Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Thick, fleshy leaves are the characteristic feature of the thick-leafed plants (Crassulaceae), which, like cacti, belong to the succulent family. We introduce you to 39 particularly beautiful species for the garden and room culture.

In a nutshell

  • large, succulent plant family with several thousand species
  • thickened, fleshy leaves store water
  • undemanding and very easy to care for
  • many hardy species for the garden
  • fleshy leaves, however, also in other succulent plant families

Plants with fleshy leaves for the garden

These plants are able to store enough water in their fleshy leaves to survive in dry places.

Agave (Agave)

  • also known as the plant of the century
  • rosette-like growth with a short trunk or no trunk
  • depending on the species, small to very large rosettes
  • fibrous, thick, fleshy true leaves
  • thorny leaf tip (risk of injury)

Popular agave species for pots and garden beds

  • Agave parryi: spherical growth with a diameter of up to 80 centimetres, leaves up to 30 centimeters long, tolerates short periods of frost down to approx. minus 20 °C
  • Agave utahensis ("Utah agave"): up to 40 centimeters in diameter, yellow-green to bluish leaves, up to 30 centimeters long with a pointed terminal thorn, tolerates temperatures down to approx. minus 20 °C
  • Agave inaequidens: forms a short stem, light green to yellow-green, up to 150 centimeters long leaves with toothed edges
  • Agave havardiana: open rosettes up to 80 centimeters in diameter, up to 60 centimeters long, strongly serrated leaves, hardy to approx. minus 18 °C
Agave parryi

Notice: The problem when agaves overwinter is less the cold than the humidity: agaves do not tolerate our wet winters and die from excess water. A dry culture is better guaranteed in a bucket.

Donarsbart (Jovibarba heuffelii)

  • also known as fringe houseleek
  • up to 12 centimeters high
  • rosette growth
  • forms cushions
  • clusters of yellow flowers between June and August

Notice: It is best to plant the Donarsbart in small tuffs with three to ten pieces with a planting distance of 15 to 20 centimeters in a sunny, dry place - for example in the rock garden or in wall joints.

Bacopa (Sedum)

  • also known as stonecrop
  • about 600 different species
  • undemanding, robust, hardy and easy to care for
  • for the garden as well as for the apartment
  • for sunny locations

Popular bacopa species

  • Big fat leaf (Sedum telephium): up to 60 centimeters high, bushy habit, pink umbel flowers between August and October
  • Evergreen Bacopa (Sedum hybridum): up to 15 centimeters high, carpet-forming, small, yellow flowers between June and August
  • Magnificent Bacopa (Sedum spectabile): up to 40 centimeters high, bushy habit, large umbelliferous flowers in various colours, flowering period August to September
  • Spicy stonecrop (Sedum acre): native species for map soils, up to 10 centimeters high, carpet-forming, yellow flowers between June and July
  • Carpet Grease Sheet (Sedum spurium): up to 15 centimeters high, forms dense carpets, small flowers between June and August
  • White Stonecrop (Sedum album): for poor soils, up to 10 centimeters high, carpet-forming, white or pink flowers between June and August
Bacopa (Sedum telephium)

Houseleek (Sempervivum)

  • native succulent plant
  • Also known as Dachwurz or Steinrose
  • very robust, undemanding and hardy
  • about 40 different species and over 7000 varieties

Popular houseleek species

  • Real houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum): 5 to 30 centimeters high, rosette-like growth, carpet-forming
  • mountain houseleek (Sempervivum montanum): evergreen, up to 20 centimeters high, runners up to 10 centimeters long, large, red flowers between July and September
  • Dolomite houseleek (Sempervivum dolomiticum): up to 15 centimeters high, rosettes up to five centimeters wide, pink to purple colored flowers
  • Large-flowered houseleek (Sempervivum grandiflorum): large leaf rosettes up to 10 centimeters wide, flowering shoots up to 30 centimeters high, large yellow flowers
  • Cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum): evergreen, up to 10 centimeters high, leaf rosettes spun like a cobweb, small, pink flowers between June and July
Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum)

Notice: Although the native Dachwurz is extremely robust against frosty temperatures, it does not tolerate any moisture. Therefore, these plants should be placed in moisture-protected locations.

Palm Lilies (Yucca)

  • perennial plants from the asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
  • rosette-like arranged, narrow and long leaves
  • lily-of-the-valley-like inflorescences
  • native to Central America, especially Mexico
  • about 50 different species, some of them frost hardy

Hardy palm lilies for the garden

  • Blue Yucca (Yucca baccata): stemless or with a short stem, leaves up to 70 centimeters long, short inflorescences between April and July, frost hardy to minus 20 °C
  • Thready yucca (Yucca filamentosa): up to 120 centimeters high, impressive inflorescences with large, white flowers, very hardy and robust
  • Candle Palm Lily (Yucca gloriosa): Native to North America, develops a trunk up to two meters high with age, flowering time in autumn, conditionally hardy
  • Dwarf Palm Lily (Yucca nana): forms rosettes with a diameter of up to 25 centimetres, inflorescence up to one meter high in May, frost hardy to minus 20 °C
Filamentous Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)

Notice: Also among the palm lilies is the yucca palm, which is not frost hardy and is therefore only kept indoors. The botanically correct name is Yucca elephantipes (giant palm lily) and it can grow between two and ten meters high.

Plants with fleshy leaves for indoor culture

Some plants delight not only with their fleshy leaves, but also with their blooms. Such are often kept as houseplants.

Aloes (Aloe)

  • Plants from the subfamily of the Asphodelaceae (Asphodeloideae)
  • over 500 different species
  • different growth forms: stemless, shrub-like or tree-like
  • Leaves often long, triangular and toothed or thorny
  • Native mainly to South and East Africa

Popular species of aloe for indoor culture

  • Real Aloe (Aloe vera): up to 50 centimeters long, grey-green, toothed leaves, rosette-like growth without or with a short stem, well-known medicinal plant
  • Eternal Aloe or Tree Aloe (Aloe arborescens): forms a trunk, branches out strongly, up to three meters high, conspicuously serrated leaves
  • Fan Aloe (Aloe aculeata): forms several trunks and a branched crown, sprawling, fan-like growth, very narrow leaves without teeth
  • Globular aloe (Aloe aristata): grows in groups of several rosettes, dwarf form with leaves up to 15 centimeters long with a white spotted pattern, poisonous
  • Spiral Aloe (Aloe polyphylla): distinctive rosette with spirally arranged fleshy leaves, often with colored tips, poisonous
  • Prickly Aloe (Aloe aculeata): up to 60 centimeters long, fleshy leaves in a large leaf rosette, conspicuous red dentition on leaf edges and leaf surfaces
  • Tiger Aloe (Aloe variegata): Dwarf aloe with mottled leaves, only up to about 15 centimeters high
  • Wild Aloe or Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox): from South Africa, stem-forming, dull green to reddish leaves, up to 100 centimeters long
Wild Aloe or Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox)

Notice: Aloe vera, used as a medicinal plant, is probably particularly well-known and popular. But be careful: this is often confused with other, but poisonous species. Therefore, pay attention to the correct plant name when buying.

Echeveria (Echeveria)

  • perennial, evergreen, succulent thick-leafed plants
  • particularly large, fleshy leaves
  • large rosettes, mostly stemless
  • native to Central and South America, many species from Mexico
  • about 150 different species

Popular echeverias for indoor culture

  • Echeveria agavoides: up to 15 cm high, leaf rosettes up to 35 cm in diameter, single leaves up to 7 cm long
  • Echeveria elegans: Rosettes up to 10 centimeters in diameter, light green fleshy leaves with transparent margins
  • Echeveria derenbergii: forms spherical rosettes up to 17 cm wide on a stem, blue-green leaves, orange-red flowers in late summer
  • Echeveria leucotricha: Subshrub with light green, very thick fleshy leaves and red flowers
  • Echeveria gibbiflora: subshrub with grey-green leaves and light red flowers, rare
  • Echeveria harmsii: makes loose rosettes of rich green leaves, scarlet or yellow flowers solitary
  • Echeveria pulvinata: forms loose rosettes with white, hairy leaves, becomes glabrous from below over time (stem formation), scarlet flowers
Echeveria elegans

Lizardskin Thickleaf (Crassula tecta)

  • native to South Africa
  • Leaves covered with white, small papillae (pimples).
  • dwarf rosette plant
  • Leaves up to 25 mm long
Source: Michael Wolf, Crassula tecta 03, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Tip: This distinctive thick-leaved plant requires a mineral substrate and should only be watered very sparingly. Fertilization is only required once a year.

Flaming Katy (Kalanchoë blossfeldiana)

  • up to 40 centimeters high
  • persistent, profuse flowering in the winter months
  • many flower colors: red, pink, violet, orange, yellow, white
  • easy to care for, for sunny window sills
  • perennial, can be made to bloom again and again

Notice: The popular houseplant is often thrown away after flowering, but there is a trick that can be used to get it to flower again and again. To do this, darken the plants every day for 12 to 14 hours in autumn for several weeks, e.g. B. by putting a cardboard box over it.

Money Tree (Crassula ovata)

  • grows up to 100 centimeters high
  • bushy to tree-like growth
  • easy to care for and very frugal
  • for sunny to partially shaded locations

Notice: It's not well known, but outdoor oversummered specimens of the money tree can flower between February and April. The small panicles of flowers are pink or white and lightly scented.

Penny Tree (Crassula arborescens)

  • tree-like, strongly branched growth
  • up to 150 centimeters growth height, trunk thickness up to six centimeters
  • thickened, grey-green leaves with reddish margins and a powdery coating
  • native to South Africa

frequently asked Questions

Why do succulent plants have such fleshy leaves?

The thick-fleshed leaves are a characteristic feature of the thick-leafed plants. In them, the plants that live in dry regions of the earth store water, which is why they, like cacti, are counted among the succulents. Incidentally, the thick-leafed plants (Crassulaceae) are a plant family that includes several thousand species and occurs all over the world with the exception of Antarctica. But not all plants with fleshy leaves belong to the thick-leaf family - other succulents also have this characteristic, such as aloes or agaves.

What do you have to pay attention to when caring for succulent plants?

This family of succulents is characterized not only by an immense variety of shapes and colors, but also by their undemanding and easy-care properties. These make the succulent plants popular ornamental plants for the garden bed and for planters. They need little water, rarely (or not at all) need fertilizing and mostly prefer a mineral substrate. Above all, make sure to use water sparingly and never keep the plants too moist or even waterlogged.

Where do succulents grow?

With the exception of Antarctica, succulent plants can be found in almost all regions of the world as long as it is dry there. Due to the ability to store water in their fleshy leaves, these survivors can handle dry conditions that are killing other plant species. Depending on their origin, many species are even hardy and can therefore be planted in the garden. Others, on the other hand, only tolerate frost for a short time or should mainly be protected from moisture in winter.

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Garden design