Succulents are plants with thick stems and leaves that store water. They can survive in dry environments by relying on minimal moisture, such as dew or mist.
Their ability to retain water and tolerate cooler temperatures makes them perfect for beautifying your spaces as fall and winter approach.
Here are 10 pretty succulents that will bring life and color to your home during the cooler seasons.
1. Royanum Hens-and-Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum ‘Royanum’)
The Royanum Hens-and-Chicks is the queen among cold-hardy succulents that brings a burst of color and texture to fall and winter gardens in USDA zones 5-10. Its rosette-shaped foliage consists of thick, pointed leaves that range from green to deep burgundy.
The plant’s name refers to its growth habit, with larger “hen” rosettes surrounded by smaller “chick” offsets, allowing it to spread and form a dense mat of foliage over time.
‘Royanum’ thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, making it easy to care for in both pots and garden beds. It is drought-tolerant and can withstand freezing temperatures.
In addition to its beautiful foliage, it can produce tall flower spikes with star-shaped blooms in the summer, adding seasonal interest.
2. String of Rubies (Othonna capensis)
The String of Rubies is a trailing succulent that adds a burst of color to fall and winter gardens in USDA zones 5-11. Its slender, cylindrical leaves turn from green to a rich ruby-red when exposed to bright sunlight, creating a vibrant contrast with cooler tones.
Perfect for hanging baskets or as a cascading plant in container gardens, it thrives in partial sunlight and well-draining soil. While this plant can handle some drought, it appreciates light watering during dry spells.
As the colder months approach, its ruby hue becomes even more pronounced, making it a striking choice for autumn décor.
3. Blue Chalk Finger (Senecio vitalis)
The Blue Chalk Finger is a hardy, low-maintenance succulent that’s perfect for cooler seasons. Its bluish-gray, finger-like leaves provide a beautiful contrast to the traditional warm tones of fall and winter.
This plant forms dense clusters and spreads out, making it an excellent ground cover for gardens in USDA zones 10-11 or an eye-catching focal point in pots. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil, thriving even in arid conditions.
In the fall and winter, the cool blue tones are a refreshing addition to any outdoor landscape or indoor display, giving a touch of winter frost without the chill.
4. Autumn Joy (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’)
As its name suggests, ‘Autumn Joy’ is the perfect succulent for fall, bringing warm, vibrant colors to your garden in USDA zones 3-10. This upright-growing sedum features large clusters of star-shaped pink flowers that gradually darken to a deep rust-red as the weather cools, offering a stunning display from late summer through fall.
It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it easy to care for during the colder months. ‘Autumn Joy’ is also highly drought-resistant, adding resilience to its beauty.
Its ability to attract butterflies and pollinators also makes it a lively and colorful addition to any fall garden.
5. Christmas Carol Aloe (Aloe ‘Christmas Carol’)
The Christmas Carol Aloe brings festive charm to your succulent collection with its striking red and green hues. This compact aloe features fleshy green leaves lined with bright red margins and spiked with small teeth.
As the weather cools, the red intensifies, making it a fantastic addition for holiday décor or winter gardens in USDA zones 9-11. It thrives in bright, indirect sunlight and prefers slightly dry soil, making it ideal for indoor growth during the winter.
In addition to its unique appearance, the Christmas Carol Aloe occasionally produces tubular, coral-red flowers.
6. Flapjack Plant (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora)
The Flapjack Plant, also known as Paddle Plant, is a bold, structural succulent that stands out in fall and winter. Its large, flat, paddle-shaped leaves start green but develop a striking red or burgundy hue when exposed to cooler temperatures and bright sunlight.
This color shift makes it a stunning plant for winter landscapes in USDA zones 10-12 or indoor arrangements. The Flapjack Plant prefers full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil, requiring little water in the winter months.
Its architectural form and dramatic color transformation make it an excellent focal point for fall and winter décor.
7. Black Rose Aeonium (Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’)
The Black Rose Aeonium is a striking succulent known for its dark, almost black, rosette-shaped foliage that contrasts beautifully with the warm tones of fall and winter gardens in USDA zones 9-11. The plant’s deep purple, nearly black leaves fan out in symmetrical clusters, resembling roses.
When grown in bright sunlight, its colors intensify, creating an even more dramatic display. Black Rose Aeoniums prefer full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil. In cooler months, the dark hues make this succulent an excellent companion for lighter-colored plants or as a stand-alone statement piece.
It can also produce small, yellow flowers in the winter.
8. Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli)
The Pencil Cactus, also known as “Firesticks” during colder months, is an intriguing, spindly succulent that adds a splash of color to fall and winter landscapes in USDA zones 11-12.
Its thin, pencil-like branches turn from green to bright red, orange, and yellow when exposed to cooler temperatures and bright sunlight, giving it a fiery appearance.
This hardy plant thrives in well-drained soil and full sun, requiring very little water, making it a low-maintenance choice for winter gardens. The dramatic color change makes Pencil Cactus a vibrant addition to any garden or indoor display during the cooler months.
9. California Sunset (Graptosedum ‘California Sunset’)
The California Sunset is a hybrid succulent that lives up to its name by showcasing warm, sunset-like colors in its rosettes. The fleshy, pointed leaves range from soft pinks to oranges and purples, intensifying in cooler weather and full sun.
As fall and winter set in, this succulent’s colors become more vibrant, making it an ideal choice for adding warmth to your garden in USDA zones 10-12 or indoor succulent collection.
California Sunset thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, requiring minimal watering in winter. Its compact, clumping growth habit makes it perfect for containers, rock gardens, or borders.
10. Baby’s Necklace (Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana)
Baby’s Necklace is a charming succulent with thick, bead-like leaves that grow in stacked formations along its stems, resembling a string of beads or a necklace. The leaves are light green with reddish or pinkish edges that become more vibrant when exposed to cool temperatures and bright sunlight.
Baby’s Necklace thrives in well-draining soil and partial to full sunlight, making it suitable for indoor pots and gardens in USDA zones 9-11. Its trailing growth habit also makes it perfect for hanging baskets or as a cascading feature in arrangements.
During the colder months, its color intensifies, and it can produce small white or pink flowers.
Add some of these beautiful plants to your collection, and enjoy their beauty all season long.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.