Succulent plants typically have thick, fleshy stems or leaves and generally hail from arid regions. Although the most widely known succulents are in the cactus family – Cactaceae – Barbara Bates, of the University of Illinois Extension, says that there are about 60 plant families that fall under the umbrella term “succulent plants.” Succulents display a wide variety of blooming habits and several bear long stems and yellow flowers.
Aloe vera (Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., also known as A. barbadensis) is a succulent plant that grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9a to 11. It is also successfully grown indoors. Aloe vera is a plant with a 6,000-year history of medicinal use to treat problems such as burns and insect bites. Aloe vera does not bloom consistently, but when it does it shoots out a 2- to 3-foot-tall spike dotted with bright yellow flowers. Sometimes, depending on environmental stresses, the flowers may be yellow and orange.
Black Tree Aeonium
The “Schawarzkopf” variety of black tree aeonium (Aeonium arboreum var atropurpureum "Schwarzkopf") is visually interesting both in and out of bloom. When not in bloom, the black succulent rosette is attached to a 3-foot-tall trunk. In bloom, the cone-shaped, bright yellow flower heads measure 1 foot in height and 8 inches wide. The contrast between the deep color of the rosette and the bright, star-shaped flowers is striking. Grow the black tree aeonium in USDA zones 9 through 11.
The pinwheel is another Aeonium species (A. haworthi) that produces yellow blooms on a tall stem. Pinwheel’s rosette, however, is a bright green with red tips. Pinwheel blooms in summer in USDA zones 9 through 11. An easy-care plant, the pinwheel requires almost no water. Pinwheels play nicely with other succulents, so they’re frequently included in commercially sold succulent dish gardens.
Powdery liveforever (Dudleya farinosa), also known as chalk lettuce, is native to the coastal hillsides and bluffs of Northern California. Unlike most succulents, powdery liveforever thrives in moisture and, according to the experts at Potato Rock Nursery, it grows well even in areas with up to 80 inches of rain in one season. This light blue succulent produces 1- to 3-foot-tall flower stalks with yellow flowers in June, July and August. Gardeners that live along the coast should grow chalk lettuce in full sun, while inland gardeners should offer it some protection from the afternoon sun. Grow powdery liveforever in USDA zones 9 and above.
Your Planting Articles
- University of Illinois Extension: Succulent Plants Indoors
- The Plant List: Aloe Vera (L.) Berm.f.
- Arizona Cooperative Extension: Growing Aloe Vera
- University of Oklahoma Department of Botany and Microbiology: Aeonium Arboreum Var Artopurpureum "Schwarzkopf"
- Proven Winners: Pinwheel
- Potato Rock Nursery: Dudleya Farinosa - Crassulaceae - Chalk Lettuce
- "The Garden Succulents Primer"; Gideon Smith
- Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images