Festive Red Succulents Will Be Your New Favorite Holiday Decor This Year
Along with decking the halls with your favorite holiday decorations, it's fun to include a few seasonal plants, too. Potted poinsettias, a Christmas cactus or two, and amaryllis bulbs all add a bit of botanical cheer. And though they may be less traditional, this year you can make things extra merry by adding red succulents to the mix. No, not the ones that have been painted, but varieties that naturally have scarlet-hued leaves and stems.
Of course, you can find succulents in just about any color besides green: pink, purple, orange, and even black succulents exist. Sometimes, they even change color in response to stress in their environment (like poor soil, not enough water, or extreme temperature changes), which is why you might've seen red edges show up on your succulents before. But these five easy-to-grow varieties of succulents naturally have red tones all the time, perfect for holiday centerpieces, wreaths, and other seasonal arrangements you can feature in your next #succulentsunday post.
'Romeo Rubin' Echeveria
Echeverias are among the most popular types of succulents out there, so you may have seen others with a similar shape, though perhaps not this striking shade of crimson. 'Romeo Rubin' has brilliant red leaves that make it look almost like a fully open rose flower with pointed petals. It can get 6 inches tall and about 12 inches in diameter.
'Christmas Carol' Aloe
With "Christmas" right there in its name, this plant is practically begging to be included in your yuletide celebrations. Unlike regular aloe vera plants you may be familiar with, this one's fleshy, triangular-shape, gray-green leaves have vibrant red edges. 'Christmas Carol' can even develop red spots and turn almost completely red when it gets plenty of sunlight. It will grow about a foot tall and wide.
Crassula clavata
There's hardly any green to be seen on Crassula clavata, just plump, ruby-red leaves. This cute little succulent is perfect for using in holiday displays because its color is especially vivid during the colder winter months. And it will stay elf-sized, only reaching about 4 inches tall.
Christmas Cheer or Jelly Bean Plant
Botanically known as Sedum rubrotinctum, this succulent's common names of Christmas cheer and jelly bean plant give you some pretty big hints about its looks. Its rounded, glossy leaves resemble little jelly beans, packed tightly together along the stem. Those green "beans" are often tipped with red, giving the whole plant a cheery, two-tone appearance. The stems top out at about 12 inches tall.
'Bashful' Graptoveria
The red coloring on 'Bashful' can be subtle or stunning, depending on how much sun your plant gets. When it's grown in direct sunlight, it can blush a deep, almost purple-red. In a more shaded spot, it might turn a light pink. Wherever you grow it, this little gem will only get about 2 inches tall and about 4 inches in diameter.
All of these succulents are easy to care for. Just place them where they will get bright sunlight for several hours a day to keep their red color as rosy as possible. Give them a drink about once a week until water drains out the bottom of their pot, but be careful to avoid getting water on their leaves because this can encourage rot.
If none of these red succulent picks fit in alongside your stockings and homemade wreaths, there are plenty of other naturally red varieties of popular succulents like aloe, echeveria, sempervivum, and sedum to choose from. Any one of them will add a unique twist to your holiday decor, or make a welcome gift for just about anyone on your list.
