How Big Do Succulents Grow?
How big a succulent grows depends on its species variety, its growing conditions, how fast it grows, and, of course, what you consider big or small. There are hundreds of known succulent genera and thousands of known succulent species on earth. While some remain small for long periods of time, there are also succulents that can grow relatively big in a matter of months.
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How Big do Succulents Grow?
If you ask me “How big do succulents grow?” my question in return will be “What time span are we talking about?” You see, given enough time, even generally “small” succulents can grow relatively big.
Succulents, like some other slow-growing plants, can live for decades and continue growing throughout the course of their lives.
As long as a succulent is alive, it will continue to grow.
There are some varieties of succulents that grow faster than others, and because they do, they appear bigger than other succulents.
For example, the Kalanchoe is one of the fastest-growing succulents and therefore is able to grow exponentially big compared to other succulents. They can go from cuttings to fully rooted plants in a matter of weeks.
In some cases, the Kalanchoe is considered invasive because of the way it proliferates. They grow new plants (or pups) easily with little-to-no effort on your part. One two-inch Kalanchoe plant can produce dozens of pups and grow fairly big in a matter of months.
There are different ways a succulent can grow bigger. Some succulents, like the Haworthia, get big by producing copies of themselves, also called pups. Given enough space, they will spread indefinitely.
Some succulents grow into huge plants on their own. The Jade Plant, or Crassula Ovata, for example, is one succulent that looks relatively small when you purchase it but can grow into a significantly huge plant.
The Agave is also another succulent that grows to be enormous and is, therefore, more suitably grown outdoors as a landscape plant.
What Factors Affect Succulent Growth?
Light
In general, succulents grow bigger, taller and more spindly under low light conditions but stays compact and small if given sufficient light.
Climate
If the climate is warm enough, succulents tend to grow bigger at a faster rate.
Soil
As with other plants, succulents that grow in soil with nutrients will grow bigger and faster than succulents that grow in non-organic soil medium.
Besides soil, providing fertilizer to succulents (try this banana peel tea fertilizer) will also promote their growth at a faster rate.
Moisture
Succulents that receive a sufficient amount of water in intervals tend to grow bigger and faster compared to succulents that are left in “drought” conditions.
Growth period
A succulent grows at a much faster rate during its growth season compared to its dormant season. When a succulent enters dormancy, sometimes its growth ceases completely.
You may notice your winter-growing succulents outgrow your summer-growing succulents during winter, and vice-versa.
Bloom
Succulents such as Echeveria and Graptoveria will likely bloom during the Spring and Summer months, which is their growth phase. If the plant is allowed to continue blooming, its overall growth will slow down as all its energy is diverted to the new bloom.
To promote growth during this period, a cool tip is to cut the bloom off.
Space
Succulents that are planted in tight containers or in an arrangement with other succulents will grow slower than succulents that are planted in containers with sufficient room.
However, while you want to provide a sizable container for your succulents, avoid too big a container because then the soil will retain too much water and may cause root rot.
Succulents that Grow Tall
Echeveria
Echeveria grows rather rapidly during its growth phase which falls in the Spring and Summer months. Echeveria tends to overgrow, and it quickly puts out new leaves in the center of the plant when its surrounding conditions are optimal. A two-inch plant can easily grow to about 8 inches in under a year.
Graptoveria
A cross hybrid between the Graptopetalum and Echeveria, the Graptoveria has similar growth characteristics as its ancestor, the Echeveria. A two-inch plant can easily grow to about 7 inches in under a year.
Kalanchoe
One of the fastest-growing succulents, the Kalanchoe puts out new growth so excessively that it is sometimes considered invasive. Some Kalanchoe species also grow to be very huge, fast!
Aloe
All Aloes grow to be very big in time. One of the most famous plants, Aloe Vera, demonstrates how large an aloe can grow, given sufficient space and in optimal conditions. Aloes can grow from 2 inches to about 6 inches in under a year.
Sedum
Sedum comes in hundreds of different varieties, and they form hybrids with each other. Sedums proliferate, and they can occupy bare spots around them with ease. They are quite resilient and hardy and can expand from a two-inch plant to about 1 foot in about a year.
Graptosedum
A cross hybrid between the Graptopetalum and Sedum, the Graptosedum are made up of varieties that sprawl like the Sedum, and varieties that grow wide like the Graptopetalum. The Graptosedum does not grow wide very fast, going from 2 inches to only 4 inches in under a year. However, those that sprawl can go from only 2 inches to covering 7-9 inches in about a year.
Crassula
The growth of the Crassula varies greatly depending on whether they are grown indoors or outdoors. When grown indoors, some crassula like the Crassula Ovata (Jade Plant) will have a slower growth rate (about an inch a year) and tend to remain compact. Outdoors, the Crassula will thrive and grow rapidly, doubling in size in about a year.
Succulents that Stay Small
Haworthia
The Haworthia is an extremely slow grower. Because of this, the Haworthia remains compact and small and is a perfect choice for a tabletop plant. It grows, on average, about 2 inches a year, sometimes less.
Gasteria
The Gasteria is another slow grower that remains relatively small compared to its relative, the Aloe. Like Haworthia, it is a perfect choice of a tabletop plant because of its size and low-light requirements. Also, like the Haworthia, it grows, on average, about 2 inches a year or less.
How Much Do Succulents Grow: Do They Overgrow?
Young succulents, like the ones you purchase from stores, can stay in small pots anytime from a few weeks to a year. However, they will eventually begin to outgrow their original pots, depending again on the type of succulent and the care that is provided to them.
Succulents that have outgrown their containers, if not repotted or refreshed, will begin to look unhappy and even spill out of their container. Their roots may also start to grow out of the holes of the container. If you notice any of these signs, it is time to either repot or refresh your succulents.
How to Refresh Overgrown Succulents?
Some people prefer large succulents, while some others prefer small, compact succulents. Sometimes, we may find that our succulents have grown too big to our personal liking. In this case, what can we do to “shrink” our succulents?
Fortunately, we CAN easily reduce the size of our succulents. In fact, reducing the size of our succulents is much faster than growing succulents! The way you do it, though, depends on the species of the succulent involved.
One option is to merely propagate the succulent. Take a leaf cutting, and start growing a new plant. This is, however, very time-consuming. Alternatively, you can take stem cuttings and plant them as new plants.
For example, to “shrink” an overgrown Echeveria, simply remove the lower leaves, leaving intact as many top leaves as you wish the final plant to have. Next, cut the stem about ½ to 1 inch below the lowest remaining leaf, let the wound callous over for about a week, before putting it into the soil to grow succulents from cuttings.
To reduce the size of an overgrown Haworthia, for example, simply remove one of its pups and repot it (an overgrown Haworthia would have produced plenty of pups already). On a side note, you can get the best soil for succulents in pots if you plan to do any repotting.
To “shrink” an overgrown Jade Plant, simply cut off one of its stems, let it callous over for a week before putting it into the soil.
Note: You may want to water the plant 1 day before you do this. Find out why here.
How Big Do Indoor Succulents Grow?
The height of succulents can vary widely depending on a variety of factors, such as the cultivar, soil composition, general grower practices they’ve been exposed to and the environment in that they thrive. Indoor succulents typically stay smaller than their outdoor counterparts due to lack of sun exposure and do not reach heights greater than a foot tall.
Generally, indoor succulents will only reach heights up to 6 inches because there is no opportunity for light penetration. However, if you expose your plant to more natural sunlight it will get taller since sunlight is crucial for photosynthesis and gaining energy for plant life.
Do Succulents Need Big Pots?
This is a question that we get asked all the time. People want to know if the plants will overgrow their pots or take over their homes. As long as you follow a few simple rules, your succulents can live happily in an indoor environment and not grow out of control!
Succulents are generally considered good indoor plants for two main reasons: they store water and don’t have large root systems.
They grow slowly, so it takes them longer to outgrow their pot (generally speaking) They don’t have very extensive root systems, so they don’t need a huge pot.