Gardening | Succulents for Coastal Carolina

Succulents are a great idea during droughty times. Many are adapted to dry, hot, sunny conditions and poor soil. They store water in their stems, leaves and roots; consequently, they require little to no irrigation. That makes their use sensible for dry areas and, in many cases, erosion control.

The flip side of drought is excess water. Succulents can’t sit in wet soil for an extended period of time or they will rot. They need good, quick drainage like runoff down a slope or fast draining sandy soil.

Beyond requiring little to no water succulents are subject to few pests and diseases. They need minimal if any fertilizer, spraying and pruning. That means fewer chemicals running off into our precious waterways. Due to their limited needs succulents are also environmentally friendly and wonderfully low maintenance.

In our changing climate where we expect more extreme weather events—extended periods of drought and rain, bouts of intense heat and cold—it is still practical to plant succulents as long as we put them in the right place and give them the right conditions.

Here is a rundown on common succulent genera for year-round use in the garden:

There are about 200 recognized species of Agave. (Locally most of us are familiar with the common blue-gray leaved century plant which is hardy to Zone 8.) Some Agave species are hardy in Zone 8. Read plant tags to be sure. Plants form a loose rosette with long leaves. Many species have stiff thick leaves with spines on the tips and often along leaf margins. (Be aware that heavily armored plants can be dangerous to small children.) Plants may be solitary or clumping, but expect they will produce suckers. These are plants for hot, dry, sunny locations; however, they also easily tolerate part shade. They bloom with green, white, yellow or orange flowers on tall stalks. As long as they have good drainage Agave are okay during wet weather.

Yucca have thinner leaves that are more numerous and leathery than those on Agave. Leaves have pointed barbed tips. Some species grow a trunk. Plants flower just above the foliage on stalks. Most species are hardy in Zones 5 – 10. Give them full sun and good drainage.

Sempervivum, known as hens and chicks, are hardy to temperatures in the teens. They are good for ground cover, in nooks and crannies and in planters. They need full sun and good drainage.

Sedum, aka stonecrop, is not as sensitive to moisture as other succulents. Grow plants in full sun or full shade, on the ground or in a pot. Like Sempervivum, Sedum is hardy across many climate zones.

Graptopetalum, also called Ghost Plant, has gray green leaves with pink undertones and white or pink flowers. It takes sun to part sun. It forms rosettes on brittle stems. Leaves and stems break off and root, resulting in a rambling ground cover. It grows well in containers, too. Hardy to Zone 7b, it requires good drainage.

There are more than 2000 varieties of Euphorbia around the world. Some are succulents. Certain of them are hardy in Zone 8. There is so much variation among its species one must consider each plant individually. Read plant tags.

There are more than 450 species of Aloe. They range in size from windowsill plants to large landscape specimens. Many are not tolerant of coastal rain and humidity. Many are not cold tolerant in Zone 8. Some plant tags list hardiness in Zone 8, but results depend on the winter.

Grow Aeonium, Echeveria, Haworthia, Sansevieria and Crassula in containers and take plants inside before the first frost. Read plant tags for light requirements. Some plants prefer bright light or shade to full sun.

Succulents add interesting architectural forms to a garden. They mix well with other plants. Blooms come at different times, adding white, yellow, orange, red and various shades of pink to flower gardens. Some blooms attract hummers and butterflies.

About 300 plant genera have evolved to develop succulent species as an adaption to deal with limited water availability. Many plants are not frost hardy, some require lower light levels than others, but all succulents require good drainage.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 9:27 AM with the headline "Gardening | Succulents for Coastal Carolina."