Gardening with Color

Tags:aloecacticactusContainer Gardensdesigndesigning with succulentsdrought tolerantdudleyaflowersLandscaping with Succulentswinter bloom

Succulents are coveted for their year-round interesting foliage color. Unlike many other plants, you don't have to wait for flowers to see bright colors fill the landscape. Succulents come in every color of the rainbow--making it easy to design a color-rich landscape. 

It is important to note that succulents bring out their most vibrant colors when they are in the appropriate environment. Succulents are happiest in coastal full-sun, protected from direct afternoon sun in-land. If your plants are not showing vibrant colors, it's time to move them into more sunlight. 

Learn how to pair the plants you love with our succulent color guide. Listed below are our favorite succulents categorized by color. We’ve included not only foliage color, but spectacular blooms as well.

Yellow


Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is always the star in a container garden. 

The yellow spines on Echinocactus grusonii is a great match for the bright yellow foliage on Aeonium ‘Kiwi’ 

Combine the soft foliage of Agave attenuata variegata and sharp-toothed margins of Aloe arborescens variegata 

Aeonium ‘Kiwi’
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'
Crassula ovata ‘Sunset’
Cotyledon ladismithiensis variegata
Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel Cactus)
Sedum adolphii
Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'
Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’ 
Yucca gloriosa ‘Bright Star’

Orange


Aloe deltoideodonta blooms coral-orange flowers that attract hummingbirds in winter.

Sedum nussbaumerianum comes in many different tones of orange. 




Aloe vanbalenii and Aloe juvenna are a muted orange-brown in full summer sun. 

Aeonium leucoblepharum
Aloe juvenna
Aloe plicatilis (flowers)
Aloe vanbalenii 
Aloe striata 
Euphorbia ‘Sticks on Fire’
Sedum nussbaumerianum

 

Red

    Aeonium 'Blushing Beauty' turns bright red in late Spring-Fall.

    Crassula nudicaulis var. platyphylla 'Burgundy' is bright red in Summer. 

    Aloe cameronii has bright burgundy foliage in Summer. 

    Both Echeveria minima and Crassula conjuncta have blue foliage and red margins. This pair has almost identical coloring but maintains interest with different textures.

    Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick' is named for its bright red leaf margins that appear in full sun. 

    Aeonium ‘Blushing Beauty’
    Crassula nudicaulis var. platyphylla ‘Burgundy’
    Crassula coccinea ‘Campfire’
    Crassula ovata var. compacta
    Echeveria agavoides ‘Lipstick’
    Echeveria pulvinata
    Kalanchoe luciae
    Kalanchoe sexangularis
    Sedum rubrotinctum

    Purple

      Mangave 'Purple People Eater' and 'Freckles and Speckles' are a great lavender addition for container gardens. 

      Aeonium 'Zwartkop' is a garden favorite for the dark purple foliage and bright yellow inflorescences in Spring. 

      Senecio jacobsenii becomes bright purple in full coastal shade. Sedum adolphii complements this perfectly, as yellow is the opposite color of purple on the color wheel.

      Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ 
      Echeveria ‘Black Prince’
      Echeveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg’
      Echeveria ‘Purple Pearl’
      Graptopetalum amethystinum 
      xGraptoveria ‘Debbie’
      Mangave ‘Lavender Lady’ 
      Mangave 'Purple People Eater'
      Pachyveria ‘Draco’
      Plectranthus neochilus (flower)
      Senecio jacobsenii

      Blue

      Echeveria ‘Giant Blue’ becomes blue in the center of the rosette at maturity.

      Senecio 'Skyscraper' and Agave attenuata 'Nova' are the perfect cool blue pair.

      Echeveria 'Boe Kari' and Echeveria 'Blue Prince' 

      Agave ‘Blue Flame’
      Agave ‘Blue Glow’
      Agave attenuata ‘Nova’
      Echeveria ‘Bluebird’
      Echeveria ‘Blue Prince’
      Echeveria elegans
      Echeveria x ‘Imbricata’
      Sedum rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’
      Sedum clavatum
      Senecio mandraliscae
      Senecio ‘Skyscraper’
      Senecio vitalis

      Green

      Aeonium undulatum provides a ruffled texture with undulating foliage. 

      Aeonium tabuliforme (Dinner Plate Aeonium) has a flat rosette and velvety soft foliage.

      Crassula lactea offers sweet, white star-shaped flowers that attract many pollinators in the garden. 

      Sempervivum 'Spring Beauty', 'Forest Frost', 'Jade Rose Bud' and 'Pluto' offer texture while staying compact in rock gardens.  

      Aeonium canariense
      Aeonium tabuliforme
      Agave attenuata
      Echeveria ‘Doris Taylor’
      Echeveria 'Mexicana'
      Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’
      Sempervivum arachnoideum
      Sempervivum 'Spring Beauty'


      Pink 

      Sedum rubrotinctum ‘Aurora’ and Echeveria ‘Lola’ are an adorable pink pair.

      xGraptosedum ‘Bronze’

      Our stock plants of Crassula ovata have bright red leaf margins and hot pink flowers in winter. 

      Crassula perforata variegata turns various shades of pink when stressed 

      Echeveria secunda 'Clara' provides a halo of hot pink flowers. 

      Crassula pellucida ssp. marginalis variegata
      Echeveria ‘Afterglow’
      Echeveria ‘Giant Blue’
      Echeveria ‘First Lady’ 
      xGraptosedum ‘Bronze’
      Sedum tricolor

      White

      A swath of silver-lavender Cotyledon 'Happy Young Lady' 
      Dudleya brittonii becomes the specimen of this planter for it's white powdery foliage. 
      Dudleya brittonii 
      Cotyledon ‘Happy Young Lady’
      Crassula lactea (flowers)
      Crassula ‘Burgundy’ (flowers)
      Dudleya brittonii 
      Dudleya farinosa
      Echeveria lilacina
      Sedum spathufolium ‘Cape Blanco’
      Echeveria ‘Lola’ 
      Echeveria ‘Pollux’
      Kalanchoe pumila 
      Mammillaria senilis 
      Opuntia microdasys var. albispina
      Oreocereus trollii

      Brown

      Kalanchoe orgyalis (Copper Spoons) offers a soft, rust foliage which looks great with purple plants such as Mangave 'Lavender Lady'.

      Lithops spp. mimic the brown rocks and becomes an eye-catching container garden. 

      Even spine color can be used in design. Mammilaria spinosissima

      Echeveria ‘Brown Rose’
      Kalanchoe orgyalis
      Kalanchoe ‘Chocolate Soldier’
      Lithops spp.

       

      To see our current plant availability, please visit the nursery or call 831-632-0482.

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