Has the Succulent Wave Peaked? Not So Fast
November 7, 2022 
The sheer variety of succulent colors and shapes makes them decorative — ideal for enhancing a small space and sharing photos on social media. Photo: Costa Farms
Every so often in the ornamentals industry, there is a happy convergence of factors that leads to a spike in popularity of a particular category. This happened about 10 years ago with succulents, and it’s continuing today. Once considered horticultural oddities similar to cacti (but less prickly), succulents were relegated to the back of greenhouses and windowsills of serious collectors. Now, they are everywhere. Succulents adorn shelves, office desks, bathrooms, floral arrangements, and kitchen windows. They live in terrariums and dish gardens and are given away as party favors. They are painted and bedazzled and decorated for the holidays. In short, succulents are everywhere. Even fake, or “faux,” succulents are popular.
The question to ask is, is the succulent flame burning out now that the market has matured? Greenhouse Grower turned to a breeder, a grower, and a leading social media lifestyle expert to get their take.
Jenny Hughes, Editor at The Spruce, a leading lifestyle website, says the succulent trend isn’t going away soon. Because succulents are so easy to care for with their low fertilizer and water needs and slow growth, they are a great starter plant for anyone wanting to get into houseplants, which are seeing a huge resurgence in popularity with the younger generations.
“I don’t see [the succulent] trend declining,” Hughes says. “If anything, I expect people will get more creative with it, with succulent arrangements, planters, and chosen species. It’s a type of plant with particular appeal for younger generations. Millennials and Gen Zers are looking to bring some nature into their home spaces without having to add a ton of plant maintenance to their already hectic schedules, and succulents fit the bill perfectly.”
E-commerce and Succulents Pair Perfectly
Succulents tolerate the stress of shipping well, which makes them ideal for millennials and Gen Zers in another way. Justin Hancock, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Costa Farms, says while overall he sees the category at a plateau, succulents are among Costa’s most popular e-commerce offerings. One of the most popular items is a 24-pack of 2-inch succulents, which is an affordable way to buy a large number of plants for DIY projects, gifts, and party favors. Amazon sends the order to Costa, and it is packed and fulfilled directly from its location in Miami, FL.
Hancock says Costa’s e-commerce is popular and nearly doubling in growth every year. Having popular categories such as succulents and tropicals available this way just makes sense.
“Plants in general have become trendier with younger consumers, who have shown a greater willingness to buy online,” Hancock says. “Some of our younger team members told us in a workshop that they never go to the big box stores. If they want lightbulbs, they just order them on Amazon or get them at the grocery store. Until you have a home, those stores don’t mean as much to you.”
The sky is the limit when it comes to containers and marketing opportunities for succulents. Photo: Pixabay
Succulent Breeding Efforts Focus on Growers
Dümmen Orange first entered the succulent market by partnering with offshore operations that already grew them. Now, it is continuing the work with its own breeding, and the first plants are entering the market. Efforts are centering on faster growth, disease resistance, easier coloring, and thicker foliage to reduce bruising during shipping.
“We want to make it easier and more inclusive for the grower,” says Heather VonAllmen, North American Product Manager for Succulents and Foliage for Dümmen Orange. “For instance, succulents need a big temperature shift — typically a 30°F day-to-night differential — to color up, so we are looking for varieties that aren’t as reliant on that type of environment so northern growers can still get those really great reds and yellows without having a San Diego-type climate.”
How Succulents Can Fit Into the Landscape
Both Hancock and VonAllmen believe that succulents can be used in the landscape more than they are currently. Dümmen’s breeding efforts include testing its selections in the southeastern U.S., where many succulents are winter hardy, and yes, even tolerant of summer heat and humidity.
“A lot of people in the Southeast look at succulents as a houseplant, and we want to get our plants in trials where landscapers and consumers can see they aren’t going to melt,” VonAllmen says. “We are still testing, but several kalanchoes grow in shady areas, and the gasterias and haworthias would also do well.”
Drought conditions and water restrictions in California and the Southwest may also cause an uptick in the landscape use of succulents, which can tolerate dry and hot conditions. Beyond that, Hancock says the environmental message of succulents’ low water, low pesticide, and low fertilizer requirements is resonating with consumers as well, “especially to younger consumers who are entering our category for the first time.”
Happily, succulents remain profitable to grow despite inflationary challenges, according to VonAllmen and Hancock. The consistent demand means retailers are able to accept and pass on the cost increases to customers without too much difficulty.
Asked if succulents are a “gateway category” that will lead young people to become future gardeners, Hughes says, “I don’t think there is necessarily a direct succulent owner-to-gardener pipeline, since many Americans don’t live in a hardiness zone where succulents can grow outside. But I do think that any positive experience growing a plant will make you more likely to try growing another plant.”
Market Opportunities for Succulents
Justin Hancock, Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Costa Farms, Marta Maria Garcia, Head of Marketing and Retail for Dümmen Orange, Heather VonAllmen, Product Manager for Succulents and Foliage for Dümmen Orange, and Jenny Hughes, Editor at The Spruce, offer the following ideas for expanding your succulent market.
- Unique containers: Use unconventional containers such as teacups, Christmas ornaments, or pumpkins. Glass bowls, dish gardens, mugs with catchy sayings …the sky is the limit.
- Flower arrangements: Succulents are ideal for arrangements because they are so long lasting. What florists really want — and can’t find — are succulents already wired on a long pick, which arrive with the rest of their flower order.
- A variety of colors and forms: Puckered, twisted leaves, purple, red, silver, or yellow foliage, bulbous or angular — succulents encompass so many shapes. It’s why they are so decorative. Offer customers a variety.
- Combinations: Dish gardens, open glass terrariums, or a recipe of 2-inch pots that customers or consumers can feel confident planting themselves.
- Outdoor use: Succulents are a solution to drought-stricken, hot regions. Offer them as solutions for foundation plantings and xeriscaping.
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