Be it intentional, camouflage, or happy coincidence, this list of 10 Succulents That Look Like Animals truly shows how naughty nature can get!
Always dreamed of having pets but simply can’t handle the chaos? Just get one of these succulents that look like animals! Easy to care for and cool as cucumbers, they don’t make a mess and don’t chew your brains out in the middle of a deep slumber. From dolphins to rabbits, you have a whole range to choose from!
10 Succulents that Look Like Animals
1. Tiger Jaws
Botanical Name: Faucaria tigrina
Just like its name, this succulent has triangular leaves with spiky edges that look like tiger teeth! Native to South Africa, this small, clump-forming succulent grows only to about 80mm in diameter, but its famous serrated edges help deter hungry herbivores from eating the plant! And sometimes, beyond the ferocious teeth, an attractive yellow flower emerges.
Unlike real carnivores, this cute imposter loves full sun and sandy, acidic soil and is quite drought-tolerant.
2. Bunny Succulent
Botanical Name: Monilaria moniliformis
The love for puppies, kittens, and all baby things is usually abundant until they grow up! It looks like this other South African native decided to go the cute way, unlike the ferocious neighbor we just read about. This succulent produces new growth that looks like rabbit ears! These specialized cylindrical leaves sprout sprout in pairs, but their appearance may change with maturity.
This succulent that looks like rabbit ears prefers a sunny spot with minimal watering to grow well. Unlike other succulents, this one goes dormant in summer.
3. String of Dolphin
Botanical Name: Senecio peregrinus
Who needs the ocean to spot dolphins when you can grow them in your pots? This trailing succulent resembles pods of jumping dolphins with its curved, gray-green leaves! With loose tendrils and lovely white blooms, this succulent thrives in well-draining soil under bright indirect sunlight.
Quiet, cute, and easy to manage, but these dolphins are toxic.
4. Crassula Buddha’s Temple
Botanical Name: Crassula ‘Buddha’s Temple’
Crassula Buddha’s Temple may remind the faithful of a pagoda, but animal geeks think of reptiles with scales or even pangolins. This succulent grows in a columnar rosette to about 6 inches in height with greenish-silver leaves. It can be tricky to get your hands on as it is a very rare cultivar.
5. Snake Plant
Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata
Now, on the list of succulents that look like animals is everyone’s favorite air-purifying succulent–the Snake Plant. Its leaves resemble the sleek and patterned skin of a snake. The leaves grow upright, stiff, and in shades of dark green with lime green stripes.
It thrives in low light and with little water. Remember to use alkaline soil for the potting mix!
6. Burro’s Tail
Botanical Name: Sedum morganianum
Also known as donkey’s tail, horse’s tail, and lamb’s tail, this tropical trailing succulent from the stonecrop family clearly reminds everyone of animal tails! Regardless of the animal type, this tender perennial has fleshy blue-green lance-shaped overlapping leaves and red and pink bell-shaped blooms that will liven up your home in a jiffy.
Best grown in hanging baskets where it can cascade prettily, the burro’s tail enjoys full filtered sunlight, a well-draining cactus mix, and sparse watering.
7. Jellyfish Succulent
Botanical Name: Haworthia obtusa “jellyfish”
With plump, round, translucent leaves that grow as rosettes, this exquisite haworthia resembles the bells of jellyfish with all their tentacles tucked in below. Rare but surprisingly easy to care for, once you get your hands on one of these, you’ll be smitten for life.
Like most haworthias, this one thrives in bright, dappled sunlight, well-draining soil, and minimal watering. If you simply adore the glass-like glimmer of this succulent, don’t forget to check out our article on crystal-clear succulents!
8. Sea Urchin Cactus
Botanical Name: Euphorbia obesa
Last on our list of succulents that look like animals is the tiny but mighty sea urchin cactus! This tropical member of the spurge family grows into a baseball-sized globe with distinct ribs running from top to bottom, much like the exoskeleton of rotund sea urchins. While it lacks the spines of the sea creature, it surely looks like some puffed-up animal.
Its rarity in the wild led to huge conservation efforts, and this botanical ball can now be found in sheltered spaces.
9. Bunny Ear Cactus
Botanical Name: Opuntia microdasys
The Bunny Ear Cactus is the botanical personification of Mickey Mouse! This three-foot-tall plant gets its quirky name from the pair of pads that give it a bunny or mouse-like look. Each pad consists of yellow glochids that look cottony but, in reality, contain multiple spines. Hence, safety gear is recommended before handling these plants.
To grow more of these plants, just break off a pad during spring and plant it in well-draining soil, where it receives partial sun and a minimal amount of water.
10. Donkey Ears Succulent
Botanical Name: Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri
We already have its tail; now let’s get its ears! This fast-growing succulent has adorable large, droopy leaves that resemble donkey ears! Its lance-shaped leaves are fleshy, greyish-green, and often have brownish dots on them. A single leaf can grow up to 50 cm in length!
These drought-tolerant plants need full sun and well-drained soil to produce charming results.
Loved these lookalikes? Check out these plants that look like animals!
