The Puzzling Mystery of Succulent Plant Identity

What’s so important about solving the mystery of succulent plant identification?

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Without knowing what on earth your plant is, how can you give it the right care?

Not all succulent plants are created equal; some need more sun that others to grow properly, and others thrive with almost no water, and too much water can kill them.

Knowing the right regimen of watering, fertilizer and light levels can mean the difference between happy, healthy flowering lush plants, and something that you’re ashamed to have around.

So many gardeners, even those with a lot of experience growing other types of plants fail miserably with succulent plants.

That’s because they have a unique set of requirements, in general, and some have even more strict needs than most. Almost without fail it’s due to overwatering.

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Finding out the identity of a plant gives you the most information on how to care for them, and be successful.

If you can’t find your plant here, already identified, ask about it here on the Succulent Plant Identification page, or check out the page on some solved mysteries here.

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…

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Help identifying these four plants?
The plant in the first picture is on the small side with very green and pointy leaves. it is layered and has a little bit of purple coloring on the points. …

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Nina’s Succulents
Please help identify these succulents. Can’t find any info on google. Thank you

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Oxalis palmifrons
What an incredibly cool looking plant this is. Neatly fan shaped leaves spread out from a central point, and they fold up at night, opening during the …


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succulent from my local nursery
This is a succulent I picked up last week from my local nursery. It has a woody thick stem and light green-yellowish waxy pointed leaves. The leaves have …

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tender succulent pink tips & flowers
tender succulent when in full sun tips turn pink, flowers on stems are pink. My plant s about 3yrs old 2″ high, multiple dropping stems. Need name to …


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3 differents succulents in a pot 
I got them for christmas but I can’t identify them 🙁 The rosette looking one on the left is two plants: the one at the bottom is stable but the one on …


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Bought at Home Depot, not sure of type, want to make sure they’re healthy… 
The tallest one has firm leaves and a firm stem. The medium one, with brown on the edges – the outer leaves are a bit squishy, but the interior ones are …


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An aloe like plant that looks good doesn’t need much water. What do I have 
I have some plants around my yard that don’t need much water and look fairly good. They also replicate fairly easily. The leaves have some thickness …


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Small Unknown Succulent
This plant is 4″ – 5″ tall, and has several dark green branches with purple, not particularly sharp “spines.” It also appears to cold tolerant into the …


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starting a garden to include various species of cacti and succulents 
I found the picture on the Web and this is what caught my eye….low growing (?) Succulent


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Found in a resort’s
small succulent garden
two weeks ago on the SW coast of Kauai

Planted in well drained soil near some Sedum Nussbaumerium, Euphorbia lactae and some cacti and other euphorbias, this fleshy succulent on a woody stem …

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some kind of Hawthorne
Pointy green plant is just going to get bigger


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Leafless branching bright green succulent with a bulb that sits atop the dirt??
My mystery plant that I rescued from the office trash a year or more ago! It was almost dead, just a green tomato looking thing sitting in the soil with …

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Four new succulents???! What kind?! 
I picked up these sweeties today and was having such a good conversation with my local nursery worker, I neglected to ask for their true names. Can anyone …


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Please help me rescue my sister’s plant  
This is my sister’s plant! Dudley, so named because he doesn’t grow. She has had him for 5 + years and there is very little going on. It seems everyone …

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Help me ID this! Please! 
I am in need of some help ID’ing this plant. Thanks in advance. Its located in a greenhouse in northeastern Ohio.


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pot of unidentified succulents 
I bought a pot of succulents the other day at a local nursery. These are some of the first house plants I’ve purchased, so I’m a bit unfamiliar with them. …

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Unidentified succulents! 
Here are some succulents/cacti that we currently have at our school in a bay in our greenhouse, labeled as “Unnamed”, any help ID’ing these would be appreciated. …


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I bought this plant at a garden center and was told it was some type of aloe. 
Plant is like a small tree with woody type trunk and woody type branching. Top portion resembles fingers, smooth and elongated, greenish/yellowish in color …

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Trailing succulent? 
So I bought this guy at a local farmer’s market, he had some dead leaves towards the base that I plucked off (pictured) and he seems to have some trailing …

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Pls help identify these. I’m new to them but addicted!!!! 
First two are fuzzy. Next I hope it’s a kiwi. Third it’s huge but fragile. Last are 3 different cuttings but the top one is a blueish grey. I’m addicted …

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palm ish looking tree green and purple ish leaves 
This 2′ 4″ tall palmish looking tree is in an 8″ pot. It seems to be growing taller since I first acquired it. I need to re-pot the plant since my …


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My son needs help identifying these succulents 
We bought these but they had no identifying names Hi Ben, this might help get your son’s collection off to a good start; You’ll see that I’ve labeled …


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Two Plants I’m Having Trouble Identifying
One of the plants has long branching green stem with small narrow leaves at the end. The branches are jointed in several places. It seems to prefer …


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Pale pinkish purple succulent 
This succulent was given to me by a friend. It looks like a flower but isn’t as tightly wound up like most succulents I’ve seen. The base of the leaves …


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titanopsis 
I found these in the lithop section of a garden store. I’ve had them for a few weeks and have no idea what they are. Not sure if these are the same species …


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Shiny, Green Plant with Shiny Orange Bell shaped flowers 
I got this plant in a basket with six or seven other plants, not all of which were succulents. I thought it was jade for a while because it had thick leaves, …


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Succulent identification, please and thank you! 
As I had asked on Facebook, but since you couldn’t see the images, I’ll post here as requested: For the first image: “Also, out of curiousity, what’s …


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Two unidentified (and very different) succulents
Hi – I was hoping for any help possible on these: The first is small with forked “fingers” and a yellow flower. The largest fingers are the size of …

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Heart and ? 
Hanging plant. Small Dark Green leaves. Very small bloom similar in shape to a Dianthus. This is the non-variegated form of Aptenia ; this little …


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Assorted new succulents 
New succulents with no identification. Help would be much appreciated. Thanks Hi Victoria, you have the start to a nice little collection! Plant …


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yellow outline plant 
what is that plant can someone tell me the name? Hi Skye, this is a bromeliad, which are interesting jungle plants. Although not technically a …

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I need my interesting plant identified, please!!! 
Hello! I obtained this plant from my Mom and neither she nor I have no clue what it might be. None of her or my planty friends have a clue and neither …

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Pachypodium lamerei 
This cactus with long, sharp, hard spikes and leaves in the upper portion is not doing well. It has been in the same spot for about 2 years, and not …


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Help me Indentify my new babies please! 
Every time I find a plant section and choose plants, I’ve learned that I ALWAYS choose succulent/cactus plants! I guess I’m an addict. OK, so this year …


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succulent with frosted texture  
Please help me to identify my plant so I know how to take care of it. thank you very much Hi Jen, this looks like X Graptoveria ‘Debbie’ or something …


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two succulents from my garden 
Mine are in Israel, the first is pretty common, the second less so. I really could use your help identifying these: One is green and smooth with “leaves” …


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Conch Ginger 
Sort of a tropical jungle plant has a Very Very unique Flowers..hope you can name it. Drought Smart Plants reply; Hi Ahmed, nope, this one is not …

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Blushing Bromeliad 
Its a one piece plant the leaves and the central flower…. Drought Smart Plants reply: What a great description! This is a bromeliad, which are …


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Trailing Succulent?  
Trailing,flat but ‘plump’ waxy, bright green leaves, grows fast, blooms profuse red bell like flowers. I got it as part of a succulent bowl in a N. Calif …

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bright orange flower heads 
thick green leaves with long stalks of everblooming orange flowerheads Drought Smart Plants reply: Well, don’t that one just knock your socks off!? …


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Ceratonia siliqua 
Curved spines through the top !! thank you Jacki 🙂 Drought Smart Plants reply: Hmm, spines hey? Okay, this one is a puzzle, but …


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Hollyhock, Alcea rosea 
Special Rose ,Special Leafs p.s..THANK YOU Jacki 🙂 Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Ahmed – this gorgeous thing is a hollyhock, the botanical …


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A little plant I bought? 
tiny round leaves, fernlike long stems, pale green, pinkish brown stems, rubbery leaves Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Maggie, that’s a cute little …


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2 random succulents from the local nursery. 
I got these two little plants from the local nursery. Despite my inquiries about exactly what they were and what their care requirements were they …