How to Grow Succulents in Water

Wet succulent
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Succulents are a joy to behold and a breeze to care for due to their resilience. They generally require very little water and tending to. As an added bonus succulents thrive in soils and conditions in which most other plants won’t even think of settling into. No weeding required.

But what if we throw you a curveball. Did you know that you can grow succulents in water entirely? Yep. Paradoxically the plants that are easiest to kill with overwatering can be trained to grow hydroponically. We explain how down below. But first.

Choose your succulents

The different types of succulents that can be grown in water.
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Not every type of succulent can be grown in water. What you are looking for is ideally a member of the Sempervivum or Echeveria genera of the Crassulaceae family. The reason we recommend these is because they form beautiful rosettes in a variety of colours, and can easily be propagated from leaf cuttings or offsets. This allows you to have a bunch of plants from a single succulent, thus making it easy to try again if you don’t succeed in adapting them to grow in water from the first go. Our favourites are:

  • Echeveria Runyonii – This succulent grows fast and reaches 10cm in height and diameter. It’s very suitable to propagation through leaf cuttings and like most echeverias – a very hardy plant.
  • Echeveria Agavoides Romeo – We love this one for the colour. As all of the rosette-forming succulents, you have to take caution not to wet the leaves as that may cause rot.
  • Hen and Chicks – This one is so easy to multiply it actually possess the risk of overwhelming the container you put it into. However, due to the nature of growing succulents in water, you will be safe on that front. What you will have though are many offsets to experiment with.
  • Sempervivum Tectorum – This one is usually used as ground cover, but if left to grow can produce a rather tall stalk for a succulent.
Check out also: Make Your Own Kokedama

How the magic works

A succulent plant growing in water.
Studio_Loona / Shutterstock.com

First, you will have to choose how you will start your new plant. We find that using an offshoot generally works better than cutting as it produces a stronger plant. The latter is also entirely doable, so in the end, it’s up to your preference. Now you are ready to grow a succulent in water.

The first and most important step is to let the cutting or offshoot callus. Leave it in an empty tray for a few days. If you skip this part it will absorb too much moisture and it may cause rotting.

Next rest the cutting or offshoot on the rim of a vessel of water in a well sunlit place. The callused end must be just above the water, without touching it. In a few days, you will see the roots starting to reach down into it.

And that’s really it! Once the roots form the succulent can continue living in the water as long as you provide it with a suitable container.

Just mind that water roots and soil roots are very different from each other and a succulent that has adapted to living in water will most probably die if transplanted into soil. Due to the easy propagation of succulents, you are free to experiment to your heart’s content and find what works best for you.

Hire a professional to take care of your succulents! Just get in touch with your local gardener!
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sheryl
sheryl
6 years ago

Hi
I was wondering about the succulents growing in water. I’ve got one with healthy roots growing down into the water, but can you now put the stem in the water as well?

Isabel
Isabel
5 years ago

Hi, I’m a beginner to the succulent world and the following is completely off topic but I was wondering how long it usually takes for a succulent to root in soil? I have some small (maybe baby) succulents and they’re not rooting. I’m getting worried. Please help.

Phoebe Wee
Phoebe Wee
5 years ago

Hello! I was wondering will it still work just by uprooting the plant gently with the roots still intact, and grow it in water, with the roots touching the water? Would appreciate your help!

Agnes
Agnes
5 years ago

I have several stems of succulents growing in water for 3 months. I followed the instructions on how to get them to root in water (calloused stems above the water) and got roots to grow pretty quickly. They are in a glass jar which I put on top of a vase next to a window. How should I continue to care for it? Should I replace the water and how often? Or should I just continue to add water when the level goes down? What about fertilizers? I would like to keep them growing in water as long as I… Read more »

She
She
5 years ago

There are already roots and it’s been almost two weeks. Is it okay to put it in the soil?

Ash
Ash
5 years ago

Hi there! I have succulent growing roots nicely in a glass jar. Is it possible for the plant to outgrow the jar and need its roots trimmed or need to be transferred to another, bigger jar? Or can it just keep growing and do its thing. Thank you!

Giselle
Giselle
5 years ago

Can I grow succulents (especially thinking of Hoya) in water beads?

Evgeni Asenov
Evgeni Asenov
5 years ago
Reply to  Giselle

Yes, you can definitely try. Succulents are pretty tough. Just make sure you start growing them in water beads from the start so the roots can develop in the beads. You can learn more about gardening with jelly crystals in our guide.

Rachel
Rachel
5 years ago

I was wondering if I could plant the succulent completely underwater in rocks/dirt of some kind. I was hoping to make an underwater terrarium.

Candra Wilson
Candra Wilson
5 years ago

I’m wondering if I could somehow make a setup to grow these in an aquarium.

Joan Kenny
Joan Kenny
5 years ago

Can I root adenium cuttings in water? Can I graft Adenium cuttings together and attempt to root them in cactus soil with perlite and sand added? How does one graft adenium to a caudex? I love adenium and have 22! I would love to graft some. Can you graft other succulents or cactus to adenium? Thank you!

Ellen Berthoud
Ellen Berthoud
2 years ago

I have my echeveria Magnifica in water and it is growing like crazy and the leaves are 5-6 inches long.

Raquel
Raquel
2 years ago

Hello I used to have nice leaves but they eventually fell off but then these came out but i wanted to repot this one because my pot broke. But it doesn’t have any roots! It literally has only one. What can I encourage for the roots to grow ? I don’t want it to die.

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The Fantastic Team
Admin
1 year ago
Reply to  Raquel

Hi, Raquel, we hope you managed to save your plant! In cases like this, you can put it into water and wait for it to develop roots. After that, transfer it into soil (get a mixture for succulents). Using some houseplant fertilizer is also going to be beneficial. Good luck!

Glory
Glory
1 year ago

I have a Christmas cactus (I think lol) I took it from my mom’s house and neither of us know what it is definitively…I’m propagating it in water now, but do I have to plant it in soil? Or can I continue to let it grow in the water?

The Fantastic Team
Admin
1 year ago
Reply to  Glory

Yes, you should plant it to soil after a while. The more the cactus stays in water, the better root system it’ll develop. When you see lots of roots, you can safely transfer it. What’s important is you should get the proper potting soil for your plant.

Shalom
Shalom
7 months ago

Can I grow secculant inside aquarium with fishes? If can, can you eloborate the type of secculant and fish to use?

The Fantastic Team
Admin
4 months ago
Reply to  Shalom

Hello, Shalom. If you’re inspired by the trendy succulent terrariums, yes, you can make such in fish bowls, but you’re not meant to submerge them in water, as they succulents will most definitely die. If you want to create an aquatic terrarium, you have to use aquarium plants, you can find these in pet stores. There they can also advise you about which aquatic plants and fishes go well together, what filtration system they need, etc.

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