selecting succulents

When you’re shopping for succulents, you might wonder what makes one specimen better than another. As long as the plant is healthy, any specimen can be a good choice. But to get the most for your money, here are some things to look out for.

check for signs of rot or bugs

Most of the succulents you’ll find should be healthy. However, it pays to look for warning signs. Avoid anything that seems to be wilting. Generally this means the plant has been overwatered and is starting to die. It’s possible it has been under-watered, but most succulents are going to be in a rich soil that doesn’t drain well, so they are more likely to be suffering from overwatering.

Keep an eye out for early signs of mealybugs as well. You might see some actual cobwebs from spiders and that is fine, but mealybugs have a sticky white web that sticks right to the leaves. You’ll usually see it in the middle of the plant where leaves connect to each other or the stem. Sometimes sediment from water can resemble mealybugs, so it’s a good idea to check with a salesperson. It’s possible to save plants that are suffering from rot or mealybugs, but I don’t recommend trying unless you’ve been growing succulents for a while.

check for scars on leaves

Once a succulent has been scarred or damaged it doesn’t heal and disappear. Eventually the leaf will die (or you can pull it off) and then you won’t see it anymore. It’s not a problem for the leaf to have scars, but if you don’t like the way it looks, try to find one with less scarring. Some Haworthias tend to have brown tips from time to time. This is normal and is not cause for concern. You can still try to find one with fewer brown tips, though.

seek out multiple plants or rosettes

My favorite thing to do when shopping for succulents is to look for a pot with multiple plants. You can separate them when you get home, giving you more succulents for your money. For something rosette shaped, look for a plant with as many rosettes as possible. My best find was a $5 Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ with one giant rosette and seven medium rosettes attached. Looking for rosettes or bonus plants makes plant buying like a treasure hunt.

consider your container

There is a lot that goes into selecting a container for your succulents. I highly recommend taking your container with you when you select your plants to ensure that they look amazing together. That said, succulents tend to look great in just about anything!