List of Succulents With Fuzzy Leaves

Large Succulents

• Velvet leaf kalanchoes (Kalanchoe beharensis) and Vicks plants (Plectranthus tomentosa) are larger plants with branching, shrubby growth habits and fuzzy succulent leaves. Velvel leaf kalanchoes are deciduous shrubs that are also known as felt bush and elephant’s ear kalanchoe. They can grow to a height of 12 to 20 feet but most commonly reach a height and width of 3 to 5 feet. Their succulent leaves are 5 to 14 inches long and covered with short hairs. When the leaves mature the hairs turn dark orange, giving the leaves a soft rust blush. They bloom in yellow during the spring and summer. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 and 12. Vicks plants have 3 1/2-inch long, pale green, toothy-edged leaves that smell like mentholatum ointment when they are crushed. They grow to 30 to 36 inches tall and bloom in the spring and fall, producing clusters of purple flowers. They are hardy in USDA zones 9 to 12.

Medium Succulents

• Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) and tree of love (Aichryson laxum) are medium-size succulents with fuzzy leaves. Panda plants have thick, oval leaves that are covered with velvety, white hairs. The tips of the leaves have shallow, brown notches. They grow slowly to a height of 18 inches. Panda plants are hardy in USDA zones 9 to 12. Tree of love plants are branching biennials that bloom in their second year and die after their flowers go to seed unless the flowers are pruned off. Their tiny, yellow, star-shaped flowers appear in airy clusters. They grow to a height of 1 to 2 feet with rounded, deep green leaves that develop a red tint in bright light. Tree of love plants are hardy in USDA zones 11 and 12.

Small Succulents

• Bear paws (Cotyledon tomentosa, Cotyledon tomentosa ssp. ladismithensis or Cotyledon heterophylla), plush plant or red echeveria (Echeveria harmsii), and “Set-Oliver” (Echeveria “Set-Oliver” syn. Echeveria setosa x harmsii) are shorter, fuzzy-leaved succulents that grow to a height of only 6 to 12 inches. Bear paws have a shrubby growth habit. Their thick, succulent, paddle-shaped leaves have teeth or tiny bumps along the tips that make them look like little bear paws. The bumps are sometimes reddish or brown. They bloom in late spring or summer, producing yellow or orange flowers in clusters. They are hardy in USDA zones 11 and 12. Plush plants also have a shrubby growth habit. Their pointy leaves are bright green with red tips. “Set-Oliver” grows in rosette form. Its lime-green leaves are sharply pointed with red tips. In the spring and summer, plush plant and “Set-Oliver" produce little bell-shaped flowers on 16-inch stems that are reddish-orange at the base and yellow at the tips of the petals. Echeverias are hardy in USDA zones 9b to 11.

Care

• Fuzzy leaves should be cleaned by gently brushing them with a soft bush. Do not mist, spray or wax them. Give the succulents bright, indirect light or several hours of direct light each day. Water them thoroughly only when the soil becomes dry. Give them water-soluble houseplant fertilizer diluted to one-quarter or one-half the recommended strength once per month from spring through fall. When re-potting them, use a fast-draining mix designed for succulents and cacti.