How to Display Succulents

Hanging Baskets

• Hanging baskets make use of vertical space, and when you hang them at eye level, you can enjoy the center of the display as well as the plants that tumble over the sides. Plant succulents in baskets alone or in combination with other plants, placing taller plants toward the center. Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), rat's tail cactus (Aporocactus flagelliformis), holiday cactus (Schlumbergera hybrid), donkey's tail (Sedum morganianum) and string of pearls are well-suited to this type of display. Succulents grow slowly, so choose a basket that is a tight fit for your plants.

Dish Gardens

• Use a broad, shallow dish to display succulents in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Hens and chicks (Echeveria), tiger's jaw (Faucaria tigrina), and haworthia are small, rosette-shaped succulents that come in several colors and textures and never outgrow a dish garden. Hens and chicks have smooth leaves, often tipped in a deep, reddish-purple color. Tiger's jaws have spotted leaves in green or orange. The short spiky leaves have inward-facing soft spines that resemble teeth. Hawthornia is one of the smallest succulents with a variety of colors and textures, including variegated types. These three succulents offer contrast in color and texture, and produce offsets that can be left with the mother plant to fill out the dish or removed and repotted. Jade plants (Crassula ovata) look like little bonsai trees and add height and shape to the dish garden. Young specimens grow slowly, but after about five years jade plants should be moved to their own container. Round out the dish garden with interesting bits of crockery and stone to create a natural look.

Strawberry Jars

• Succulents are well-suited to strawberry jars. Rosette-shaped succulents such as Tiger's jaws and hens and chicks fit snugly in the pockets. Plant upright succulents such as mother-in-law's tongue (Sanseveria trifasciata) and aloe (Aloe barbadensis) in the top, or use draping plants such as strings of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus). Strings of pearls may become dense and the trailing stems may hide the smaller succulents in the pockets, but you can snip them off to make sure the smaller plants show through. Large, full plants such as kalanchoe, rat's tail cactus and holiday cactus also look good in the top of a strawberry jar.

Novelty Containers

• Novelty containers make interesting homes for small succulents. Tiny plants like Haworthia and living stones (Lithops) grow well in tea cups and ceramic containers as long as you can provide good drainage. If you can't drill holes in the bottom of the container, plant the succulent in a small terra cotta pot and place the pot in the container. Top it off with pebbles or moss to hide the terra cotta. Place a collection of potted succulents in groups on windowsills or other brightly lit spots for an attractive display. Turn a small container on its side in a larger pot and plant living stones so that they look like they are tumbling from their container. This technique is charming in a large dish garden.