10 best ampule succulents

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Succulents are valued for their stamina and minimal care. Ampel succulents retain almost all the advantages of their brothers. They are also able to store water in the tissues of leaves and stems. But at the same time they require several other conditions and care, because they come not from deserts, but from subtropical and tropical forests. Drooping shoots and spreading crowns of ampelous succulents - an extraordinary sight. In this article I will talk about the ten brightest and easiest plants to grow in this group.

Features of growing ampel succulents

Succulent shoots and leaves of ampelous succulents and cacti create an impressive mass, therefore, plants need more stable containers and reliable fastenings.

Despite the sometimes shoots exceeding 1 m in length, such succulents are grown in wide and low pots, carefully selecting drainage and light soil.

They are mainly photophilous, but not so resistant to direct sunlight, preferring diffused light or soft partial shade.

Ampel succulents grow well at room temperature. And bloom only with a cool wintering, they do not like heat.

In addition, you need to remember a few key rules for growing them:

ampelous succulents prefer medium and high humidity and react worse to dry air;
plants remain extremely sensitive to waterlogging, like light and constant soil moisture;
handle shoots and leaves need to be careful, they are easily injured and break off, do not tolerate constant contact;
ampoule succulents respond poorly to careless care and dust accumulation;
replant the bushes not only neatly, but also when the plant really needs it;
for uniform development, you need to monitor the location relative to the light source and regularly turn the crown.

Ampel succulents are often recommended to be grown only in hanging baskets. But do not reject other possibilities. Firstly, in a "suspended state" only succulents with threadlike and meter shoots look good. Ampel cacti reveal beauty if you look at them "flush", and many lush bushes look better from above.

Such types can be used to create cascades - installation on shelves, stands or planting in pots on legs - or as a floor mounted on dressers and tables living sculptures.

1. The Godson Rowley

Better known as a string of pearls, this unique elegant succulent is recognized at a glance. Thin filiform shoots with rounded pea-leaf leaves really resemble beads strung on a thread. Shoots up to half a meter long look luxurious, and the bushes become prettier every year.

Photophilous godfather Rowley (Senecio rowleyanus) likes airing, cool in winter, moderate watering and top dressing.

2. Sedum of Morgan

A charming and powerful plant, known in Europe as a donkey tail, is one of the most densely leafy succulents. Fleshy, oval-ovate, with a wax coating, the leaves very easily crumble and create elegant patterns on thin shoots. Long shoots up to 60 cm under the weight of the leaves hang in charming massive cascades.

Scum of Morgan (Sedum morganianum) loves bright lighting, fresh dry air and wintering at 10 degrees Celsius.

It is worth paying attention to the hybrid variety Burrito (Burrito) with tightly spaced leaves creating a spiral of light yellowish color.

3. Dysocactus Thyroid

Snake cactus became famous for drooping, like long thick lashes, shoots. Up to 60 cm in length, ribbed and prickly, they flaunt a strict pattern of reddish bristle-like spines. I want to admire endlessly on bright raspberry-pink flowers up to 9 cm in length. Flowers bloom even at the base of the shoots, creating a kind of hat over long "snakes".

Thyroid Disocactus (Disocactus flagelliformis) adapts well to different lighting conditions and prefers plentiful watering during the entire period of active growth and flowering.

See also our material of 20 indoor cacti and succulents with amazingly beautiful flowering.

4. Schlumberger

Represented mainly by hybrids, this abundantly flowering cactus for its palette and flowering time has earned the nickname of the Decembrist or Christmas tree. Large tubular flowers are painted in bright pure tones of a white-pink-orange-red gamut and bloom from November to January.

Articulated flat shoots with a beautiful jagged edge devoid of thorns. Cacti abundantly branch and create quite thick bushes, prone to loss of shape and elongation.

Schlumbergera (Schlumbergera) prefers nutritious acidic soil, a cool dry dormant period and high humidity.

5. Ripsalis campos porto

The original epiphytic shrub with rod-shaped greens. Its thin, juicy, densely branching, rounded shoots form fancy drooping graphic bushes, stretching up to 2 m in length. At the ends of the "sticks" -branches, small white flowers with translucent petals slightly open.

Ripsalis campos porto (Rhipsalis campos-portoana) He likes soft light, warmth, high humidity, constant soil moisture and weak top dressing.

In addition to this original, it is worth taking a look at other ripsalis with their inimitable lace of thin round, ribbed or faceted shoots.

6. Ceropegia Wood

The thickened tuberous root allows the plant to survive in almost any condition. The shoots are thin, cord-like, purple, strikingly long, hang from the pot and flaunt rarely spaced pairs of elegant heart-shaped leaves up to 2 cm in diameter. Silvery marble patterns shine on their dark surface.

The thickened, fleshy texture of the leaves is almost invisible, as are the miniature bulbs, from which, under favorable conditions, a new plant can develop.Ceropegia Wood (Ceropegia woodii) does not look like a necklace, but how rarely coins are strung on threads. The shoots of the plant are easily "entangled."

Ceropegia loves bright lighting, daily temperature drops and a cool winter.

7. Selenitereus Anthony

The closest relative of the legendary queen of the night and the most interesting of the ampelous cacti with fancy drooping bright green faceted shoots. They surprise with a large serrated edge on which large teeth are staggered in a zigzag pattern.

Luxurious double flowers with sharp wedge-shaped pink bracts and a white-cream center look massive.

Selenitereus Anthony (Selenicereus anthonyanus) adapts to any light, likes fresh air, economical watering, heat in summer and coolness in winter.

8. Hatior Gartner

Easter cactus blooming just in the middle of springHatior Gartner (Hatiora gaertneri) more like a blooming cloud, completely hiding under orange, pink, red or purple drooping flowers.

Unpretentious, with drooping, highly branched shoots similar to Schlumberger, consisting of flat serrated elongated segments, this forest cactus creates massive uniform bushes.

It is better to grow a hatior in diffused lighting, with high humidity, with a cool wintering and taking it to fresh air in the summer, without overfeeding and overfilling

9. Rock Cracker

This inimitable plant has several hybrids, forms and varieties that form creeping and drooping shoots, including ‘Marnieriana ’ and ‘Hottentot ’. Rounded, very fleshy leaves are arranged on winding long shoots in pairs and grow together at the base, creating the feeling of round leaves pierced with a twig or tightly strung coins and buttons.

The ability to change the bluish wax color to a light blush depending on the brightness, the unique shape, compactness, and beauty of the lines make rock fat girl (Crassula rupestris) very elegant.

Fat women need a standard “cactus” care.

If you are looking for a non-standard ampel, it is worth taking a closer look at the assortment of ground cover thickworms - among them there are many original plants that are often sold even without a variety name.

See also our material Best openwork indoor plants.

10. Mesembirantemum hearty

The most spectacular of short-lived succulents mesembirantemum hearty (Mesembryanthemum cordifolium), or Aptenia for a long time remained out of the attention of flower growers. Fleshy, neat, densely seated on densely branching drooping shoots, heart-lanceolate leaves and brightness of colors allow mesembrientems to create very dense and elegant, cascade-like bushes.

When baskets of flowers, reminiscent of asters and chrysanthemums, blossom at the tops of shoots, one cannot look away from the bushes. Their palette includes all the pink and red shades.

Without a cool wintering, success from this plant is difficult to achieve. Extremely photophilous, mesembryanthemums adore fresh air and minimal stable humidity.