Look beyond the surface to find the surprising, unexpected, and appealing beauty of the Succulent That Looks Like Cabbage!
Here, you find succulents with soft, curly leaves that masquerade as heads of cabbage. You might not have noticed them before, but after reading this, you might just realize you already have one of these without knowing it!
Succulent That Looks Like Cabbage
1. Echeveria runyonii ‘Topsy Turvy’
This succulent has a rounded growth structure, just like savoy cabbage. Its folded and curled leaves, which are blue to silvery-gray in color, resemble each other. The ideal height is about 10-20 cm, and the spread is 15-25 cm.
Valued for its ornamental qualities due to the distinct shape and form of the foliage, making it a super fit for indoor plantings, interiorscapes, or container planting! Since it is native to desert areas, the plant should be given semi-shade, little/infrequent watering, alkaline soils, and well-ventilated environments.
2. Aeonium ‘Cyclops’
Aeonium ‘Cyclops’ is a shrub-like, tall succulent, growing up to 4-5 feet, evergreen succulent with open branching habits of large rosettes, typically 12-18 inches across. The leaves are dark reddish-bronze with a bright green center, similar to red cabbage heads.
This variety gained popularity because of its parentage from crossbreeding, i.e., Aeonium undulatum and Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop.’ It is a monocarpic plant, which means it will die after the first bloom, which will take several years. The best part is that it looks more attractive without flowers!
3. Echeveria ‘Blue Curls’
A succulent from the Echeveria species means you can grow it easily without any complications, just with a few basic rules! Take care of water; do not let it stay wet for long, as it will lead to rot or invite fungal diseases, and remove dead leaves! That’s all!
It is a plant that generally has a single rosette with blue-green, curly leaves, mimicking the looks of savoy cabbage, so you can call it CURLY CABBAGE! However, the leaves change color to a pink hue in spring and fall. Also, it has reddish-pink flowers in summer!
4. Echeveria ‘Doris Taylor’ (Woolly Rose)
A beautiful, small-growing succulent that grows up to 5 inches only, it has many offsets and small stems that gradually hold large clumps on them. The leaves are fuzzy, thick, spoon-shaped, and pale green-reminiscent of ornamental cabbage, especially the half-cut part of it!
You can easily grow it as a houseplant by placing it in a spot with morning sunlight and afternoon shade, such as a balcony or porch. Water only when the top layer of the soil feels dry! To prevent the plant from being suppressed by other plants, maintain at least 30 cm of space on each side!
5. Sempervivum tectorum
Whenever you see this plant growing in your area from a distance, it will seamlessly resemble green cabbage! If your garden is full of them, then you can say your garden is full of cabbage beds! This makes it perfect for ground covers!
Commonly known as Hens and chicks, they are from the Crassulaceae family and are native to southern Europe. It is grown just because of its geometric appearance, which is traditionally considered a protective shield against lightning strikes. Produces showy star-like flowers and long-lasting rosettes!
A Fact: Its rosettes are called hens, and the offsets produced by plants or rosettes are called chicks.
We’d love to hear your experiences with these beautiful plants. Have you ever noticed any other succulents that resemble something surprising like brains or dolphins or others, too? Share your stories, tips, and comments below. Let’s learn and grow together!
