Identify Your Succulent

Why succulents are hard to identify

Succulents change color with sun, stress and temperature, growers create endless hybrids, and stores often label them simply as 'assorted succulents'. The best clues are the shape of the leaves, how they're arranged, whether there are hairs or a powdery coating, and the flowers if it blooms. Our identifier weighs all of these and tells you how confident it is.

Succulents that look alike

These are the mix-ups we see most often:

• Echeveria vs sempervivum (hens and chicks) - sempervivums are cold-hardy and spread by little offsets on runners; most echeverias can't take frost
• Haworthia vs aloe - haworthias stay small with firm, often striped leaves; aloes grow larger with softer, toothed leaves
• Jade plant vs elephant bush - elephant bush has much smaller leaves on reddish stems
• String of pearls vs string of dolphins - the same trailing habit, but round beads versus little dolphin shapes
• Cactus vs other succulents - only cacti have areoles, the small fuzzy bumps that spines grow from

The care mistakes that kill succulents

Almost every succulent death comes down to too much water or too little light:

• Water thoroughly, then wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again
• Use a gritty, fast-draining cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole
• Give most succulents a few hours of direct sun or very bright light
• Stretching and leaning toward the window means it needs more light
• Mushy, see-through or blackened leaves usually mean rot from overwatering - act fast

Are succulents safe for pets?

Many are, but not all. Jade plants, aloe, kalanchoe and some euphorbias are toxic to cats and dogs, while haworthia, echeveria, sempervivum and most true cacti are considered non-toxic - just watch out for the spines. The results flag known risks, and the ASPCA plant list is a good double-check.