10 Ways to Make Magic With Succulent Centerpieces

Perfect as a display on an outdoor table or an accent on a sunny windowsill, these miniature gardens will be guaranteed conversation-starters at your next party. Best of all, they’re much easier to put together than they seem and require very little care to maintain.

 

2. Vibrant vignette. Bring a hit of color to your patio with a vivid combination of red, orange, gold and chartreuse succulents. For outdoor displays, choose succulents that deepen in color when exposed to sunlight, such as some varieties of echeveria and hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum). 

This bright mix includes orange ‘Sticks on Fire’ milk bush, lime green watch chain, orange-tipped hens-and-chicks and gold ‘Angelina’ stonecrop. All succulents pictured thrive in full sun.

 

4. Contemporary beachy. A trio of repeating succulent arrangements forms a laid-back yet contemporary centerpiece. The plantings include two types of echeveria (Echeveria glauca and E. glauca var. pumila) as well as Crassula ‘Blue Waves’. 

Landscape designer Sacha McCrae offers a tip to re-create this lush look at home: “Fullness is key,” she says, “so we squeeze the plants in — no soil should be showing when you are finished.” She also recommends limited water and positioning the centerpiece out of direct, baking sunlight to help the tenderer succulents retain their pearly-gray color. This particular arrangement receives morning sun.

 

5. Mermaid-inspired. Instead of using a ceramic container for this succulent centerpiece, designer Bridget Gasque used a giant faux clamshell to put together a beachy indoor arrangement. She planted a variety of succulents, including maroon-tipped echeveriaand green-and-white-striped zebra plant (Haworthia fasciata, zones 9 to 11), and filled in the gaps with clumps of preserved moss. 

While the succulents need only minimal water, the preserved reindeer moss will retain its soft texture with misting every few days. The succulents would grow best placed on a windowsill with bright indirect light.

 

6. Repetition. Sometimes the simplest centerpiece designs can be the most effective. In this desing, a lineup of five knobby containers, each planted with a green aeonium (Aeonium sp., Zone 9), forms a charming tabletop display. One’s eye is drawn to the repeating form of the chunky containers and fleshy succulents — both of which have a strong tactile quality. 

To re-create this look, position a trio or quintet of the same containers (perhaps varying the heights) planted with a single variety of succulent, such as rosette-forming aeonium, echeveria or tiny tree-like jade plants (Crassula ovata, zones 10 to 12). Aeonium, like the ones pictured, would grow best in filtered sunlight.

8. Eclectic. This succulent vignette is another example of using unusual planting vessels. Here, the designer cut the tops off a couple of glass sangria and tequila bottles, leaving the labels on for graphic interest, and filled them with potting soil, pebbles and a mix of succulents, including blue chalk sticks (Senecio sp.). The overall effect is playful and eclectic.

Keep in mind that the succulents would need to be watered very lightly if there are no drainage holes in the bottles, and moved indoors when it’s raining. These succulents would thrive in full sun.

How to Make Your Own Succulent Centerpiece

1. Find your container. Choose a vessel that’s relatively shallow and a good tabletop size. This can be a low plant container from the nursery, a repurposed ceramic serving bowl or a funky recycled vessel such as a large shell, an antique metal tray or a collection of jars. For outdoor containers, make sure there’s a drainage hole, as succulents rot in wet soil. For indoor containers, you can choose a vessel without a drainage hole but be sure not to overwater.

2. Choose your succulents. Depending on the look you’d like for your centerpiece, select a mix of small succulents of various shapes, sizes and colors to plant together or choose one or two stand-alone specimens to each occupy its own container. In general, it’s a good idea to include one or two low-growing fillers (like hens-and-chicks) and trailing varieties (such as stonecrop) to cover the exposed soil. 

Also consider where you’d like to place your succulent centerpiece. For outdoor displays, choose succulents that thrive in sunlight. For indoor containers, use succulents such as some types of aeonium and mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis baccifera) that can be grown in lower light.

3. Get planting. Use a quick-draining potting mix and plant succulents and cactuses shallowly — making sure that the soil does not cover their crowns or fleshy leaves. For mixed plantings, start with your largest succulents as anchors and plant smaller varieties around their base, leaving room to tuck in trailing varieties (like Sedum ‘Angelina’) at the edges of the container.

4. Add finishing touches. Cover the soil with a top-dressing material, such as gravel, sea glass, fine bark mulch or preserved moss, or fill in gaps with low-growing succulents to naturally cover the soil. The top-dressing not only gives the container a finished look but also cuts down on the need for water. 

5. Care for your plants. Most succulents grow best with four to six hours of bright, indirect sunlight per day. You may need to periodically move indoor containers outdoors to give them a dose of sunshine, or choose succulents that can tolerate less light exposure for use indoors. Keep in mind that some succulents — particularly those used to growing indoors — can burn if exposed to hot, baking sun. 

Water about once a week at the base of plants, avoiding overhead spraying. Allow the top 1 to 2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again.