Succulents have become very popular in recent years, especially with younger people in small homes who do not have a lot of time to put into gardening.
If care instructions are followed, they tend to be easy to grow and are surprisingly low maintenance.
Succulents by their nature grow in dry places and retain water. This article is about one of the types of succulent that has become a bit of a talking point – the Rose Succulent.
What Are Rose Succulents?
Our main title asks are these rather wonderful plants are real. Many people assume they are not as, essentially, a rose succulent is a green fleshy plant that strongly resembles a rose bloom. Of course, they are very real and also extremely interesting. Succulents are a fascinating group of plants on the whole, but among them the rose succulent ranks among the most curious.
Fascinating Fact: The rose succulent is native to the Canary Islands.
The rose succulent is native to the Canary Islands and does not occur naturally anywhere else. This in itself makes it a botanic curiosity. Also, it goes by two scientific names and may be sold as either. You can see this care guide to familiarise yourself with this wonderful plant.
What is it about the Rose succulent that has led to its surge in popularity, and what do you need to know if you want to grow them?
How To Grow Rose Succulents
There are some curious traits to the rose succulent that make them different to others in the genus. For example, summer is the dormant season for this little plant, whereas it’s usually the growing season for succulents.
All succulents are beautiful but are Rose Succulents the best?
The rose succulent does most of its growing in the winter. It can also tolerate cold but it’s best not to expose it to below freezing temperatures. This makes it a great indoor plant.
To grow and care for a rose succulent there are three main factors to consider:
- Soil type
- Watering
- Sunlight
Get these right and you’ll have a beautiful plant but get them wrong and things can go wrong very quickly.
Soil Type for the Rose Succulent
Don’t mess around, go to your garden centre and buy some cacti and succulent soil mix. This will be suitably fast-draining and you should make sure there are no organic compounds in there.
This is the easiest way for beginners, but if you do want to make your own soil blend there is information at that link we gave you that should help. Now you have your soil and your succulent, you need to know about watering.
When to Water a Rose Succulent
Succulents usually need very little water, but the rose succulent is a bit different. First, you should make sure it is in a pot with a drainage hole. Leaving a succulent sitting in excess water will rot the root and kill the plant.
The rule of thumb is this: once the soil in the pot (or in the ground if you are chancing an outdoor growth) is dry, you need to give the rose succulent a thorough drenching. Cover the plant in water, as any excess will run off thanks to that drainage hole. That’s it!
Leaving a rose succulent in standing water will rot the roots and kill it!
In summer you’ll find it has taken up all the water in a couple of days and in winter it may be longer. Simply check the soil and if it’s dry, out comes the watering can!
Sunlight and the Rose Succulent
The Rose Succulent needs plenty of sunlight, but not too much as it can suffer from burns. The best explanation is to say full to partial sunlight but move it out of direct sunlight when it’s too hot. Many people use a grow light to get the best results, and this can be a good idea in the winter months.
So that’s about it, your brief guide to growing and caring for one of the easiest and most delightful of succulents. Be aware, however, that rose succulents are in demand so they may be hard to find.
When you do get one, keep it safe as there have been reports of theft of succulents that are difficult to get hold of! Meanwhile, why not try growing a rose succulent, and see just how fascinating they can be.
