If you are a succulent fan, you would perhaps be looking for the best ways on how does it grow and how to take an optimum care of the succulents. One of the doubts that you may have is to check how big does a succulent grow. We will check out how big does a succulent grow. Let us try finding out.
Succulents vary in sizes. You would find that the door varieties grow to up to 6 inches tall. However, some succulents grow to a larger size. You would find some cactus varieiteis such as Pencil cactus grow to 6 feet tall indoors and up to 12 feet when grown outdoors. You would find the same succulent growing to up to 40 feet in the wild.
Succulents are magnificent plants having hundreds of identified succulent genera and thousands of succulent species existing on this planet. These plants store water in the stems and leaves and are grown indoors due to many properties.
How big do succulents get is based on what species they are of, the surrounding environment, and how rapidly they can grow. Some succulents will remain small whereas others can grow big in a few months.
How Big Do Succulents Get?
Succulents generally grow to the size of up to 6 inches at their lowest level. However, some of them are found to grow to up to 6 feet or even 12 feet. The height to which a succulent can grow depends on the amount of sun light that the succulent is exposed to. They will also grow bigger when grown in a nutritious medium.
Usually, indoor succulents can grow up to 6 inches due to the lesser light available. If the plants are provided more natural sunlight they will get taller as the sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis which gives them more energy to grow bigger.
Also, it depends, as, over a longer time period, even small succulents will grow bigger.
Succulents can live for years and will keep on growing all over their lives. Some varieties of succulents that grow faster than others will appear bigger than the other succulents.
For example, one of the fastest-growing succulents, Kalanchoe, grows bigger as compared to the other succulents. They can grow from cuttings to the rooted plants in just a few weeks. Haworthia grows very fast and develops many pups just like Kalanchoe. A 2-inch Kalanchoe plant can grow dozens of pups and become big in a few months. Some succulents like Crassula Ovata or The Jade plant can grow remarkably into a big plant. Another succulent, The Agave also grows bigger and can be grown outdoors.
Various Factors Affecting Succulent Growth
- Light: Generally, succulents can grow big in low light conditions but remain small in full light.
- Climate: In warm climates, succulents grow bigger faster.
- Soil: Growth of succulents in organic soil is faster than the succulents that are grown in non-organic soil medium.
- Fertilizers: To enrich the soil with nutrients, fertilizers can be added that will help in the growth of the succulents at a faster rate. You can use a slow-release fertilizer sprayed on the top of the potting mix every few months in the growing season.
- Moisture: Provide sufficient amounts of water to the succulents at intervals to make them grow bigger fast.
- Growth period: A succulent grows fast during its growing season. In dormancy, the succulent stops to grow completely. A winter-growing succulent grows larger in winters as compared to a summer-growing succulent and vice-versa.
- Bloom: Succulents like the Echeveria and Graptoveria bloom in the Spring and Summer months. If a plant blooms continuously, its growth slows down as all its energy is used in blooming. Growth can be promoted during this period by cutting off the bloom.
- Selecting a pot: Always select a suitable pot according to the size of succulents. Succulents that are planted in small pots or along with other succulents grow slower than the succulents planted in bigger pots. But, avoid choosing a much larger pot because the soil will hold on to excess water that can cause root rot.
Succulents That Grow Tall
Some of the succulents that grow tall are:
- The African milk tree: The African milk tree, also known as good luck cactus, is native to southern and central Africa. The plant has a bright green color and its flowers develop a bright red hue during the blooming season. It grows best in dry, well-aerated soil, Its slim long stems can be 10 feet in height and have a width of about one to two feet.
- Hanging Chain Cholla (Cylindropuntia Fulgida): The hanging chain cholla can grow up to nine to 15 feet tall. It is also known as the jumping cholla. It is a green, leaning plant and has large tubercles with wart-like growths on its stems. It prefers dry soil and natural sunlight. This plant becomes rough and scaly as it matures and it produces small white flowers in the blooming season.
- Desert Rose (Phoenix Dactylifera): It has thin branches with beautiful pink and white leaves and it can grow up to 10 feet high and about two to five inches in width. It prefers a well-drained succulent soil mix.
- Snake Plant (Dracaena Trifasciata): One of the easiest succulents to grow and it can thrive on total neglect. If you buy a one-foot-tall snake plant, it can grow from four to eight feet in height if grown outdoors.
- Echeveria: Echeveria grows fast during their growth phase in the Spring and Summer months. Echeveria overgrows and new leaves can be seen in the center of the plant when the conditions are favourable. It can easily grow from a two-inch plant to about 8 inches in a year.
- Graptoveria: Graptoveria is a cross hybrid between the Graptopetalum and Echeveria. Graptoveria has growth characteristics similar to the Echeveria and it can grow from a two-inch plant to about 7 inches in a year.
- Kalanchoe: Kalanchoe grows fast and becomes very huge. It has elegant drooping branches with spoon-shaped, dark green leaves. It can take two to five years to grow 4 to 20 inches tall and wide .
- Aloe: Aloe Vera is a fast-growing succulent plant having water-storing tissues, root systems growing horizontally to find water near the soil surface. Aloes grow very big provided they get enough space and favourable growth conditions. Aloes can grow from 2 inches to 6 inches in a year. Aloe plants that are grown indoors take almost 3-4 years to grow from a pup to a fully grown plant with leaves of about 20-25 cm (8 to 10 inches) length. To boost faster growth, do a few preparations before planting and make sure that you are providing the best care to your plant.
- Sedum: Sedum has hundreds of different varieties and they form hybrids with each other. Sedums multiply very fast and easily occupy the empty space near them. Each plant can expand from 2 inches to about 12 inches in about a year. These plants produce small yellow flowers in mid-to-late summer. Most Sedums are easy to propagate from cuttings.
- Graptosedum: Graptosedum is a cross hybrid between the Graptopetalum and Sedum. Graptosedum spreads like the Sedum and grows wide like the Graptopetalum. The Graptosedum grows wide from 2 inches to only 4 inches in a year. However, the sprawling varieties can spread from 2 inches to 7-9 inches in about a year.
- Crassula: The growth of the Crassula depends on whether they are grown indoors or outdoors. Some crassula like the Crassula Ovata (Jade Plant) has a slower growth rate of about an inch a year when they are grown indoors and remain compact. Outdoors, the Crassula grows rapidly, almost doubling in size in a year.
Succulents That Grow Small
Some of the succulents that grow small are:
- Haworthia: The Haworthia is a slow grower, thus remaining small and compact, only about 3 to 5 inches in height. It can be used as a tabletop plant. It can grow about 2 inches in a year. The plant usually grows in small clusters that become wider and wider. With time, the clusters grow larger, splitting the small leaves off. These can be used for repotting.
- Gasteria: The Gasteria is a slow grower that remains small as compared to the Aloe. Like Haworthia, it is also a perfect choice as a tabletop plant due to its size and low-light requirements. Also, like the Haworthia, it grows about 2 inches in a year.
- Living Stones (Lithops): Living Stones or Lithops have a variety of colors camouflaging in their natural surroundings. They bloom in the fall producing beautiful yellow or white flowers. These are native to South Africa that grows in clumps. They got their name from their round, stone-like appearance. Living stones flourish in the bright light with at least four hours of direct sun in the summer. Keep the soil moist and don’t overwater. On maturity, lithops can grow from 0.5 inches to 2 inches in height and width.
- Sempervivum: Sempervivum is a small clustering succulent perfect for compact spaces since it will remain lesser than three inches in both height and diameter when they are fully matured. Its leaves are vibrant lime green that grows in a beautiful rosette pattern. It can be a good choice for vertical gardens and can be grown outdoors. They can survive frost and winters well under snow. Although they can survive in partial light, they thrive best in full sun. To prevent root rot, adequate drainage is important. Avoid leaving standing water in the pot.
Do Succulents Overgrow?
Yes, succulents can overgrown. They are likely to overgrow their pot. You would find it overgrowing if they do not get enough light. If you find the succulent exhibiting the signs of overgrowth, it is advisable to trim the foliage and repot it into a larger pot. It is also a good idea to ensure better light conditions and soil nutrients.
Young succulents that are purchased from stores can be kept in small pots from a few weeks to a year. However, depending on the type and the care given to them, they start outgrowing their original pots.
These overgrown succulents need to be repotted or refreshed or they will start looking unhappy and can even spill out of their pots. Their roots will also start growing out of the holes of the pots. If you find any of these signs in your succulents, then it is time to repot or refresh your succulents.
How to Refresh Overgrown Succulents?
To have larger succulents or small, compact succulents depends on a person’s choice. Sometimes, the succulents are overgrown and it becomes necessary to resize them according to our liking.
We can easily decrease the size of our succulents. Actually, reducing the size of the succulents is done much faster than growing the succulents. How we resize the succulents also depends on the species of the succulent.
We can simply propagate the succulent by taking a leaf cutting and growing a new plant from it. However, this can be very tedious. Or take the stem cuttings and grow them as new plants.
To resize an overgrown Echeveria,
To reduce the size of an overgrown Echeveria, start removing the lower leaves keeping intact the top leaves as you want your plant to have. Now you can cut the stem about ½ to 1 inch below the lowest leftover leaf. Allow the wound to be callous over a week and then put it into the soil to grow succulents from the cuttings.
To resize an overgrown Haworthia
As we know that an overgrown Haworthia had produced plenty of pups already. To reduce an overgrown Haworthia, simply remove one of its pups and repot it. Use the best soil for succulents while doing any repotting.
To resize an overgrown Jade plant
To reduce the size of an overgrown Jade Plant, simply cut off some of its stems. Allow these stems to callous for a week before putting them into the soil.
One of the best things you need to remember before resizing your succulent is to water your plant a day before you do this.
Is Succulents a Good Choice as Indoor Plants?
Succulents are good as indoor plants. Since they do not need you to take a huge care of them, you would find them good for indoor usage. They can even withstand harshest of conditions, and that is one of the prime reasons that make them best suited for indoor usage.
Succulents are a good choice as indoor plants because they can store water and lack larger root systems and they can survive happily in an indoor environment.Succulents provide you access to bright look and appearance in terms of attractive leaves, stems, growth habit, and/or flowers. Their growth occurs slowly, so they will take time to outgrow their pots.
Do Succulents Need Big Pots?
The minimum size of the pot required for most of the succulents is 2.5 inch in diameter. You can use larger containers such as 4 inches if you are looking for the best arrangements. You can use smaller containers if you are looking for the instant filled in look and appearance.
Usually, succulents need some space to grow which will lead to a healthier plant. Succulents can survive in big pots, but such space won’t lead to healthy growth. The soil in bigger pots will hold more moisture and the roots can rot in damp soil. The pots with a small amount of soil will not hold excess moisture.
The Concluding Thoughts
Generally, indoor succulents can grow up to 6 inches in height. However, exposing your plant to more natural sunlight will make it taller as sunlight is important for photosynthesis and for plant life.
The height of succulents growing indoors can vary depending on various factors like the species, composition of the soil, and the environment in which they grow. Indoor succulents stay smaller than outdoor ones due to lesser light and do not grow more than a foot.
A Few FAQs
Do succulents grow bigger in bigger pots?
When your succulent is new, it is advisable to use smaller pots. Using a larger pot in this condition may leave the plant not growing efficiently. The plant will fail to fill the pot with roots.
Do succulents grow fast?
Succulents do not grow faster. In fact, the plants belonging to the cactus and succulent variety are known to be slow growers. They would take months to grow up to the mature state.