New in the Nursery: Succulents + Cacti

When the summer really starts heating up, we love adding some of our more sun-loving succulents and cacti to our outdoor spaces. They add color, texture, and height to patios, gardens, and porches and demand little in the way of water and care—a perfect summer combination. Below, Melissa Lowrie from our green goods team tells us about her six favorite varieties in the nursery right now.

1. Cleistocactus senilis: "This form adds great vertical presence to a mixed planting and the needles seem to glow gold in bright light. "

2. Senecio radicans: "Also knows as string of bananas, this is one of several great trailing senecios in our assortment currently. They’re easy to grow and I love them dripping out of a mixed planting or planted alone in a basket or elevated container (like an urn!) for some textural drama."

3. Opuntia santarita 'Santa Rita': "Opuntia, or prickly pear cactus, is my favorite cactus type. It’s super graphic and grows wild in this mounding, ambling form in much of the southwest US. I love the broad, round paddles and the beautiful, rosy purple haze that it takes in cooler weather."

4. Opuntia monocantha ‘Variegata’: "This variegated prickly pear has a more upright form and long, oval paddles that are marked with an intricate, almost painterly variegation. It is stunning in person and always catches my eye on nursery visits, even when it’s tucked in the way back."

5. Crassula ovata 'Variegata’: "This is a sweet, variegated version of the better known jade plant. I love it for adding highlights and a broader interest to a mixed planting, but it’s also a great, low maintenance houseplant that takes on a compact tree form as it matures."

6. Senecio cylindricus: "This is the green form of the popular blue chalksticks senecio, and I love it en masse as a bright, fine textured understory in a container or in the landscape in warmer climates."

Find your local store here and head over to pick up your favorites this weekend!