You may have a passion for growing and taking care of succulents. This might be because they are fairly simple to take care of and add an aesthetic appeal to your home, or because some varieties stick out more than others, such as fuzzy succulents.
If you’ve visited a succulent garden before, you will have encountered various species in all shapes, sizes, and colors, making them worth adding to your home garden, especially fuzzy succulents, which have a unique texture.
Plant enthusiasts have a deep passion for collecting various plant species, especially those that stand out from others, making it possible to add them to your collection of house plants.
Fuzzy succulents are velvety and hairy to touch, making them beautiful in their own way and interesting plants to grow in your home, causing you to become curious about how you can best take care of them.
Let’s explore more details about fuzzy succulents and how you can grow them.
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Fuzzy Succulents – What Are They and What Should You Avoid Doing
Not all succulents are fuzzy, which is probably why these, in particular, have stood out from the variety of others, allowing you to expand your collection by choosing ones with the best colors and shapes.
It may be of interest to know that fuzziness is a survival mechanism these plants developed to cope with the sun’s extreme rays, acting as a shield to block the sunlight from burning away the leaves, ensuring that the right amount of it is trapped for photosynthesis to occur.
Succulents are at risk of heating up too quickly if they are exposed to too much sunlight, which is why the hairs on the leaves cast shade on the plant’s surface, allowing it to stay cool in hot summers.
If your succulents begin to grow these hairs, it is an indicator that you might need to place your plant in an area that receives less sunlight to protect them from withering away.
Once you’re aware of why they are fuzzy, you can begin to take better care of them, especially since they have special needs that require you to keep a few things in mind if you’re looking to grow them in optimal conditions.
One of the first things to keep in mind is you need to avoid watering the fuzzy succulents from the top and getting the leaves wet, which can magnify the effect of the sun’s rays and cause your plant to heat up and die.
Even if the fuzzy succulent does not die immediately, it will likely get damaged, which is something to avoid if you’re planning to look after it properly.
If the hairs on the plant’s leaves become burnt, they will not be able to offer the shade it needs to cool down properly, making it difficult for it to survive.
You may want to use a particular water bottle with a longer neck design, ensuring you can use it closer to the plant’s roots and not leaves, allowing it to thrive in a medium-sunny environment, especially if you’ve planted it outside.
Now that you know what fuzzy succulents are and what to avoid doing, let’s explore how you can look after them.
Taking Care of Fuzzy Succulents – What You Need to Know
If you’ve got your heart set on growing and taking care of fuzzy succulents, you will need to keep a few things in mind to ensure they thrive and grow optimally, which is possible if you give them extra love and care.
Using tempered water works best for fuzzy succulents because it has no minerals, making it the perfect option for the plant that ensures its growth and development.
As we’ve already discussed, you should use a long-necked water bottle for watering your fuzzy succulents, avoiding spraying the leaves since that can result in the leaves rotting.
Fuzzy succulents are fairly sensitive in this regard, making it important for you to prioritize extra care when looking after them.
Sometimes the leaves may get dirty, and you may want to clean them, which is why your best bet is to use a dry brush and gently scrape off the dust and debris to ensure your succulent stays fresh and clean.
Investing in a Wooster brush may be ideal, especially since it is available in all sizes with gentle bristles that prevent the leaves from getting damaged.
Types of Fuzzy Succulents and How to Care for Them
There are various kinds of fuzzy succulents you can expect to grow, such as the panda, white chenille, and copper spoons plant, which require different approaches when seeking to maximize their ability to thrive in different environments.
The panda plant can be found in Madagascar and is highly textured like many other fuzzy succulents, requiring full exposure to bright sunlight during the daytime.
However, it does need some shade, which means you may want to plant it in a location that experiences partial shade during the afternoon or move the pot during that time to ensure it gets its requirements met.
Another characteristic of the panda plant is that it grows up to 18 inches, meaning you should keep it in a place where it can grow without struggle, ensuring it reaches its maximum height.
You will want to use a potting mix with some sand and other inorganic materials to ensure it provides the right balance of nutrients while also ensuring excellent drainage, which is the best tactic for taking care of your panda plant.
During the winter season, you should refrain from watering your plant too much since it is not needed. When watering your succulent generally, you should wait until the soil dries out before adding more.
The white chenille plant can be found in Mexico, growing up to 12 inches in height and requiring loads of space around it. Similar to the panda plant, it needs to be placed in well-drained soil, ensuring water doesn’t accumulate around the roots and drown the plant or rot the roots.
Another important thing to remember if you have a white chenille plant is that it can grow several feet in width, making it important to place it in a properly sized pot or, if you’re growing it in your garden, to space out the other plants, so they’re not too close to it.
The copper spoons plant has oval leaves and the same fuzzy surface as other succulents in its family, needing specific growing conditions, such as dry soils and rocky surfaces, which are ideal for its needs since it does not need a lot of water.
If you water these plants too much, they will begin to wither away, meaning that each species of succulents requires unique conditions for optimal growth and development.
Since there are so many varieties of fuzzy succulents out there, you will have to do some research to find what works best for your species, ensuring it gets the extra care it needs to grow optimally.
The fuzzy succulent you choose to buy depends on your taste, and you may dedicate an entire garden to growing these plants, which can be a little challenging if you have various species that require different conditions.
It may make more sense to keep different types in pots since you can cater to their individual needs, such as exposing them to sunlight at particular times and using different soil mixtures.
If you’re growing fuzzy succulents in your garden, you may want to dedicate areas to a particular species or research extensively to find ones that are compatible in the same conditions, ensuring optimal growth.
Final Verdict
Fuzzy succulents are very popular because their unique texture makes them stand out, which is why many plant owners love growing them indoors or in their back gardens.
These succulents come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, allowing you to pick the ones you want, ensuring they grow optimally, and create the visual appeal you are looking for.
Succulents are generally easy to grow and take care of, but some varieties need extra care due to certain sensitive characteristics, such as hairs growing on the leaves of fuzzy succulents.
These hairs become vulnerable to rot and damage, making it important for you to use the right watering technique, which is one common aspect of looking after fuzzy succulents.
Since there are so many kinds of succulents out there, you may need to mimic the conditions they naturally grow in to achieve the best growth results.
By researching specifics about a certain fuzzy succulent species, you can find information on temperature, soil, sun exposure, and other important growth factors, ensuring you have all the tools in your arsenal to successfully grow the species you like.
This may seem like a chore since everyone claims that succulents are fairly easy to look after and don’t require much care, which is why it helps to differentiate between your plants surviving and thriving.
Most succulents are fairly resilient and can survive in less-than-optimal conditions, but if you’re looking for the best results, you will have to take a more nuanced approach to plant care.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you get the dirt out of fuzzy succulents?
Fuzzy succulents are notoriously hard to clean. Fill a bleach-full bowl with water and let it sit with the roots overnight. Scrub the roots gently with a stiff brush. Follow up with a mild soapy solution and pat dry.
How often do you water Fuzzy succulents?
Fuzzy succulents require very little watering, however, if they need water, it is recommended to water them about once every two-three weeks.
Do Fuzzy succulents need sun?
Yes! Succulents do need sunlight, however, some succulents like low light, and some like bright light. Some succulent plants like bright light.
What is the white fuzzy stuff on my succulents?
This may be a fungus. To treat it, try removing fungus with a mix of baking soda and water. Also, be sure to water plants during the hot, dry summer months, keeping your soil moist, but not wet.
