If you want your plants to reach their full potential, then avoid placing these succulents in low-light areas. Find out the reasons!
Every type of plant has its own set of requirements to thrive properly and when it comes to succulents, you know that most of them originate from arid environments. So, the basic rule for growing these xerophytes is to avoid placing them in low-light areas. Read along!
Why You Shouldn’t Keep Succulents in Low Light Areas?
Succulents effortlessly thrive in places with a good balance of light conditions. The majority of them require partial shade in bright, well-lit spaces. Not many of them can really grow long-term in dark spaces. Even the shade-loving varieties will eventually struggle and die without any light source.
Adding on to this, with less lighting succulents gradually grow leggy and thin. This totally disrupts their beauty and appearance, so you shouldn’t be keeping your plants in low light conditions for a very long time.
Avoid Placing These Succulents in Low Light Areas
1. Agave
Botanical Name: Agave americana
USDA Zones: 9-11
Regions that boast warm climates, well-drained soils, and plenty of sunlight are the best conditions to grow these desert dwellers. Agave succulents can show healthy growth and the best form and color only in the strongest light possible.
Additionally, to keep them actively growing during the dormant period, you may want to consider extending the daylight hours with supplemental lighting.
2. Aloe Vera
Botanical Name: Aloe
USDA Zones: 8-11
Yes, Aloe vera plants also belong to the arid regions and flourish best in bright, indirect sunlight. They need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day to grow well. However, while they can tolerate direct sunlight, too much exposure, especially the harsh afternoon sun, can scorch their leaves and hinder their growth.
3. Prickly Pear
Botanical Name: Opuntia spinosissima
USDA Zones: 3-11
This desert marvel grows in full sun exposure and produces beautiful, bright flowers only under ample light conditions. If you are growing it indoors then you need to make sure that it receives at least 6-7 hours of sunlight every day. Therefore, places like balconies, bright windowsills, and likewise well-lit spaces are good for them.
4. Ghost Plant
Botanical Name: Graptopetalum paraguayense
USDA Zones: 9-11
The Ghost plant is a beautiful rosette-shaped succulent native to the central and eastern deserts of Mexico. It prefers to grow under direct sunrays and often gives out shorter, thicker plants, with leaf colorations of reddish pink to orangey-yellow. The pinkish hues appear only with 4-6 hours of sunlight exposure!
5. Dudleya
Botanical Name: 5-11
USDA Zones: Dudleya species
Dudleya species are admired for their plump, fleshy leaves that form attractive rosettes. They need good light to develop the most intense white coating but are dormant in very hot conditions.
Here are some of the best types of Dudleya succulents you can explore.
6. Echeveria
Botanical Name: Echeveria species
USDA Zones: 9-11
Place your Echeveria succulents near a west-facing or east-facing window if you are growing them indoors. In their natural habitat, they receive a lot of sunlight and to mimic this, aim for 4 to 6 hours of light daily.
7. Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium species
USDA Zones: 9-11
All Aeonium types love direct sunlight and warm temperatures. Place the plants in full sun to partial shade and watch them thrive happily! However, this outdoor beauty may require shade during the scorching summer conditions, especially for people living in arid environments.
8. Moonstones
Botanical Name: Pachyphytum oviferum
USDA Zones: 9-11
Do you want a cute and tiny succulent? Moonstones are the best options and look very adorable due to their chubby leaves! Even though they are slow-growers, they still need 6-8 hours of bright, indirect light daily for healthy growth.
9. String of Pearls
Botanical Name: Senecio rowleyanus
USDA Zones: 9-12
Are you seeing a thinner growth and drooping foliage on your String of Pearls? Then it is most probably because of not receiving enough light. Make sure that you haven’t placed it in a low-light corner for a very long time, or it will gradually die.
10. Donkey’s Tail
Botanical Name: Sedum morganianum
USDA Zones: 10-11
Keep calm when your Donkey’s tail is placed in a bright space at your home! Because low-light or dark conditions are what it hates to grow in! However, too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves, while too little light can cause them to stretch out and become leggy.
So, have a look at this article on how to tell if your Burro’s Tail is suffering from certain causes!
11. String of Watermelons
Botanical Name: Curio herreanus
USDA Zones: 9-11
This care guide says that bright indirect light is a major factor in the survival of this succulent! So, choose a well-lit area in your home so that the String of watermelon can flourish with its intricate, globular leaves.
If you want a detailed growing manual then have a look at this care guide.
12. Bear’s Paw
Botanical Name: 9-11
USDA Zones: Cotyledon tormentosa
When you decide to grow a Bear’s Paw in your garden, choose an area that gets plenty of bright, indirect sunlight throughout the day, and thank us later! In the wild, they usually grow under trees or shrubs that give the effect of dappled sunlight during the summer months so you can try to mimic the natural habitat.
13. Zebra Cactus
Botanical Name: Haworthiopsis attenuata
USDA Zones: 9-11
One thing that the Zebra cactus doesn’t appreciate much is staying in a dark or overly shaded location. They produce the best colors and leaf variegations when they receive bright or indirect sunlight conditions.
14. String of Rubies
Botanical Name: Othonna capensis
USDA Zones: 9-11
If you want to witness the pretty pink trailing stems of this attractive succulent, you have to avoid keeping it in the shade! Else, the Ruby’s Necklace won’t be all bright and colorful. Also, the small, yellow, daisy-like flowers are the most beautiful feature of this plant which only appears when it receives an ample amount of sunlight.
15. Jelly Beans
Botanical Name: Sedum rubrotinctum
USDA Zones: 9-11
Jelly beans are one of the most playful succulents because of their glossy, bean-shaped foliage! Additionally, these leaves develop a red tint around the edges. If you want the beans to have this color then perfect lighting is the key.
16. Living Stones
Botanical Name: Lithops species
USDA Zones: 9-11
Everyone’s favorite tabletop decor is what we have saved for the last. These living pebbles embrace 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight daily but also appreciate partial shade during hotter months.
So, which succulent do you struggle with in low light? Share your experiences and tips in the comments!
