What are Succulents Good For? 10 Benefits of Succulents (and Why You Need Them in Your Home!)
Succulents are one of the most popular plants in the world, and for good reason. They are low maintenance, easy to take care of, and can survive in a variety of environments.
You might be wondering what exactly succulents are good for? In this article, we’ll cover 10 amazing benefits of succulents and why you need them in your life and in your home ASAP!
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Succulents are easy to care for, even if you have a black thumb
Even if you think you can’t keep plants alive because you lack a green thumb, there’s a good chance you can have a thriving indoor succulent garden.
If you’re always on the move and have hard time keeping up with rigorous watering schedules, succulents are perfect for you. Most of the time they actually do better if you neglect them a bit.
Unlike other indoor plants, succulents prefer dry conditions with less water than you may be used to. Less is more when it comes to watering your succulents!
Several varieties of succulents are fine with low light conditions, so even if your window placement isn’t optimal you can still add some natural plant beauty to your decor.
Succulents are great for people who want to add more living things into their lives but don’t have the time or energy. They require minimal care and attention, so you’ll have plenty of time to do what’s important!
The most important things to remember with succulents is they need good drainage (pots with a drainage hole are the best bet) they don’t need much water, they love bright light, and they do best with a soil mix that’s made specifically with succulents in mind.
Some examples of super easy to care for succulents are:
- Aloe Vera
- Jade (Crassula Ovata) – bonus points: these are said to bring good luck!
- Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata) – sometimes called Mother in Law’s Tongue
- Panda Plant (Kalanchoe Tomentosa)
- Burro’s Tail (Sedum Morganianum)
Check out this post to find out more easy care succulents that are beginner friendly!
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of these beautiful plants. There are loads of succulents out there for you to try!
Succulents beautify your home
Succulents come in all sorts of beautiful colors and they’re a great way to add some life and color into your home. They’re often bright, fun colors that can easily liven up what would otherwise be a dull room.
If you don’t have much space to dedicate to plants or want something more low maintenance, succulents are perfect for you. They thrive in small pots and require very little attention.
If you have a south facing window with lots of direct sunlight, your succulents won’t need much else!
Even if you have less optimal indoor conditions, you can still grow these low maintenance plants. Many succulents, like the Zebra plant, can handle partial shade.
Not to mention, there are loads of beautiful ceramic pots you can plant your succulent garden in that add to your decor as well!
Indoor succulents can be placed in all sorts of places, including your kitchen. They come in many shapes and sizes so you’re bound to find one that fits your space.
Some succulents, like the Christmas Cactus will have beautiful blooms in addition to their lovely green foliage.
If you’re looking for plants to spruce up your living space without adding too much responsibility, succulents are just what you need.
It’s easy to make more succulents through propagation
Once you have few healthy succulent plants, you can easily propagate new ones with their leaves or by dividing them once they get big enough.
Some succulents, like hen and chicks, naturally divide and creates “pups” that you can trim off and plant to make new plants! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Not only is propagation fun, but it’s super cost effective! You can create a whole mess of new plants and you only have to purchase a few.
The best way to propagate most types of succulents is by pulling off a leaf from the base of the plant (be careful to remove the whole leaf without tearing it), placing it on top of some slightly moist soil, and letting it sit for several weeks.
Mist them with purified water every few days (but avoid excess water) and after some time you’ll start to see roots and leaves forming on the end!
Once you see small plants growing on the end of the leaves you can set them on some succulent soil in their own pot and they’ll grow into a fully formed plant. You don’t get much easier than that!
Succulents make excellent gifts
Looking for a gift for someone in your life with little spare time or energy? A succulent is a perfect present!
Put a low maintenance succulent in a pretty ceramic pot with some good quality soil and include a card with a few pointers on proper care.
Succulents make a great gift for friends and family members who live in apartments or don’t have much outdoor space.
Not only will it look beautiful, but it’ll help them feel calmer and clean up their air. Win win!
Your gift recipient will appreciate getting this popular houseplant and can rest easy knowing they can handle harsh conditions with ease and don’t require much care.
Succulents improve your mental health
House plants in general are great at relieving stress, make us feel calmer, and help us find our center.
Succulents take that even further because they’re so easy to care for.
Being around and caring for plants is similar to the effect of being out in nature. Our brains and bodies crave it and we usually don’t get enough outdoor time with our crazy schedules.
You won’t get stressed trying to keep your succulents alive, and they’ll be removing your stress just from being in the same room with them. You can’t beat that relationship!
Having succulents and house plants around also increases productivity and generally improves well being. With the busy lives we lead, succulents are just what you need to come home to.
If you don’t live in an area close to nature, bring nature inside your space instead!
Some succulents provide natural first aid
As a child, I remember anytime I would get a burn or an insect bite, my grandma would break a leaf off her aloe vera plant to soothe it. We always had one around for emergencies.
Maybe you remember something similar. Aloe Vera is also great for blemishes, sunburns, rashes, pretty much any skin ailment you can think of.
That’s just one example of the amazing health benefits of medicinal succulents.
Here are a few more medicinal succulents:
- Agave Americana: This helpful succulent has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-septic properties. It’s been used to heal burns, wounds, stomach issues, and soothe the digestive tract for thousands of years!
- Hen and Chicks (aka Houseleek): This popular succulent plant has anti-inflammatory properties and is also an astringent that can help treat wounds, burns, abscesses, and gout. You can also make a tea from it that helps treat ulcers.
- Yucca: These prickly plants have anti-inflammatory compounds known as saponins, which have been shown to help with joint pain and arthritis.
Note: ALWAYS consult your doctor before trying any medicinal treatments. I am NOT a doctor! These remedies can be dangerous in some situations, especially for pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems.
Besides those awesome natural abilities, some succulents also help with high blood pressure and ease sore throats, and all of them produce oxygen and help add humidity to dry air!
Succulents help purify the air
Indoor succulents help clean up the air by removing toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide from the air around them.
Some, like the Aloe Vera plant and some varieties of Echeveria (especially rosette succulents) are especially good at removing toxins from indoor air.
This is what makes succulents so great for people who don’t have much outdoor space. Even if they live in an apartment building with a lot of pollution, it’ll help them feel calmer and cleaner by improving their air quality.
A number of studies have shown that indoor greenery can even absorb cigarette smoke out of the air!
Just be careful, I can’t think of a type of succulent that would thrive in a smoky environment, but if you are stuck breathing polluted air, your trusty succulent pals will definitely help you out.
Succulents are seriously perfect plants!
Succulents can be made into works of art
You can create fun wreaths, vertical wall gardens, terrariums, and more with your succulents. They’re so versatile and laid back that you can really get creative with how you display them.
I often see people using succulents as a backdrop for photos. The soft colors and shapes of the plants are really beautiful when paired with flowers or other greenery.
Here are some gorgeous examples of creative ways to display your succulents:
Succulents make your living room or office feel more cozy and homey
If you’re looking for an inexpensive and fun way to liven up your living room decor, succulents are a clear winner.
You can line your window sills with them, plant them in pots on a shelf, or make beautiful DIY macrame plant hangers and fill them with your favorite hardy plants.
At the office, succulents are a great choice to make it feel more homey. They make even the most lack luster cubical infinitely more tolerable and make you feel less claustrophobic.
Add in their ability to reduce stress and increase productivity and you’ve got a perfect combination!
You can turn succulents into cash money
Everyone is looking for a new side hustle these days, and succulents can totally be your ticket to extra cash!
Once you get the hang of growing and propagating your plants, you can start selling the cuttings on Etsy or eBay and make a bit of extra money to cover your plant expenses.
If you really work at it and take it seriously, you could create a decent little business. People appreciate buying their plant babies from someone who truly cares and offers high quality succulents that are well taken care of.
Make the packaging thoughtful (and Eco-friendly), and ensure that your plants are healthy and vibrant. You’ll end up with repeat customers and word will spread quickly!
In Conclusion
Succulents are a perfect way to spruce up your home or office decor, add some green into your life (literally), and even make money on the side.
What’s not to love? If you’re looking for an easy DIY project that will have lasting effects both in what it does for your environment and what it brings back financially, succulent plants are where it’s at!
I hope you enjoyed this post explaining what succulents are good for and the amazing benefits of having indoor succulents!
Have any more to add about the awesomeness of succulents? Let us know down below!
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