants in the yard. Succulents’ height mostly depends on their type. The same succulents are small and can’t reach more than 20 inches for example while some thrive up in the sky.
How Long Does It Take For A Succulent To Get Big?
This depends on the type of succulent. If your succulent is a fast-growing plant, it will reach its medium height for 3 to 4 months, while some can take a year to grow properly.
What Is The Largest Succulent Plant?
The biggest succulent plant is the Adansonia digitata tree. It is a type of African baobab tree. It’s currently the biggest succulent tree placed in Africa. Its height is 83 feet.
What Do I Do When My Succulent Gets Too Big?
Pruning is one of the simplest options you can do for your big succulent. If your plant is reaching the ceiling, prune it to avoid problems. That way, nothing will stand in the way of your plant to grow. Another solution is to simply grow your plant outdoors. In the yard or open porch, your plant can normally grow without any problems.
What Affects On How Big Can Succulents Get? 5 Reasons For Succulent Growth
Many factors affect how big your succulents will grow. The first two, most important factors are whether your succulent plants belong to the group of small succulent plants or large ones. Those two reasons define the maximum height of your plants right from the start.
Other factors when we leave out the type of succulent plants are the care guide. Succulent plants are very specific and sometimes high maintenance.
If you do not pay attention to their care guide, they will not be able to reach their maximum height or their best appearance. Then let’s learn more about the care guide factors that affect the size of your growing succulents.
1. Location/Light Conditions For Succulent Plants
These plants need at least 7-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Of course, this also depends on the type of plant you have.
Air plants and cacti are not the same types of succulents, so they will not have the same sun requirements. This is also crucial for the slow-growing plants that belong to this family of plants.
But some general ratio of most succulents (85%) is that they need at least 5 hours of daylight and sun in order to grow normally and healthily.
If the location in your apartment cannot provide them with sunlight, buy a lamp with artificial light to make up for it. If you don’t do this, you will really see and notice that your plant is not at its best.
2. Soil Type Affects How You Grow Succulents
There are several types of soil suitable for these plants. Some of them are loose, grainy soils and soils with a mixture of sand. Perlite soil is also good, along with the cactus mix.
All these types of soils are good for your succulents since they’re providing them the best with needed nutrients. Soils you should avoid are well-drained or too-drained soils, clay, and acidic soils.
Look at the potting soil as the base from which to start developing your plant. If it is bad and incorrect, the plant will never be able to show its maximum potential.
3. Watering Schedule Is Important In Succulent Growth Period
For all known succulent species, big succulents and small succulents, a watering schedule is crucial.
A bad watering schedule leads to root rot much faster than with other plants you have in your home. These hardy plants, especially indoor plants don’t need much water to survive.
Succulents tend to survive drought periods very easily. It will be very obvious when you overwater them and they will react much faster than the usual plants.
Once the root rot appears, the plant is basically dead. There is no coming back from that. The water type you should practice with these plants is rainwater and distilled water.
Tap water is fine, but we don’t suggest it due to its mineral percentage. For the fastest-growing succulents, rainwater might be the best choice.
4. Fertilizer Choice For Indoor Succulents
The best fertilizers for succulent plants are diluted fish emulsion or a balanced fertilizer. We recommend 15-15-15 balanced fertilizers. Once you apply these, you’ll notice your succulents growing lush and healthy.
Moo Poo tea is also a great additive for these types of plants. Do not apply high-nitrogen fertilizers at any cost! Fertilizer is very important for these plants, especially for fast-growing succulents during their flowering period.
If you really want a healthy plant and a good blooming season, use fertilizer. If you have an aloe vera plant, for example, it’s a must to apply fertilizer on this plant.
5. Repotting Affects On Succulent’s Growth
Succulents generally grow slightly better in bigger pots. It doesn’t mean that you’ll turn your slow-growing succulents into fast-growing succulents once you repot them.
The slow-growing plant will stay a slow-growing plant. But when it comes to its pot size, they promote growth, and they leave extra space for those thick leaves to breathe.
For plants 4,5 to 6 feet tall it is very important to grow in bigger pots. That is why most succulents owners repot their succulents. But you definitely have to be careful while repotting.
Succulents outdoors don’t need as much repotting as indoor plants do. They are already space succulents and happily growing outside.
But succulents indoors are mostly slow growers so you have to be careful you don’t do more damage than good when repotting. This is more important for those inches tall succulents since they are very delicate.
Watch out for their roots and flowers, especially if they’re about to produce flowers soon. How big succulents get definitely depends on the repotting as well.
5 Types of Large Succulents
Since you’ll need to learn several factors on how to make succulents grow bigger, maybe it’s best to check out some large succulents first.
They might be the new plants for your home and we bring you 5 different species of them in case you have enough space in your home. Let’s check out 5 succulent varieties that grow big.
1. African Milk Tree
African milk tree is an amazing succulent cactus plant with green leaves and dark violet flowers in its blooming season. They can grow up to six feet tall.
Care guide and features of the African milk tree:
- Family: Euphorbiaceae
- Leaf shape: teardrops
- Growth type: slow-growing plants
- Light conditions: prefer filtered sunlight
- Water: once in 10 days, dry out between watering
- Soil type: peat moss, perlite, slightly sandy soil, cactus mix, loam soils
- Fertilizer: balanced fertilizer 10-10-10
- Temperature: 65-85 F, don’t stand well freezing temperatures
- Dormancy period: winter season
2. Desert Rose
Desert rose is a type of bonsai tree with lovely light pink and dark pink flowers. It’s a great indoor plant even though it can reach up to 9 feet tall height.
Desert rose has these features and prefers this care guide:
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Leaf shape: obovate
- Growth type: grow taller/grow tall but grow slowly, usually grown indoors
- Light conditions: indirect sunlight in the afternoon, at least 4 hours of sun exposure
- Water: as most plants that are succulents, dry the soil between watering
- Soil type: well-draining sandy soil to grow properly
- Fertilizer: phosphorus-rich fertilizer
- Temperature: for optimal conditions of growing, 70-90 F
- Dormancy period: late autumn, spring
3. Agave
The agave plant is a star-shaped green plant that looks like aloe vera. It is recommendable to grow it as an outdoor plant since it can grow up to 30 feet.
Agave plants need the following care guide to grow properly:
- Family: Asparagaceae
- Leaf shape: arrow shape
- Growth type: grow slower, grow tall, belong to the family of bigger succulents
- Light conditions: enough light in the morning (direct sun) and bright light in the afternoon
- Water: dry the soil between every watering
- Soil type: rocky and sandy soil
- Fertilizer: don’t need to be fertilized
- Temperature: can tolerate up to -20 F and 85 F
- Dormancy period: winter months
A special type of agave is the agave blue flame.
4. Aloe Vera
A green plant that’s used for medicine and domestic is definitely one of the loveliest indoor plants. Its maximum height is 2 feet and that makes it a perfect indoor plant.
If you want to learn how to revive aloe plant follow the care guide below:
- Family: Asphodelaceae
- Leaf shape: lance-shaped
- Growth type: slow-growing plants
- Light conditions: at least 6 hours of direct sunlight
- Water: every 2-3 weeks
- Soil type: well-draining potting mix, cactus mix
- Fertilizer: Liquid 10-40-10 houseplant mixes
- Temperature: 55 and 80F
- Dormancy period: summer
5. Jade Plant
If you like houseplants that grow like trees, go with jade plants. These amazing dark green houseplants can grow up to 5 feet and they’re low-maintenance plants.
Simple care guide for most types of jade plants:
- Family: Stonecrops
- Leaf shape: oblong shape
- Growth type: slow grower, grows tall
- Light conditions: indirect sunlight and at least 2 hours of direct sun
- Water: water 8-10 days
- Soil type: cactus mix, don’t like soggy soils and acidic soils
- Fertilizer: regular houseplant fertilizer
- Temperature: 65-70 F
- Dormancy period: fall and winter
5 Types Of Small Succulents
No matter how much effort you put in, sometimes your plant will simply remain small. It doesn’t matter how much light you provide them with or how much fertilizer you use.
That’s the case with small succulents. But they are amazing, they don’t take up much space and they are easy to maintain. Let’s learn more about the 5 types of small succulents then.
1. Jelly Bean Plant
Amazing small succulent if you have a smaller apartment or you just prefer tiny plants. Their maximum height is around 12 inches.
To provide your jelly bean plant with best-growing conditions, follow this care guide:
- Family: Crassulaceae
- Leaf shape: rounded-bean shape
- Growth type: fast-growing succulents, retain small
- Light conditions: direct sun per 3-4 hours, bright light later on
- Water: water every 10-12 days, dry out between watering
- Soil type: well-draining soil
- Fertilizer: regular houseplants fertilizer
- Temperature: 65-80 F
- Dormancy period: winter and fall
2. Epiphytic Cacti
A shaggy green plant for your living room can grow up to 15 inches tall and that makes it a perfect small succulent on our list.
We all know how long can a cactus go without water, but what about ist other care guide conditions and needs:
- Family: Cactaceae
- Leaf shape: –
- Growth type: slow-growing type
- Light conditions: 7 hours of direct sunlight
- Water: every 2-3 weeks, can survive drought period
- Soil type: cactus mix, sandy mix
- Fertilizer: doesn’t need fertilization
- Temperature: 65-90 F
- Dormancy period: winter months
3. Air Plants
If you want low-maintenance plants for your home, go with air plants since they’re super easy to take off. There are at least 400 air plants you can check out.
If you want to learn how long do air plants live, provide them with this care guide:
- Family: Tillandsia
- Leaf shape: strap-shape
- Growth type: some are slow growing some are fast-growing
- Light conditions: indirect sunlight
- Water: once per week
- Soil type: –
- Fertilizer: low-nitrogen fertilizer
- Temperature: 55-75 F
- Dormancy period: a few weeks after flowering
4. Living Stone Plant
If you prefer plants that look like house decor-go with these unusual plants. They take extra little space and they are low-maintenance plants.
Provide your living stone plant with the following care guide to grow to its best:
- Family: Aizoaceae
- Leaf shape: –
- Growth type: slow-growing type
- Light conditions: 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight
- Water: water with rainwater every 2 weeks
- Soil type: sandy potting medium, pumice, perlite
- Fertilizer: not needed
- Temperature: 65-80 F
- Dormancy period: winter months
5. Zebra Plant
They can grow outdoors as well as “bigger” succulents” since they can reach 6 feet in outdoor conditions. This plant with green leaves and white pored will definitely out stand in your living room.
Provide your zebra plant with the following care guidelines:
- Family: Acanthaceae
- Leaf shape: oval-shaped
- Growth type: slow-growing type
- Light conditions: direct sunlight for 3 hours
- Water: as with most types of prayer plants, water every 10-12 days
- Soil type: neutral to acidic soils
- Fertilizer: regular houseplants fertilizer
- Temperature: 55-65 F
- Dormancy period: winter season
FAQ – How Big Can Succulents Get
Below we bring you some additional and interesting questions and facts about succulent plants we think you should know: Let’s learn more then.
How Long Do Succulent Plants Live?
Indoor succulents we usually grow live for 3-4 hours, but they can live longer depending on the type and growing conditions of your succulents.
Do Succulents Grow Larger In Bigger Pots?
They will grow bigger in bigger pots but as we said at the very beginning, it will be a slight difference since their main size depends on their type-small or large succulents.
Do Succulents Grow Back?
Once you cut off the stem of your succulent, it won’t grow back. You will have to propagate them in order to get new plants.
Do Succulents Need Water?
They need water only when the soil is dry and they do demand less water than regular houseplants. Some species can survive longer drought periods.
Final Thought On How Big Can Succulents Get
Today you’ve learned how big can succulents get. We’re sure that you’re ready to get a new succulent for your home after this article.
Without any further thoughts, we think it’s best to finish this article with a quote about succulent plants:
“Succulents look like abstract art when placed together aesthetically. People are gifting more and more such succulent plant walls and small balcony landscapes for those who do not have a garden at home. It is a really exciting idea and a beautiful idea for buying some happiness. Here are some more happy succulent quotes and captions that are amazingly good.” – Unknown
That would be all for today! See you here soon with similar topics!