Foliage vs. Succulent: Which Is Right For Me?
We know selecting which plant to bring home can sometimes be a tough decision. Are you looking for something small? Something big? Something that needs a lot of attention or something low maintenance?
There are a lot of choices, but you want to choose the plant that fits your needs!
All greenery is beautiful – but it won’t all fit your lifestyle.
Let’s discuss if foliage or succulents are right for you.
Foliage: This isn’t a one-size-fits-all plant group. There are plenty of plants that vary in their needs within this category. While many of these are easy to care for, there are some nuances to keep in mind.
Most of our foliage offerings need bright indirect, natural light. They will burn if they’re put in too much direct, bright sunlight. South and west facing windows tend to expose your plants to brighter, more direct sunlight. North and east facing windows are much easier on your plants and provide plenty of bright indirect light. You also need to continue watering to keep the soil moist. Don’t soak your plant, but don’t let it dry out either. Letting your plant’s soil dry out between waterings is key, constantly soaked soil is a recipe for root rot for most houseplants. Pay attention to how long it takes for your soil to become dry after watering and watch how your plant reacts after each watering session. Many foliage plants become droopy when given too little water – if you notice this, check the soil, if it seems dry it means your plant is thirsty and ready to be watered again. If your plant is droopy and the soil still seems very wet, you may be overwatering your plant.
This can be a tricky balance! Keep an eye on your soil and your leaves. If your soil seems soupy, you are probably overwatering. If your leaves seem crispy, you may need more water. Also consider whether your home environment has the proper humidity levels for your plant. Most homes fall between 40% and 60% humidity, some foliage plants prefer higher than this! Low humidity can result in brown tips at the edges of leaves. Some good ways to increase the local humidity for plants include; regular misting, grouping other healthy houseplants nearby, creating a humidity tray for your plant to rest on and investing in a humidifier to keep in the same room as your plants.
Your plant will often tell you what it needs! One of the most rewarding parts about being a plant parent is learning how to read the signs your plant is sending you.
During the fall and winter months many of your plants may rest a bit more – so you may not need to water as often. In the summer and spring, especially if you see more sun and your home is warmer, your plants may need water more often, so regularly check that soil daily!
Succulents: When it comes to choosing a plant that’s easy – there are plenty of varieties of succulents! These babies don’t need much from you to thrive and can do well, even if they’re left alone for a while.
Many succulents prefer lots of bright direct light, near a south or west facing window is preferred. However, when it comes to water – they don’t need much!
During the winter months succulents tend to grow less and require even lower maintenance – hours of bright sunlight and they are good (consider investing in an LED grow light if you live in a particularly low-light area)! They aren’t actively growing as much in the winter – don’t overwater! Let the potting substrate dry out almost entirely between waterings. Those ‘chunky’ looking leaves on your succulent are storing water!
During the spring and summer months your succulent needs similar care, just a little bit more water and, in some cases, fertilizer – remember to watch light. If you see dark spots on your plant, it could be getting a bit of a sunburn, so just move it to more indirect light.
Lastly, your succulent may eventually outgrow its current pot – so if you see roots poking out or notice water going through too quickly and not getting absorbed, it may be time to give your plant a little pot upgrade.
Time to choose: After seeing what foliage and succulents need, it’s time to choose which plant makes the most sense for you to bring home. If you’re starting out – a succulent may be a great place to start since it’s so low maintenance. Once you get the hang of it, add some foliage to your collection and watch them both thrive!
We offer a large variety of plants in both categories, so make sure to grab one for your collection.
Which one will you grab? Message or tag us on Instagram or Facebook so we can see what you picked up!