How to Care for Succulents Indoors: Echeveria, String of Pearls and More

What makes succulents different

Succulents store water in their thick, fleshy leaves and stems, so they can go a long time between drinks. That's what makes them famously low-maintenance, and also why so many die from too much love. The two things that matter most are simple: lots of light and not too much water. Get those right and succulents are some of the easiest plants you can grow.

This guide covers the rosette-forming succulents most people grow indoors, like echeveria, graptopetalum, sedum, and haworthia, with a special section on echeveria. All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti; the care here works for most of both. Trailing "string of" plants like string of pearls get their own section below, since they like a little more water than most.

Succulent care at a glance

Light

Light is the hardest part of growing succulents indoors. Most need 10 or more hours of bright light a day to stay compact and colorful.

• Best spot: right in a south- or west-facing window, the brightest one you have.
• Introduce sun slowly. A succulent that's been in lower light can sunburn if moved straight into strong direct sun. Move it a little closer to the window over a week or two.
• Rotate weekly so the plant grows evenly instead of leaning.
• Grow lights are a game changer, especially in winter. Hang an LED grow light 6 to 12 inches above the plants and run it 14 to 16 hours a day.

Signs it needs more light

When succulents don't get enough light, they stretch (called etiolation): the stem grows tall, leaves spread apart and point downward, colors fade to green, and the plant leans toward the window. Stretched growth won't shrink back, but you can fix the plant; see Propagation below.

Lower-light options: if you don't have a bright window, haworthia and gasteria handle less light than echeveria and other colorful rosettes.

Watering: the soak-and-dry method

Overwatering is the number one way succulents die. Use a wet-dry cycle: water deeply, then wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again.

1. Check that the soil is bone dry. Push a finger or wooden skewer all the way down. If it comes out damp or with soil stuck to it, wait.
2. Soak it. Water until it runs out the drainage hole, wetting all the soil.
3. Drain it completely. Never let a succulent sit in a saucer of water.
4. Wait. Don't water again until the soil is totally dry.

How often? In spring and summer, often every 1 to 2 weeks. In fall and winter, when succulents slow down, much less, sometimes only every 3 to 4 weeks or even once a month. Small pots and terracotta dry faster; big plastic pots dry slower.

Avoid little sips. Small, frequent splashes keep the top wet and the roots dry, which is the worst of both worlds. Water rarely, but deeply.

Read the leaves:

• Wrinkled, soft, deflated leaves: thirsty. Water deeply.
• Mushy, translucent, or black leaves and stem: too much water. Stop watering and check for rot.
• Lower leaves drying up one at a time: normal; the plant is using up old leaves.

Soil, pots and repotting

Soil

In nature, most succulents grow in sandy, gravelly soil that drains in seconds. Recreate that indoors:

• Beginner: a bagged cactus and succulent mix, with a few handfuls of perlite or pumice mixed in for extra drainage.
• DIY: equal parts potting soil and coarse sand or grit, or about half potting soil and half pumice.
• Seasoned grower: a gritty mix that's mostly mineral (pumice, lava rock, or calcined clay) with a little organic matter. It dries very fast, so you can water more often without risking rot.
• Skip regular potting soil on its own. It holds too much water.

Pots

• A drainage hole is a must. Decorative pots without one are where most succulents go to die.
• Terracotta is ideal. It breathes and pulls moisture out of the soil.
• Size snug. Pick a pot just slightly wider than the plant. Extra soil stays wet.
• Shallow dish gardens work well because they dry quickly, as long as everything planted together has similar light and water needs.

Repotting

Repot in spring every 2 years or so, or when the plant outgrows its pot. Let the soil dry first, gently loosen the roots, set it in fresh dry mix, and wait about a week before watering so any broken roots can heal.

Temperature, seasons and feeding

Temperature: succulents do best around 55 to 75°F, with nights a bit cooler than days. Most indoor succulents aren't frost-hardy, so bring any summering outdoors inside before the first frost.

Humidity: dry indoor air suits them perfectly. Many succulents are happy at 10 to 30% humidity, which is typical in winter homes.

Air circulation: good airflow helps soil dry and keeps pests and rot away. Avoid cramming pots tightly together.

Seasons: most succulents grow actively in spring and summer and slow down in fall and winter. Water and feed less during the slow season.

Feeding: succulents need very little.

• Use a houseplant or cactus fertilizer diluted to half strength, 3 or 4 times during spring and summer.
• Don't feed in fall and winter.
• Too much fertilizer causes soft, stretched growth.

Summer outdoors: many succulents love a summer on a porch or patio. Start them in shade and move them into more sun over a couple of weeks so they don't sunburn, and make sure rain can drain away.

Echeveria spotlight

Echeveria are the classic rosette succulents, shaped like a flower made of thick leaves, in shades of blue, green, pink, purple, and nearly black. They come from Mexico and Central America and are some of the most popular succulents around.

Echeveria care tips

• Maximum light. Echeveria need a lot of light to keep their tight rosette shape and bright colors. Without it, they stretch quickly.
• Water the soil, not the rosette. Water trapped in the center of the rosette can cause rot. Water at the soil line, or water from below by standing the pot in a shallow tray of water until the top of the soil is damp.
• Don't touch the powder. Many echeveria have a chalky coating called farina that protects them from sun. Fingerprints rub it off for good, so handle them by the pot or the lowest leaves.
• Clean up old leaves. Gently pull off dried leaves at the base. They can trap moisture and hide pests.
• Color comes from stress. Bright sun, cool nights, and a bit of drought bring out reds, pinks, and purples. In lower light, they turn greener.

Flowers

Healthy echeveria send up tall flower stalks with bell-shaped blooms, usually in spring or summer. Enjoy them, then cut the stalk off at the base once it fades.

"String of" trailing succulents

The "string of" plants are trailing succulents with long, hanging stems, perfect for hanging baskets and macramé hangers. The most popular is string of pearls (Curio rowleyanus, still often sold as Senecio rowleyanus), a South African plant with round, pea-like leaves.

How their care differs from rosette succulents

• Light: bright light with some gentle direct sun, like an east or west window. In too little light, strands stretch and the beads spread far apart along the stem.
• Water a little more often. String of pearls has shallow roots and small leaves, so it can't go quite as long as an echeveria. Water when the top inch or so of soil is dry, still soaking it and letting it drain.
• Watch the pearls. Plump, round pearls mean it's happy. Wrinkled or deflated pearls mean thirst. Mushy pearls or pearls that burst mean too much water.
• Shallow pots work best. Use a shallow terracotta pot or hanging basket with drainage, and fast-draining succulent mix.
• Keep the crown above the soil. Don't bury the base of the strands; the stems where they meet the soil rot easily if kept wet.
• Hang it high and out of reach. These plants look best spilling from a hanger, and it keeps them safe from pets.

Propagating string of pearls

1. Snip a few healthy strands, each 3 to 4 inches long.
2. Pull the pearls off the bottom inch of each strand.
3. Lay the strands on top of moist succulent mix, pressing the bare part gently into the soil (a bent paperclip helps hold them down).
4. Keep the soil lightly damp in bright, indirect light. Roots form along the stem in a few weeks.

To make a mother plant fuller, coil a few strands on the soil of the same pot. They'll root right where they touch.

Propagation

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to multiply. The key step for every method: let cuttings dry and callus over before planting.

From a leaf

1. Gently twist off a healthy leaf from the base, getting the whole leaf with nothing left on the stem.
2. Lay it on a dry tray for a few days until the end dries and seals over.
3. Set it on top of dry succulent mix in bright, indirect light.
4. Once tiny roots or a baby rosette appear, mist the soil lightly every few days.
5. When the mother leaf shrivels up, the baby is ready to grow on its own.

Not every leaf takes, so start several. Echeveria, graptopetalum, and sedum propagate easily this way.

From offsets ("pups")

Many succulents grow baby plants around their base. Once a pup has a few leaves (and ideally its own roots), separate it with a clean knife, let it dry a day or two, and plant it.

Beheading a stretched plant

This is how to fix a leggy, stretched succulent:

1. Cut off the top rosette, leaving an inch or two of stem attached.
2. Let the cutting dry for a few days until the cut end calluses.
3. Plant it in dry succulent mix and wait about a week before watering.
4. Keep the old base: it often sprouts new rosettes from the stem.
5. Use any leaves you pull off the stem for leaf propagation.

Then move everything to brighter light so it doesn't stretch again.

Common problems and how to fix them

For seasoned growers: taking it further

Stress colors on purpose

The reds, oranges, and purples on many succulents are "stress colors," a natural sunscreen. To bring them out, combine high light, cool nights, and slightly longer dry spells. A summer outdoors followed by a bright, cool windowsill in fall often gives the best color of the year.

Grow light setup

• Full-spectrum LED bars or panels work well and use little power.
• Hang them close, about 6 to 12 inches above the plants, and run them 14 to 16 hours a day on a timer.
• If plants still stretch, lower the light or add more; if leaves bleach, raise it.

Gritty mixes and watering

In a mostly mineral mix (pumice, lava rock, or calcined clay), soil dries fast enough that you can water more often in the growing season. Many collectors find this grows tighter, healthier plants than standard bagged mixes.

Encouraging blooms

Many succulents and cacti bloom best after a cool, dry, bright winter rest. A windowsill that gets bright light and cool nights mimics their native winter and can trigger flowering in spring.

Avoid glued-on decorations

Some store-bought succulents come with glued-on gravel or fake flowers. Gently remove them; glued surfaces trap moisture and block healthy growth.

Are succulents safe for pets?

It depends on the succulent. Echeveria, haworthia, and many sedums are generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs, which makes them good choices for pet households. But some popular succulents are toxic, including:

• Jade plant (Crassula)
• Aloe
• Kalanchoe
• Euphorbia (including pencil cactus and crown of thorns), whose milky sap also irritates skin

String of pearls, string of bananas, and string of dolphins are also considered toxic to pets, so hang them well out of reach; dangling strands are especially tempting to cats. String of hearts and string of turtles are generally listed as non-toxic.

If you have pets, check each plant on the ASPCA's toxic and non-toxic plant list before bringing it home. If your pet chews on a plant and seems unwell, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply).

Succulent FAQ

How often should I water my succulent? Only when the soil is completely dry. That's often every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter, but always check the soil first.

Why is my succulent growing tall and skinny? It's stretching for light. Move it to your brightest window or under a grow light. You can cut off the top and replant it to restore a compact shape.

Can succulents live in pots without drainage holes? It's very risky. Water collects at the bottom and rots the roots. Use a pot with a hole, or keep the succulent in a nursery pot inside the decorative one.

Do succulents need to be misted? No. Misting keeps leaves damp and doesn't reach the roots. Water the soil deeply instead.

Can I grow succulents in a north-facing window? Most will stretch there. Try lower-light types like haworthia or gasteria, or add a grow light.

Shop this plant

Pair it with:

• A terracotta or 3D-printed planter with drainage: the right pot is half the battle
• Plant feet: lift the pot so water drains freely
• A Terrasola hanger: put trailing succulents up where the light is brightest

Sources

For your reference; you don't need to publish this section, though a short "Sources" line at the end of a care guide builds trust.

• Growing Succulents Indoors, Iowa State University Extension
• Cacti and Succulents, University of Minnesota Extension
• Echeveria Plant Care Indoors, Horticulture magazine
• Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, ASPCA Animal Poison Control