I’ll be the first to admit it. I’ve never had a green thumb. Not even a green pinky. Now I know that succulents have been quite trendy for a spell, but with good reason. They are incredibly self-sufficient and easy to care for. Their leaves don’t tend to shed or leave little leaflets all over your floor. In fact, their often full, pleasing, rubbery leaves are what retain all the water that you douse them with– often as little as one good soak in the sink a week. Another thing that makes them so fun is they come in a vast array of shapes and sizes: viny, cascading, or growing full and upward like a sturdy little tree. Some flower, aloe and cacti fall into the category, and all seem to have whimsical names.

Choosing and Caring for Your Plants

Most like some sunlight, so you should definitely take that into consideration when looking for the right location for your cheery indoor greenery. Two of my recently acquired succulent plants currently reside in my kitchen. The viny ones do especially well as hanging plants, so kitty can’t get at them to nibble something she shouldn’t. One of the longest lasting indoors succulent that I owned survived three moves over a five-year period was a rope Hoya plant. It almost looked fake, but upon closer inspection, you could feel that these twisty, plump, round leaves were definitely the real deal. I believe it would have even survived longer, had I not accidently toppled it after rewatering one day. My replanting attempts definitely need some work, but that’s a tale for another time. When I visited my neighborhood Stein’s Garden & Home in search of more succulents to brighten up my continued pandemic winter this year, alas they had no ropas. One of the saleswomen referred to it as a “grandma plant” that she hadn’t seen in a while.

I suppose that’s true. I recall my own grandmother having a few jade plants around her home. Jades the shop definitely had in stock. I also picked out a cute burro’s tail, whose trailing, spindly leaves reminded me somewhat of my lost rope plant. I additionally picked out a delicate radiator plant (Peperomia hoffmannii), with leaves that reminded me of tiny shamrocks. Every time I gaze at my steadily flourishing and growing greenery, I smile with pride. There’s something immensely satisfying about nurturing a plant to thrive all by yourself. Even if it requires minimal effort on your part. Eventually these guys look like they’re going to require bigger pots. For that, I will definitely call on the expertise of my neighborhood professional gardener when it comes to the transplanting! For more indoor succulent care tips, read on here.

Podcasting News

Senior Editor at OnMilwaukee Molly Snyder loves indoor greenery, too. This self-proclaimed “winter witch” talks gardening, tarot, speaking our truth, and describes her own fascinating path to being a witch in our latest “Women Who Howl at the Moon” podcast on Episode 6. You can listen in on SoundCloud and be sure to check out our Facebook page and new Patreon presence.

A happy, hopeful, green Spring Equinox and Ostara to you all!