The Best Succulents for Southern California Gardens (Easy Beginner Picks)

Written by Kelsey W.

Succulents give you a dazzling range of colors, shapes, and sizes, and they are about the most forgiving plants you can grow, which makes them perfect for Southern California and for anyone who is afraid of killing yet another houseplant. It is no secret that succulents and cacti thrive here: walk down almost any street and you will see them flourishing on next to no attention. Here are the best, easiest succulents for a Southern California garden or windowsill, which ones are actually native, and how to keep them happy.

What Makes a Succulent Good for Southern California?

Succulents store water in their leaves and stems, which is exactly why they sail through our hot, dry summers. The three things nearly all of them want are plenty of sun, fast-draining soil, and infrequent watering. UC Master Gardeners recommend a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of sun a day for succulents grown outdoors, an exceptionally light, granular, fast-draining soil, and letting the soil nearly dry out between waterings, since overwatering is the number one cause of succulent death (UC Master Gardeners of Orange County). Get those basics right and the plants below practically take care of themselves, which is what makes them such reliable drought-tolerant plants for our climate.

The Best Succulents and Cacti for a Southern California Garden

These eight are beginner-proof, widely available, and well suited to our climate. The table gives you the quick version, and the notes below add the details.

Plant	Type	Light	Water	Size	Notes
Jade (Crassula ovata)	Soft succulent	Full sun to bright light	Every 2 to 3 weeks	3 to 6 ft	Iconic and forgiving; propagates from dropped leaves
Lipstick echeveria (Echeveria agavoides)	Soft succulent	Full sun to bright light	When soil dries	Rosette to ~1 ft	Geometric rosette; makes offset “pups”
Donkey tail (Sedum morganianum)	Soft succulent	Bright light to part sun	When soil dries	Trailing to ~2 ft	Perfect in hanging pots; leaves drop easily, so handle gently
Elephant’s food (Portulacaria afra)	Soft succulent	Full sun	Low	To ~8 ft (dwarf form tiny)	Xeriscape favorite; dwarf form works as a groundcover
Prickly pear (Opuntia)	Cactus	Full sun	Very low	To 6 ft tall, 10 ft wide	Edible pads and fruit; needs sandy, fast-draining soil
Barrel cactus (Ferocactus, Echinocactus)	Cactus	Full sun	Very low	To ~3 ft across	Nearly care-free; winter-dormant; fertilize once a year
Hoya heart (Hoya kerrii)	Succulent	Bright, indirect light	Every 3 to 4 weeks	Slow, small	Heart-leaf Valentine plant; best as a potted houseplant
Dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus)	Climbing cactus	Full sun	Low	Climbs to ~20 ft	Edible fruit; needs a support and a wide pot

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

An iconic Southern California succulent, the jade plant actually does better when you do not water it much, which is a gift for anyone who forgets. A native of South Africa in the stonecrop family, it wants a sunny spot with a little afternoon shade and only moderate water when the soil is dry (NC State Extension). Its plump leaves propagate so readily that a dropped leaf will root where it lands. Watering every two to three weeks is plenty.

Lipstick Echeveria (Echeveria agavoides)

Echeverias are the classic “oops, I forgot to water it” succulent. Native to an area stretching from the southwestern United States down through Mexico and into Argentina, they are true desert succulents that do not mind full sun and need very little water (NC State Extension). The lipstick echeveria forms a tidy geometric rosette up to a foot across and sends out little offset “pups” you can replant.

Donkey Tail (Sedum morganianum)

Also called burro’s tail, this trailing succulent is made for a hanging pot, where its long, braided stems can spill over the edge. It likes bright light to part sun, and its one quirk is that the plump leaves detach at the slightest touch, so site it somewhere it will not get bumped (NC State Extension). In a hot inland spot, give it a little relief from the harshest afternoon sun.

Elephant’s Food (Portulacaria afra)

If you want a plant that can become an eight-foot living wall, elephant’s food is it. It resembles a jade plant but with smaller leaves, takes full sun, and asks for almost no water, which makes it a xeriscape staple. A dwarf form stays only a few inches tall and makes a tidy groundcover, so check the label for the size you want.

Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

The prickly pear is the quintessential Southern California cactus, and unlike most plants on this list it is actually native here (more on that below). With around 145 species across the Americas, it loves full sun and well-drained, sandy soil and is extremely heat and drought tolerant (NC State Extension). Both the pads (nopales) and the fruit (tuna) are edible once the spines and tiny barbed glochids are carefully removed. Give it space, since it can reach 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and plant it in sandy soil rather than our damp winter clay.

Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus and Echinocactus)

Barrel cactus is the catch-all name for the round, ribbed cacti you picture in the desert. They are about as low-maintenance as a plant gets: full sun (with a little afternoon shade in the hottest spots), sandy soil, a once-a-year feeding, and only occasional water, letting the soil dry out completely between waterings, since they go dormant in winter (NC State Extension). In the ground a barrel cactus can swell to more than three feet across, and it also makes an excellent potted specimen for a sunny patio.

Hoya Heart (Hoya kerrii)

Those single heart-shaped leaves sold around Valentine’s Day are the sweetheart hoya. Despite how it is often sold, it is a succulent, not a cactus, and it does best in bright, indirect light; a plant placed in a hot, south-facing window has to be acclimated gradually or the leaf will scorch (NC State Extension; Clemson Cooperative Extension). It grows very slowly and only needs watering every three to four weeks, which makes it a great low-effort houseplant.

Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus undatus)

If you have room and sun, the dragon fruit cactus is a fun edible to try. It is a sprawling, climbing cactus (in the wild an epiphyte that scrambles over trees and rocks) that needs a sturdy trellis or arbor for support and eventually a wide pot (at least 15 to 25 inches across) filled with fast-draining soil (NC State Extension), and like the others it dislikes sitting in damp soil. It grows mainly in the warm months and goes dormant in winter, and in time it rewards you with its striking, nutritious fruit.

Are Succulents Native to California?

Here is a surprise for most gardeners: many of the “California succulents” you see everywhere are not actually from California at all. Jade and elephant’s food hail from South Africa, and echeveria comes from Mexico and the Americas (NC State Extension). They simply thrive here because our Mediterranean climate mimics their dry homelands. That said, California has plenty of native succulents of its own, well over a hundred species in fact (UC Master Gardeners of Orange County). The standout is the Dudleya, or liveforever, a rosette-forming succulent native to the mountains of Southern California (Calscape), and the coast prickly pear (Opuntia littoralis) is a true native of our coastal sage scrub and chaparral (Calscape). If you plant Dudleya, always buy nursery-propagated plants, since wild populations are protected from poaching, and remember that established natives want no summer water.

How to Care for Succulents in Southern California

Succulent care really comes down to three rules. First, soil: use a light, granular, fast-draining cactus-and-succulent mix, and if your yard is heavy clay, plant in raised beds or pots instead, because clay holds too much water through our wet winters. Second, water: soak the soil, then leave it alone until it has nearly dried out, roughly every two to three weeks in warm weather and much less in winter when most succulents go dormant. Overwatering, not under-watering, is what kills these plants (UC Master Gardeners of Orange County). Third, light: most want full sun, though a few tender ones (like the hoya) prefer bright indirect light, and in the hottest inland areas even sun-lovers appreciate a little afternoon shade. Any pot you use needs a drainage hole. For more on improving difficult soil, see our guide to building better soil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are succulents native to California?

Some are. Most popular garden succulents, like jade, echeveria, and elephant’s food, come from South Africa or Mexico and just love our similar climate. But California has well over a hundred native succulents, most famously the Dudleya (liveforever), and the coast prickly pear is a native cactus of our coastal scrub.

What is the best soil for succulents?

A light, granular, fast-draining cactus-and-succulent mix. Good drainage is everything, because succulent roots rot in soggy soil. If your garden is heavy clay, grow them in raised beds or pots with a proper succulent mix rather than planting straight into the ground.

How often should you water succulents?

Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil nearly dry out between waterings, which usually means about every two to three weeks in warm weather and far less in winter. Overwatering is the most common way to kill a succulent, so when in doubt, wait.

Do succulents like full sun?

Most succulents and cacti want full sun, at least 4 to 6 hours a day, and that is what gives them their best color and form. A few tender types, such as the hoya, prefer bright indirect light, and in hot inland areas even sun-lovers benefit from some protection during the most intense afternoon sun.

What are the best succulents for beginners?

Jade, echeveria, elephant’s food, donkey tail, and barrel cactus are all hard to kill and very forgiving. They tolerate missed waterings, thrive in full sun, and ask for little beyond fast-draining soil, which makes them ideal first succulents.

Can you grow succulents in pots?

Yes, most succulents do beautifully in pots, which is ideal for patios, balconies, and windowsills. Just use a container with a drainage hole and a fast-draining succulent mix, and water only when the soil has dried out.

Sources

• UC Master Gardeners of Orange County, Succulents
• Calscape (California Native Plant Society), Dudleya (Liveforever)
• Calscape (California Native Plant Society), Coast Prickly Pear
• NC State Extension, Opuntia (Prickly Pear)
• NC State Extension, Sedum morganianum (Donkey Tail)
• NC State Extension, Hoya kerrii
• Clemson Cooperative Extension, Hoya (Waxflowers)
• NC State Extension, Crassula ovata (Jade)
• NC State Extension, Echeveria
• NC State Extension, Ferocactus (Barrel Cactus)
• NC State Extension, Selenicereus undatus (Dragon Fruit)
• NC State Extension, Ferocactus (Barrel Cactus)
• NC State Extension, Selenicereus undatus (Dragon Fruit)

Ready to start your succulent collection? Stop by your favorite Green Thumb Nursery location, where you will find all of these drought-tolerant, easy-to-grow plants along with the right cactus-and-succulent mix and pots to set them up for success. Whether you are a first-time grower or a seasoned cactus collector, our team is happy to help you choose.

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