From the Field
A reference for the soft, slow-growing,
and quietly resilient.
Comprehensive cultivation guides to Crassulaceae, Asphodelaceae, Agavoideae and the rest of the plants that hold their water in their leaves. Written by a certified horticulturist working from a real collection.
By Genus
Browse the collection
Recently Added
From the editorial bench
Succulent Soil: A Practical Guide to Substrate, Mixing, and Drainage
What 'free-draining' really means, the components of a succulent mix, a standard recipe, and how to adapt it to Echeveria, Haworthia, Agave and friends.
A Beginner's Guide to Succulents: What They Are and How to Keep Them Alive
A grounded introduction to succulents — what they are, the main genera Prickly Petals covers, the five things you need to get right, and the five most common beginner mistakes.
Succulent Arrangements: Design, Planting, and Keeping Them Alive
Honest, horticulturally-literate guide to designing and maintaining multi-plant succulent arrangements — dish gardens, terrariums, and vertical frames.
Indoor Succulents: A Practical Guide to Keeping Them Alive at Home
Light, water, ventilation, and species choice for growing succulents indoors — including what not to try without grow lights.
Haworthia Flowering: Bloom Cycles and What to Expect
What haworthia flowers look like, when they appear, what to do with the inflorescence, and whether bloom is a reliable signal of plant health.
Tulista pumila: The Pearl Plant
Cultivation profile of Tulista pumila (formerly Haworthia pumila), the large pearl-studded solitary rosette formerly regarded as the largest Haworthia.
Fasciated Haworthia: Cristate and Monstrose Forms
Guide to fasciated (cristate) haworthias: what fasciation is, how it arises, how to identify and propagate cristate forms, and which species produce the most collectable crests.
Haworthia cuspidata: The Star Haworthia
Cultivation profile of Haworthia cuspidata Haw., a nursery-origin clumping soft-leaf haworthia probably of hybrid origin, widely grown for its pointed pale rosettes.
Haworthia obtusa: The Blunt-Leaf Window Haworthia
Cultivation profile of Haworthia obtusa, the bulbous clear-window species most taxonomists now treat as a variety or synonym of Haworthia cooperi.
Haworthia bayeri: The Reticulated Window Haworthia
Cultivation profile of Haworthia bayeri J.D.Venter & S.A.Hammer, the collectable soft-leaf species prized for intricate window reticulation and slow precise growth.
The Complete Haworthia Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to Haworthia, Haworthiopsis and Tulista: the 2013 generic split, leaf-window morphology, low-light cultivation, propagation, and common problems, with links to species guides.
Haworthiopsis coarctata: The Columnar Haworthia
Cultivation profile of Haworthiopsis coarctata (formerly Haworthia coarctata), the columnar, spiralled-leaf South African succulent that forms architectural stacks in age.
Complete Guides
Pillars for every genus
Indoor Succulents: A Practical Guide to Keeping Them Alive at Home
Light, water, ventilation, and species choice for growing succulents indoors — including what not to try without grow lights.
The Complete Haworthia Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to Haworthia, Haworthiopsis and Tulista: the 2013 generic split, leaf-window morphology, low-light cultivation, propagation, and common problems, with links to species guides.
The Complete Senecio Guide: Taxonomy, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to succulent Senecio (and the reclassified genus Curio): taxonomy, identification, light, water, substrate, propagation, pruning, toxicity, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
The Complete Aloe Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Aloe: taxonomy, identification, light and watering needs, propagation, pests, and medicinal chemistry, with links to species-specific guides.
The Complete Echeveria Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Echeveria: taxonomy, identification, light and watering needs, propagation, pruning, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
The Complete Sedum Guide: Stonecrop Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Full guide to the genus Sedum (stonecrop): taxonomy, the Hylotelephium segregate, the four growth forms, cold hardiness, propagation, toxicity, and links to species and cultivar pages.
The Complete Agave Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Agave: taxonomy, morphology, light and watering needs, cold hardiness, propagation by offset and bulbil, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
The Complete Sempervivum Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Sempervivum: alpine origins, taxonomy, cold-hardy cultivation, monocarpy, propagation from offsets, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
The Complete Kalanchoe Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Kalanchoe: taxonomy, identification, photoperiodic flowering, propagation from cuttings and leaf bulbils, pruning, toxicity, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
The Complete Crassula Guide: Taxonomy, Cultivation, Propagation & CAM Physiology
Comprehensive guide to the genus Crassula: taxonomy, CAM photosynthesis, identification, light and watering needs, propagation, pruning, bonsai, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.