Photography by Mimi Giboin.
If only we could identify our particular succulents, we’d know how to keep our little friends happy—no more droopy, shriveled leaves, yellowing stems, or threats of sudden death.
So … why are there so many Graptosedum and Graptoveria cultivars, how do you know if your succulent is one, and are Graptos the succulents for you?
Graptoverias
We’ve covered this before, so a summary: “Succulent” is an adjective that describes a plant’s characteristics, not its formal botanical name.
Plants that belong to the succulent family known as Graptopetalum, with colorful rosette shapes, are frequently crossed with compact Sedums or waxy Echeverias with the intent to emphasize the best features of both.
Sedums to grow indoors or out include (clockwise from left:) Sedum rubrotinctum ‘Pork and Beans’; non-red-tinged Sedum rubrotinctum ‘Pork and Beans’; Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’; Sedum ‘Lime Gold’; and Stonecrop ‘Golden Glow’.
Sedums
The main reason to cross these low-growing, hardy succulents with Graptopetalums is to create attractive, compact perennial ground covers.
Graptosedums
Three hybrids talk things over; (from left:) Graptoveria ‘Moonglow’, Graptosedum ‘Ghostly’, and Graptosedum ‘Vera Higgins’. I think this is what we all want for our children, by the way.
Graptosedum ‘Vera Higgins’ is a favorite edging and ground cover plant because of its handsome, burgundy colored leaves.
Graptosedum ‘Ghostly’ has an eerie, Casper the Ghost coloration that plays well against grays, blues, and purples in a garden bed.
To choose the best indoor succulents, see our earlier posts, 9 Secrets to Growing Succulent Plants Indoors and Succulents: 8 Tips to Help Your Favorite Indoor Plants Survive Winter.