GardenBest for beginners
Hens and chicks
Sempervivum species
If you designed a succulent for Swan Hill, it would look a lot like this. It takes far harder frosts than we get, handles the heat, needs very little water and doesn't mind poor soil. Rosettes come in green, red, purple, bronze and silver, and the plant spreads itself with clusters of "chicks" around the central "hen". One of the easiest plants there is to keep alive.
Best for: rockeries, path edges, shallow pots and steep slopes.
Extremely frost hardyFull sunVery drought tolerantSelf-spreading
Garden and potSwan Hill classic
Aloe vera
Aloe barbadensis
The one most people know, grown around Australian homes for generations. It takes a Swan Hill summer in its stride, needs almost no water once settled, and makes pups to share with the neighbours. The gel inside the leaves is handy first aid for sunburn and minor burns. It takes light frost only, so plant it against a north or west-facing wall or in a pot you can move.
Best for: garden beds, large pots and north-facing walls.
Light frost onlyLoves full sunVery drought tolerant
GardenStatement plant
Century plant
Agave americana
Few plants make a statement like a full-grown agave: a big, architectural rosette of blue-grey, spined leaves. It evolved in the dry country of Mexico, so it's right at home in the Mallee. Frost tolerant once established and long-lived, it will anchor a garden for decades. Variegated forms with cream-edged leaves are especially striking. Give it room, good drainage and full sun.
Best for: feature spots, gravel gardens and large statement pots.
Frost hardy once establishedFull sun essentialExtremely drought tolerant
Garden and pot
Stonecrop
Sedum, various
One of the most varied succulent families: some are low, spreading groundcovers, others upright clumps. They share great drought tolerance, brilliant autumn colour and the toughness to handle frost that would finish softer succulents. 'Dragon's Blood' (deep crimson, spreading) and 'Autumn Joy' (dusty pink flower heads, upright) both do very well in Swan Hill. Most like full sun and sharp drainage, and they thrive on neglect.
Best for: rockeries, borders, pots and groundcover.
Very frost hardyDrought tolerantAutumn colourBees love it
Pots, protected in winterMost popular
Echeveria
Echeveria, many cultivars
The rosettes most people picture when they think of succulents, in seafoam green, lavender-grey, deep burgundy or rose-tipped cream. Sun brings out their richest colours. They're happiest in pots on a verandah or in a spot with morning sun and some afternoon shade. Frost is their weakness: they take a light frost but need cover through winter. Move pots under the eaves by mid-May and they'll reward you in spring.
Best for: pots, verandahs, and under cover in winter.
Frost tenderVery drought tolerantVivid colours
GardenGroundcover
Ice plant
Delosperma species
Don't let the name fool you: ice plants do as well in heat as in frost. This low, spreading South African succulent covers itself in bright daisy flowers in magenta, yellow, orange and purple through spring and summer, and several species are very cold hardy. It spreads quickly into a dense mat that smothers weeds. Great on banks, along driveways or spilling over walls. Give it full sun and good drainage.
Best for: banks, walls, rockeries and driveways.
Cold hardy speciesFull sunProlific flowersFast spreading
Garden and potLong lived
Jade plant
Crassula ovata
One of the most forgiving plants you can grow. In a sheltered spot a jade can live for decades and grow into a small shrub. Its glossy, oval leaves hold plenty of water, so it rides out long dry spells. In Swan Hill, grow it in a pot and move it under the eaves for winter, or plant it in a warm, sheltered north-facing spot. Clusters of pale pink star flowers in winter are a lovely surprise. Said to bring good luck. We can't promise that, but it does look great.
Best for: pots, sheltered north walls and bright spots indoors.
Frost tenderVery drought tolerantIndoors and out
Pots and indoorsShade tolerant
Zebra plant
Haworthia species
The succulent for spots in and around the house that don't get full sun. Unlike most succulents, haworthia prefers bright, indirect light to harsh sun, so it suits windowsills, shaded verandahs and bathrooms with natural light. Striking white stripes across dark green leaves, and it stays small and compact. It's completely frost tender, so keep it in a pot and bring it inside for the Swan Hill winter.
Best for: windowsills, shaded verandahs, offices and gifts.
Keep frost freeDrought tolerantIndoors
Garden and potHedging
Elephant bush
Portulacaria afra
A cheerful, fast-growing South African succulent that looks like a small-leaved jade and grows just as easily. Round, fleshy leaves on reddish stems, and it takes pruning well, so people use it for hedging, bonsai or shaping into a small feature shrub. Variegated forms with cream-edged leaves are lovely. Handles heat and drought very well once established. Protect it from hard frost: a warm, sheltered spot or a large pot you can move under cover.
Best for: large pots, sheltered beds and informal hedging.
Shelter from hard frostLoves heatDrought tolerant
Garden and potFeeds the birds
'Blue Elf' aloe
Aloe 'Blue Elf'
An aloe that breaks the frost tender rule. 'Blue Elf' handles frosts down to about −6°C, so it suits a Swan Hill winter far better than standard aloe vera. Long, narrow blue-grey leaves form an upright clump, and from late winter into spring it sends up bright orange flower spikes that honeyeaters and lorikeets love. It thrives in full sun, even hot sun reflected off walls and paving. Plant in threes for impact.
Best for: garden beds, paved courtyards, pots and wildlife gardens.
Frost hardy to about −6°CFull sun, even reflectedBird attracting
Garden and potAbout 30 cm
Blue chalksticks
Senecio serpens
A low, spreading succulent with pencil-shaped, pale blue-grey leaves that look almost painted. Beautiful against terracotta, dark-leaved shrubs or warm-toned gravel. It takes Swan Hill's summer heat easily and is more frost tolerant than many senecios. It spreads gently into a soft carpet, lovely massed along borders or spilling from raised beds and retaining walls. Small white flowers in summer, but the leaves are the point.
Best for: borders, pots, gravel gardens and retaining walls.
Full sunVery drought tolerantBlue-grey foliageSpreading
Pots and indoorsGreat gift plant
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
The cheerful one: clusters of tiny, bright flowers in red, orange, yellow, coral and pink above thick, glossy leaves. One of the most popular pot and indoor succulents in Australia, and it flowers for weeks with very little help. It's frost tender, so in Swan Hill it lives in a pot and comes inside for winter. When flowering finishes, cut back the stems and give it a bright, warm spot through summer: it will rest, then flower again. Water only when the mix is completely dry.
Best for: gifts, windowsills, bright spots indoors and pots.
Keep frost freeDrought tolerantLong flowering
