Temperatures for Succulents

It’s not easy to determine the temperature tolerance for multiple types of succulents in your garden. This guide will help you out by delivering some basic must-know tips for beginners to keep your plants at suitable temperatures.

THE IMPACT OF TEMPERATURES ON SUCCULENTS

Succulents tend to prefer a temperate climate with the temperatures ranging from 60 to 80°F. Some can tolerate temperatures as low as 40°F or as high as 90°F. Gardeners sometimes use these extreme temperatures to “stress” their succulents into changing color. High temperatures from 80°F to 90°F can sometimes help maintain the deep colors for many succulents, especially for soft succulents. As the temperatures drop (but stay above 40°F) you’ll notice many colors will start to intensify. These colors are accentuated from the cold (but not freezing) temperatures over an extended period of time. Be aware that temperatures either too low or too high can do harm to your succulents. Temperatures lower than 40°F or higher than 90°F are never recommended.

In summer, the combination of high temperatures and full sun exposure can cause sunburn for your succulents, damaging both the leaves and the root systems. During the hottest hours of the day, you should relocate your succulents to a shaded area or cover them with shade cloth. Those living in areas with extremely hot weather should consider planting your succulents directly into the ground instead of in containers because the temperatures of soil stay relatively constant despite changes in weather. If you would like to plant your succulents in containers, choose materials that are great at insulating plants against sudden temperature fluctuations, such as concrete, terracotta, ceramic, or wood. Stay away from glass and metal containers.

In winter, protect your succulents from frost damage by keeping the temperature above freezing point. To do so, you can cover them with some cloth or bring them indoors. Some cold hardy species like Sempervivum can tolerate frost and enjoy cool temperatures from 30 to 40°F, while other tropical species like Euphorbia and Lithops prefer temperatures of at least 50-60°F. To determine precisely whether a specific succulent variety is suitable for the weather in your areas, check out the Hardiness information on each of our plant product pages, where we provide detailed data on the USDA Hardiness Zone for each plant.

You can see more about HOW SUCCULENTS REACT TO WEATHER AND SUN

Note: USDA Hardiness Zone data indicates whether certain plants are likely to thrive at a location based on its average annual minimum winter temperature.