20 ideas for succulents in containers

Floral accent

Potted Echeveria and Senecio mix well with other low-water, sun-loving perennials such as African Daisy. Keep single plants in individual pots to easily change the grouping with the seasons

Keep it simple

A top dressing of blue glass mulch elevates a simple Echeveria ‘Lola’ to a stand-alone accent container. Place a line of small potted succulents down the center of an outdoor table as a living tableau.

Urban chic

Hang a vertical planter by your front door to give a hip, urban feel to your doorstep. The living picture is dripping with ‘String of Pearls’ succulents (Senecio rowleyanus) and bronze-tipped aeonium.

Go for green

A cluster of bright green aeonium rosettes in a glossy black pot makes a statement against a brightly colored door. Aeonium ‘Jolly Green’ has a compact form well suited for containers.

Under-plant with succulents

A container of false arelia is top-dressed with a living mulch of Echeveria, Sempervivum, and Senecio creating a miniature living landscape. As plants grow to be too crowded, pinch off pups to make more room and use in other containers.

Succulent side-board

Designer and co-owner of L.A.-based nursery Potted, Annette Gutierrez uses a weathered wood sideboard to display a collection of potted plants, such as ‘Sunburst’ aeonium with sedum (in red pot) and a tiny succulent landscape in a low white bowl

Succulent patio

A bougainvillea and a citrus tree were not enough to cover the back fence, so Potted's Annette Gutierrez filled the understory with potted succulents including Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’ (in orange pot), Aeonium (light green pot), Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ (low blue-green pot), Agave attenuata (tall green pot) and sword fern (far right).

Bold and bright

Use brightly colored vessels to make small succulents stand out.

Green chandelier

Group a collection of hanging planters filled with Echeveria above an outdoor lounge for vertical interest.

Succulent boat

Create a living centerpiece by planting a colorful mix of Echeveria, Sempervivum, and trailing Sedum in a narrow container.

Light highlights

Glazed ceramic containers filed with a pale green agave (Agave attenuata) and trailing silver dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) pop against a dark painted wood background.

Tiny treasures

Costa Mesa garden designer Molly Wood fills vintage metal chicken feeders with tiny succulents for a rustic centerpiece. Hen and chickens (Sempervivums), echeverias, and a dainty stonecrop grow in cactus mix in a 4 1/2-inch-deep trough.

Jewel tones

A shallow bowl measuring about 2 feet across and 6 inches deep provides just enough room to show off a rainbow of succulent colors. A mix of bright green Sedum ‘Angelina’, pink rosette-shaped Ghost plants (Graptopetalum pentandrum), and fleshy green Crassula argenta ‘Gollum’ pick up the more subtle tones of large grey-green and pink Echeveria.

Bold texture

“I almost always include something lacy, something hanging, and something architectural,” says Oakland landscape designer Joshua Stenzel. Then “throw in one thing that’s unexpected,” such as the Sempervivum succulents dripping out of a low pot here.

The plants: Upright Euphorbia tirucalli (back left); feathery Acacia iteaphylla (back right); Yucca aloifolia ‘Purpurea’ (left); strappy bromeliad (Vriesea philippo-coburgii, center); variegated ‘Cornelius’ agave (bottom right); cascading mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis, bottom left).

Bigger, better

Make an impact by including one tall planting and repeating one strong color in either the foliage or the pots. “One thing I’ve learned with small-space designs is to skip the dainty little pots and go for big and bold,” says designer Josh Stenzel.

Color coordinated

Start with a plant or pot you love and let it lead the rest of the design. For this quartet, Oakland landscape designer Joshua Stenzel first chose earthy ceramic pots, then selected plants in a complementary palette of coral and pale green.

Bowl of succulents

A crush of silvery Echeveria, pale purple ghost plants, and trailing Sedum ‘Angelina’ make a colorful container display perfect for dressing up an outdoor table.

Wine punch

Pops of icy blue in cooling contrast with warm combos of bright pinks and deep purples makes for a striking color scheme. Start with the plants, then pick a container that will extend the color theme. Here, a 16-inch-wide olive green pot makes the brighter foliage pop.

Transformed nursery box

Paint and stenciling transform a nursery box into a house number. A large potted succulent takes it up a notch.

Miniature desert garden

Asymmetrically arranged golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) and pale clusters of thimble cactus (Mammillaria gracilis fragilis) create a pint-sized desert landscape. Top dress with a dark gravel mulch to show off the pale cacti colors.