About 10 years ago , succulent begin an extraordinary rise in popularity . They turn up everywhere – on windowsill , in chaplet and centrepiece , arranged in frames , even dyed .

Nowadays , succulent are hep than ever . Everyone seems to have at least one . Marcia Sherry , an Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener since 1999 , has many more than that – around 50 different form at last reckoning .

When she was in college , Sherry come grimace to face with a Equus asinus tail succulent ( Sedum morganianum ) , which is still one of her front-runner .

“ The donkey tail was my first houseplant back in college in the ‘ 70s , ” said Sherry , a retired architect . “ Ever since then I ’ve had succulents . I like them . Succulents are forgiving . If you blank out to water them , they do n’t die like other works would . ”

Succulents – defined by the piss stored in their leaves – are an improbably divers group of plant with many dissimilar mannikin , textures and colors . They come from many parts of the earth , typically from Africa , Mexico , Central and South America . Some thrive outside in temperatures down to -20 arcdegree F. Others need to nuzzle up near a bright windowpane inside . Almost all of them take very little maintenance .

“ They ’re pretty perfect , ” Sherry said . “ Everybody seems to wish them . They ’re fun plants . ”

Sherry say she does n’t bet favorites , but she mentioned in special her fraught Allium cepa flora ( Albuca bracteate ) and firesticks plant ( Euphorbia tirucalla   ‘ Sticks on Fire ’ ) . Firesticks lives up to its name with pencil - mold , leafless stems in green , scandalmongering and red . significant Allium cepa plants are also aptly name with farsighted , underweight , arching leaves that emerge from a softball game - sized medulla oblongata growing above the soil . Both are houseplant as are two other keepers , the familiar jade works and aloe .

For her indoor succulent , Sherry uses the north or east windows where the plants get smart but not direct sun . She water them about once a calendar month , sometimes even less . She ’ll stick her digit down an inch or so into the smoke . If it ’s moist , she give it . Too much water will cause the ascendent to rot . She does n’t fecundate her succulents and they are n’t bother by pests .

out of doors , the job of calculate after fearless succulents is just as carefree . With new plant , she puts them in the shade for a twenty-four hours or two to lease them scar over before planting . Then she pull off the dead , external leaf , uses a pencil to make a gob and sticks the plant life in the ground in a spot that gets full sunlight .

“ Then water it and get out , ” she allege . “ The outdoor plant life take care of themselves once they ’re established . ”

The unremarkable indoors is just as easy . Sherry uses cactus mix in Mary Jane with drainage holes . Or she ’ll make her own mix using regular potting soil and perlite or peat moss to lighten it up .

A few months ago , her cat knocked over a donkey tush industrial plant . Sherry saw all the pieces and decided to see how easy they ’d be to circularise . Using her potting mixture , she fulfill a seeded player tray , making sure it had drain holes . She stuck in some of the broken leaves , watered lightly and walked away . Within a few weeks , leaves appeared . After a few month , it was time to graft the babies into pots .

“ That ’s all you have to do , ” Sherry tell . “ They really are the easiest plants you could spring up . I ’ve known that for a long time . ”

reservoir : Oregon State University ( Kym Pokorny )